A conference on Alisher Navoi will be held on 9 February in Uzbekistan

A conference on Alisher Navoi will be held on 9 February in the city of Navoi in Uzbekistan.This conference is organized by the Public Foundation Alisher Navoi and takes place every year. Last year, it was held in Tashkent, writes Derya Soysal.

Alisher Navoi (born in 1441 and died in 1501) is a poet who holds a central place not only in Uzbekistan but in the entire Turkic world and all of Central Asia. He is the most studied poet of Chagatai literature. He is one of the greatest poets of the Timurid period. The Timurids are a dynasty that developed in Central Asia and whose empire extended to Turkey in the west, India in the south, and the Chinese borders in the east. The founder is Emir Timur, one of the greatest emperors in history.

The turcologist and historian Zeki Velidi Togan said about Navoi that he is the greatest figure in Turkic literature, especially Chagatai literature. Literature in the Chagatai language developed in Central Asia during the Timurid era (14th-16th centuries).

The Turkish historian Agah Sırrı Levend noted that Alisher Navoi elevated the Chagatai language to the highest levels, to the point that it became a literary language. At that time, authors wrote in Arabic or Persian, but since Alisher Navoi, he encouraged authors of his people to write in their mother tongue. This is why he became an example for all poets of the Turkic world.

Fuad Köprülü, former Deputy Prime Minister, literate, turcologist, Turkish literature historian, stated that Navoi is the one who gave an identity to the Chagatai language and transformed it into a literary language.

Alisher Navoi influenced Turkish literature (in Turkiye), Azerbaijani literature, and more. For example, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (known by his pen name Muhibbi) is known for his interest in Navoi. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent is one of the poets who wrote the most ghazals in the history of Ottoman poetry and who wrote poetic responses (nazire) to Navoi's poems. The tradition of responding to Navoi at the Ottoman court began with Avni (Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror), continued with Adli (Selim I), and concluded with Muhibbi (Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent).

In conclusion, Alisher Navoi is one of the greatest figures of Turkic poetry. He is considered the founder of Chagatai literature. This poet is also a global example for all the humanist messages he conveyed through his poems.

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