The Nakhchivan “Zukur” seminary and the “Dan yildizi” magazine

Abstract

In the second decade of the 19th century, in 1922-1924, two seminaries, “Zukur” (male) and “Unas” (female), began to operate in Nakhchivan. Among the teachers of the seminary, Sheikh Muhammad Rasizadeh, a linguist teacher who studied in Iran and was one of the respected personalities of Nakhchivan environment, was at the very center of these processes. The experienced teacher observed lack of language lessons and other shortcomings in the program held at the technical school, opposed the “experiment on students”, and made suggestions for improving the teaching of the subject of literature. The issue caused evtensive discussions in  public-pedagogical environment of that time in Azerbaijan was rejected. The given suggestions confirm that Muhammad Rasizadeh is a teacher-educator who can be distinguished by his pedagogical knowledge and competence, follows pedagogical innovations and is able to analyze innovations.

The activity of Sheikh Muhammad in publishing and writing articles for the “Dan Yildizi” wall newspaper, which was published in the technical school, demonstrated that the technical school had deep relations with the press agencies in Nakhchivan, and the social-political, scientific-pedagogical articles by teachers and students had been regularly published in these bodies. Well-known, influential, “serious, well-educated”, “Turkish, Muslim life and thought” (religion, language and history), Sheikh Muhammad Rasizadeh became a “true teacher of the nation”.

The article sheds light on the services of Sheikh Muhammad Rasizadeh, who had been engaged in pedagogical activities for more than 30 years, in revitalizing the education and cultural environment in Nakhchivan and training the first batch of pedagogical personnel.