Centers of the development of Azerbaijani book culture

Abstract

In the Middle East, including Azerbaijan, the following types of manuscript books were widely circulated: divan, anthology, textbook, panegyric, ziyc, jung, treatise, khabname, tezkire, etc. In terms of subject matter one can find books on philosophy, medicine, astrology, mathematics, music, history, geography, ethics, literary works, and so on. The majority of the manuscript consists of the Koran and Islamic sciences (tafsir, hadith, kalam, fiqh, irfan).
In Azerbaijan, the madrasa played a leading role in the enlightenment of the people and the dissemination of classical sciences.
In Azerbaijan, even during the Middle Ages, the activities of schools and madrasas played a significant role in the formation and development of science and education. If we talk about the schools and madrasas of major cities like Tabriz and Maragha, we can see that these institutions had renowned scholars and teachers with rich personal collections.
At the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, the famous “Dar al-Irshad” madrasa was operating at the Sheikh Safi mausoleum. The madrasa tradition continued in the XIX century as well. Muslim schools were clasified into two types based on their level. One of them was called a maktab, and the other was called a madrasa. In terms on meaning, the maktab was considered the primary level of education, while the madrasa represented the higher level. The maktab was, in away, a preparatory stage for the madrasa.The madrasa not only educated the people but also contributed to broadening their worldview and enhancing their level of knowledge. Students were assigned to workprimarily on the works “Gulustan”, “Yusif və Zuleykha and “Leyli və Majnun” in order to improve their handwriting, with the goal of increasing the number of copies and spreading them throughout Azerbaijan.
One of the madrasa cells was designated for the library, and books were piled on shelves or on the carpeted floor.