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On January 27, 2026, at the National Library, book exhibitions were presented to visitors in honor of two major anniversaries: “Ismayil bey Qutqashinli – 220”, marking the 220th anniversary of the birth of the prominent writer and great educator Ismayil bey Qutqashinli, and “Honored Scientist Sara Ashurbeyli – 120”, commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Azerbaijan’s distinguished historian and Honored Scientist Sara Ashurbeyli.

The exhibition “Ismayil bey Qutqashinli – 220” showcased the writer’s works, life, social activities, literary heritage, and materials about his house-museum.

Ismayil bey Nasrulla Sultan oglu Qutqashinli was born on January 27, 1806 (some sources cite 1809; others mention July 14) in the former Qutqashin region (present-day Gabala). He received a religious education, learned Arabic and Persian, and became well acquainted with classical Azerbaijani and Eastern literature.

In 1822, Ismayil bey Qutqashinli began serving in the Russian army. He studied for four years at a cadet school in Saint Petersburg and, after graduation, served as a private in the Georgian Grenadier Regiment of the Separate Caucasian Corps. During his service, he acquired knowledge of Russian and Western European cultures and became one of the most educated Azerbaijani intellectuals of his time.

Ismayil bey Qutqashinli is credited with introducing modern prose and the short story genre to Azerbaijani literature. His masterpiece is the work “Rashid bey and Saadat khanum.”

The exhibition “Honored Scientist Sara Ashurbeyli – 120” displayed the scientist’s works, fundamental research, and literature on her life and contributions.

Sara Balabey qizi Ashurbeyli, a prominent Azerbaijani historian and Honored Scientist, was born on January 27, 1906, in Baku to the family of oil industrialist Bala bey Ashurbeyov. In 1913, she enrolled in the lower preparatory class of the “Saint Nina” Girls’ School in Baku, but the revolutionary events of 1917–1920 interrupted her education. In 1925, she graduated from the Saint Jeanne d’Arc College in Istanbul. Between 1925 and 1930, she studied in the History Department of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at ADU.

She earned the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences in 1949 and Doctor of Historical Sciences in 1965. Sara Ashurbeyli published 8 monographs and over 100 scientific articles, and several of her important works were translated into Russian.

Sara Ashurbeyli was a member of the Azerbaijan Union of Artists and participated in numerous exhibitions. She received various honorary titles, orders, and medals for her fundamental and academic contributions to Azerbaijani historiography.