Baku State University (BSU) hosted the presentation of the book Təbriz livasının müfəssəl dəftəri (Detailed Notebook of the Tabriz Region), authored by Academician Shahin Mustafayev, President of the International Turkic Academy.

In his opening remarks, BSU Rector Elchin Babayev emphasized the book’s significance as both a historical source and a scholarly work that sheds light on the socio-economic landscape of the period. He highlighted the pioneering role of Academician Ziya Bunyadov in Azerbaijani historiography, noting that it was Bunyadov who first underscored the importance of Ottoman financial and tax registers. Under his initiative, the study of Ottoman archives related to the South Caucasus and Azerbaijan began in the 1980s.

Babayev further explained that, following Azerbaijan’s independence, researchers gained greater access to archival materials, allowing for more comprehensive studies of the medieval socio-economic history of individual regions. The book Təbriz livasının müfəssəl dəftəri is a product of this research, involving the transliteration and publication of Ottoman tax registers from three historical Azerbaijani regions—Tabriz, Maragha, and Urmia. This extensive work resulted in a two-volume publication.

Academician Shahin Mustafayev expressed his gratitude to BSU’s leadership for supporting the book’s publication. He noted that during the Soviet era, Azerbaijani historiography primarily relied on Arabic and Persian sources, while Ottoman archives, particularly those from the early 18th century, remained largely unexplored.

"This notebook contains a tax register of the population of Tabriz, which was under Ottoman rule since 1720. Through this source, we can retrieve detailed information such as the names of streets, locations, and individuals, as well as data on agricultural production, population distribution, and economic conditions of the time. The Təbriz livasının müfəssəl dəftəri not only provides insight into Ottoman tax collection practices but also offers valuable knowledge on social relations, urban life, agriculture, historical demography, and the toponymy of 18th-century Tabriz," Mustafayev explained.

The event was attended by several distinguished scholars and public figures, including Academician Nizami Jafarov, Head of the Department of General Linguistics at BSU; Academician Naila Velikhanli, Director of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan; Professor Hamlet Isakhanli, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Trustees of Khazar University; Professor Eynullah Medetli; Professor Gulu Maharramli, Head of the Department of Multimedia and Electronic Communications at BSU; and writer Hamid Kherischi.