Today is the birthday of the People's Poet of Azerbaijan Mamed Araz

Today is the birthday of the People's Poet of Azerbaijan, Mamed Araz.

Mamed Araz (real name - Mamed Infil oglu Ibragimov) was an Azerbaijani poet, publicist, translator, People's Poet of Azerbaijan, and laureate of the State Prize.

He was born on October 14, 1933, in the village of Nursu, Shahbuz district of the Nakhchivan AR. In 1949, he graduated from the secondary school in Shahbuzkend.

In 1950, he enrolled in the geography faculty of the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute. In 1952, Mamed Araz's first published poem appeared in the magazine "Revolution and Culture."

In 1955-1956, he worked as a teacher in the village of Nursu, Shahbuz district.

In 1957, he served as a commissioner in the Main Press Administration under the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan. That same year, he became a member of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan.

In 1959, the "Azernashr" publishing house printed Mamed Araz's first book of poems titled Sevgi nəğməsi ("Song of Love").

In 1959-1961, he studied at the Higher Literary Courses at the Maxim Gorky Literary Institute. After completing the courses, he worked as an editor at the "Maarif" publishing house. In 1963, he was appointed director of the fiction editorial office of the Azerbaijan State Publishing House.

In 1964, he published a collection of poems titled Araz axır ("The Araz Flows"). In 1967, he was elected executive secretary of the journal Ulduz ("Star").

In 1970, he worked as deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Ədəbiyyat və incəsənət ("Literature and Art").

In 1978, he was awarded the honorary title of Honored Cultural Worker, in 1984 - Honored Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR, and in 1991 - People's Poet of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In 1995, he received the highest award of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan - the "Istiglal" Order.

Mamed Araz passed away on December 1, 2004, in Baku.