Aliyeva Zarifa Aziz gizi was born on April 28, 1923 in Shahtakhti village of Sharur region of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. In 1942, she graduated from secondary school in Baku with excellent marks, and in 1947 she graduated from the Preventive-Medicine faculty of the Azerbaijan State Medical Institute with honors. In 1947-1949 she was improved herself as a specialist in ophthalmology as a trainer in the All-Union Center for Doctors Improvement (Moscow).

Z.Aliyeva received PhD degree (1959), then she defended her dissertation in the M.Helmholts Scientific Research Institute of Eye Diseases (Moscow), doctor of sciences (1976) and received professor degree (1977). She was elected as an active member of ANAS (1983).  Z.Aliyeva worked at the Scientific Research Institute of Eye Diseases (1949), senior researcher (1960-1967), and then head of the Eye Diseases Department of the Azerbaijan State Doctors Improvement Institute (1967-1985).

At the initiative of Z. Aliyeva, in 1979, for the first time established specialized laboratory at the Baku Household Air Conditioning Plant of the Institute of Physiology. As a result of experimental studies, the scientist discovered the important legal effect of low-toxic harmful substances in the production organism. The main direction of multidimensional scientific activity of Z. Aliyeva in the field of ophthalmology is the diagnostics and treatment of eye pathologies as a result of the tracheal disease, physiology of the visual acuity and the condition of the organs of the chemical industry, herpetic eye diseases, severe viral conjunctivitis, physiologic-anatomical characteristic of the system, treatment of eye irrigation by modern surgical methods, eye diseases during diabetes, therapeutic ophthalmology, basics of iridodiagnostics, glaucoma problems, etc.

Z. Aliyeva has authored and co-authored about 150 scientific works, 12 monographs, textbooks , an invention, 12 rationalization proposals. Z.Aliyeva was the scientific supervisor and consultant of dozens of doctors of sciences and PhDs. For the first time in Baku, the plenary meeting of the All-Union Ophthalmologists Society was held at the highest level (1977), initiated and organized by academician Z.Aliyeva, who participated in numerous international congresses and symposiums.

Z.Aliyeva was a member of the Committee on Defense of the USSR, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Defense of the Azerbaijan Peace Committee, the Board of the Scientific Society of Ophthalmologists of the USSR, editorial board of the magazine "Ophthalmology News" (Moscow).

Z.Aliyeva was the first female scientist of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR awarded with the "Academician M.Averbach" (1981) and was awarded the honorary title (1982) and the Order of the Red Banner (1982).

The National Ophthalmology Center of the Ministry of Health is named after academician Z. Aliyeva, and one of the central streets is named after the scientist in Baku.

Academician Zarifa Aliyeva died on April 15, 1985 in Moscow, in 1994 her funeral was brought to Baku and buried in the Alley of Honor.

Recommended literature:

1. Kərimov, Kərəm Təbriz oğlu. Akademik Zərifə xanım Əliyeva - 95 = Академик Зарифа ханум Алиева - 95 = Academician Zarifa khanum Aliyeva - 95 / K. T. Kərimov ; red.: Ş. Hüseynova, A. Bayramova, N. Kərimova ; tərc. İ. Əliyeva. - Təkmilləşdirilmiş təkrar nəşr. - Bakı : Apostroff, 2018. - 192 s.
2. Bir ömrün imzası - Zərifə Əliyeva = Signature of the Life - Zarifa Aliyeva / tərt.-müəl.: N. Şamilqızı, N. Şneyder ; tərc. S. Haşımzadə ; red. A. Eyvazova. - Bakı : n. y., 2019. - 99 s.
3. Mirələmov, Hüseynbala Fazil oğlu. Zərifə Əliyeva / H. F. Mirələmov; red.: İ. Hüseynli, S. Osmanova. - Bakı : Nurlar NPM, 2018. - 464 s.
4. Elmi əsərlər məcmuəsi: 2 cilddə /Zərifə Əliyeva, məsul red. Z.Quliyeva; red: K.Kərimov, N.Tağızadə.- Bakı: Şərq-Qərb, 2011.- C.I.- 216 s.
5. Elmi əsərlər məcmuəsi: 2 cilddə /Zərifə Əliyeva, məsul red. Z.Quliyeva; red: H.Nəsrullayeva; K.Kərimov, N.Tağızadə. - Bakı: Şərq-Qərb, 2011.- C.II.- 216 s.
6. Zərifə xanım Əliyeva /Layihənin müəl., red. və rəhbəri. F.Abdullazadə; rəssam. Ş.Şıxəliyev; foto.: R.Bağırov, M.Həsənoğlu, İ.Cəfərov, N.Əliyeva.- Bakı: XXI YNE, 1998.- 288 s.
7. Академик Зарифа ханум Алиева /под общ. ред. акад. М.Джавадзаде.- Баку: Азербайджан, 1996.- 336 с.
8. Зарифа ханум Алиева /ред. Ф.Абдуллазаде.- Баку: Изд-во «XXI», 1998.- 288 с.
9. Мираламов, Гусейнбала Фазил оглы. Зарифа Алиева / Г. Ф. Мираламов. - М. : Молодая гвардия, 2010. - 191 с.