Azerbaijani Alphabet and Language Day: How Letters Become Destiny

August 1st. For most people, just a summer day, the peak of vacation season. But for Azerbaijan, this date is not just a calendar mark. It is the day when the country celebrates one of its most significant national holidays — Azerbaijani Alphabet and Language Day. On this day, people remember how simple letters on paper, seemingly mere symbols, became weapons, a symbol of freedom, and a tool for preserving identity. The history of the Azerbaijani alphabet is the history of the struggle for the right to be oneself, the right to speak in one's own language, and to write as one's soul dictates, not another's will.

How the Holiday Was Established: An Edict That Changed Everything

The Azerbaijani Alphabet and Language Day was established by an edict of the national leader Heydar Aliyev on August 9, 2001. The date was chosen not by chance: as of August 1, 2001, Azerbaijan fully transitioned to the Azerbaijani alphabet based on the Latin script. This event marked the culmination of a long-term reform that began in the 1990s. The edict emphasized that the state language is not just a means of communication but an attribute of an independent statehood, and its development should be one of the priorities of national policy.

A year earlier, on June 18, 2001, an edict \"On Improving the Application of the State Language\" was signed, which initiated the widespread and mandatory application of the modern alphabet based on the Latin script throughout Azerbaijan. And on August 1, this reform came into effect. Thus, the first of August became the day when Azerbaijan finally returned to Latin, which was native to it back in the 1920s.

Three Alphabets in One Century: The Drama of Writing

The history of the Azerbaijani alphabet is a kaleidoscope of successive graphic systems. Until 1929, Azerbaijanis used the Arabic alphabet, which had been official for centuries. However, with the advent of Soviet power, major reforms began. In 1929, Arabic graphics were replaced by Latin. This was a radical step dictated not only by the desire for modernization but also by political motives: the Bolsheviks hoped to detach the people from Islamic traditions.

However, Latin did not last long. In 1939-1940, Azerbaijan was transferred to Cyrillic. Thus, over a decade, the alphabet changed three times, and each time it was not just a technical change but a profound cultural break. People found themselves in a situation where their native language was losing its familiar writing, along with a part of its identity. Cyrillic lasted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and many Azerbaijanis grew up reading on it.

After gaining independence in 1991, the question of the alphabet became acute again. On August 1, 1990, before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Azerbaijani Alphabet Commission was created. The new alphabet based on the Latin script was approved and began to be used in 1992. However, the transition was not easy: newspapers were published both in Latin and Cyrillic, causing confusion and misunderstanding among the population. It was only the 2001 edict that finally established Latin as the sole official graphic system.

The Creators of the New Alphabet: Mirza Fatali Akhundzade and Afad Gurbanov

The idea of transitioning to Latin was not born in the 1990s. Its roots date back to the 19th century. As early as 1863, the outstanding Azerbaijani thinker and dramatist Mirza Fatali Akhundzade personally presented a project of a new alphabet based on Latin in Istanbul. He traveled to several cities around the world to get expert opinions, but his project was not approved. However, Akhundzade did not lose heart and believed that future generations would appreciate his ideas. And he was right: his idea laid the foundation for the reforms of the 1920s.

The creator of the modern Azerbaijani alphabet based on the Latin script is the outstanding linguist, academician Afad Gurbanov. It was he who scientifically justified the need for a new independent alphabet, considering the phonetic system and other characteristics of the Azerbaijani language. At his initiative, the Alphabet Commission was created on August 1, 1990, and he was appointed its chairman. Gurbanov prepared the project of the new alphabet, which was widely discussed through television and the press and adopted in 1992. Today, this alphabet is a national heritage, just like the national anthem or flag.

Why It Matters Today: Language as a Shield and a Sword

In the modern world, where globalization blurs borders and English becomes the language of international communication, preserving and developing the national language acquires special significance. The Azerbaijani language is not just a means of communication. It is a repository of history, literature, culture, and mentality of an entire people. Every Azerbaijani, regardless of where they live, should remember and promote their native language, national customs, and traditions.

The state pays serious attention to this issue. Laws on the state language have been adopted, state programs for its use in the conditions of globalization have been developed. In 2018, President Ilham Aliyev signed an edict on measures to ensure more widespread use of the Azerbaijani language in the digital space. This is particularly relevant in the digital age when the internet becomes the main platform for cultural exchange.

The August 1st holiday is not just a tribute to tradition. It is a reminder that language is a living matter that requires protection and respect. It is a day when every Azerbaijani can say: \"My language is my strength.\" And there is no exaggeration in these words. Because, as is known, a nation lives as long as its language lives. And the alphabet is the key that opens the door to this language.

So, on August 1st, Azerbaijan celebrates not just a change in letters. It celebrates its independence, its identity, and its faith in the future. Because, as the great leader Heydar Aliyev once said, \"Language is the soul of the nation.\" And on this day, the soul speaks in its native language.
© elib.pk

Permanent link to this publication: