Renowned as an adroit master of bayati (a lyrical form of Azerbaijani folk poetry) both in folklore and written literature, Sari Ashig had become a legend and celebrity in his lifetime. His name and profession had gone through the test of time and reached the present day. In 1927, archaeologists examined Sari Ashig’s tomb and shrine at the Gulabird cemetery and came to the conclusion that the shrine belonged to the XVII century.

Sari Ashig hailed from the tribe of Orucmammad, which was a big generation in the village of Gulabird. They are natives of Garadag province. Literary critics classified Sari Ashig in the history of the world literature not only as an adroit master of bayati of the Azerbaijani literature but also of the whole Turkic world.

In 1989, the Memorial-Museum of the XVII century bayati master Sari Ashig was opened in the village of Gulabird of the Lachin region. At that time, a total of 150 items reminiscent of Sari Ashig was handed over to the museum. Representatives of the Azerbaijani Union of Writers and the district public attended the opening ceremony of the museum. The surroundings of the museum were beautified and a monument of Sari Ashig was erected there.

After the occupation of Lachin by the Armenian Armed Forces in 1992, the building of the Museum and up to 200 exhibits were destroyed and plundered by Armenians. At present the museum functions in the settlement of Pirakuskul of Absheron District.

1. Tofiqli, Vuqar, “Sari Ashuq memorial museum”, az, 16 October 2014. https://1905.az/en/sari-ashuq-memorial-museum/.
2. “Lachin Region”, Armenian Vandalism: Azerbaijani Monuments in Captivity. https://www.armenianvandalism.az/en_lachin.html.
3. “Lachin region returns to Azerbaijan on December 1”, Vestnik Kavkaza, 1 December 2020. https://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/Lachin-region-returns-to-Azerbaijan-on-December-1.html.