Ziya Musa oghlu Bunyadov was born on 21 December 1923 in the town of Astara, in Azerbaijan, in the family of a military translator. After finishing secondary school in Goychay, in 1939, he joined Baku Military School. After graduating from the Baku Military School in 1941, Lieutenant Z. Bunyadov fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, took an active part in the battles for Ukraine, Moldavia, Caucasus, Belarus, Poland, and Berlin. He was wounded twice and received a concussion. On 27 February 1945, Z. Bunyadov was awarded the Soviet Union’s highest military honor, Hero of the Soviet Union, for his actions in the battles. As well as this medal, for his participation and heroism in World War II Bunyadov was also awarded the honors Red Banner, Red Star, Alexander Nevsky, and 2nd degree Patriotic War.

After the war, Z. Bunyadov graduated from the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies and in 1954 defended his PhD thesis on “Italian Imperialism in Africa”, which was his first scientific work at the department headed by E. Belyaev. In 1954 he returned to Baku and was admitted to the post of senior scientific worker at the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR. Z. Bunyadov was a lecturer at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the Azerbaijan State University in 1958-1959. Later, he headed the Medieval History Department of the Near and Middle East People’s Institute in 1964-1981 and worked as director of the Azerbaijan AS Oriental Studies Institute in 1981-1986 and 1988-1990. Thus, he progressed from the position of research associate to chief scientist, head of the Institute of History, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences and then finally full academician and vice-president of the Academy of Sciences. He was the author and editor of numerous monographs, books, and articles on the history of Caucasus.

The scientific activity of Z. Bunyadov developed in two directions – the study of the period of feudalism of the Near and Middle East, translations introducing the explanatory interpretations and edition of works of medieval authors on the history, science, and culture of the peoples of the Near and Middle East.

Z. Bunyadov defended his doctoral dissertation on “Azerbaijan in 7-9th centuries” to get a scientific degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences in 1964. In 1965 he received a professor’s title. And the book “Azerbaijan in 7-9th centuries”, published the same year, has earned a serious researcher and specialist fame in Azerbaijan’s medieval history to him. This was the first, comprehensive study in Soviet historiography of the history of Azerbaijan in the period of the Arab Caliphate.

Z. Bunyadov was elected as Corresponding Member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in 1967. In 1970, Z. Bunyadov worked as editor-in-chief of “Izvestiya AN Azerbaijan SSR. Humanities and Social Sciences series” (series of history, philosophy, and law).

In 1978, he published the monograph “Azerbaijan Sate of Atabeys (1136-1225)”. This outstanding scientific work, which is the product of years of intense and hard toil and research investigated the economic, social, and cultural development of Azerbaijan in the Seljuk era. In 1980, the work was awarded the Azerbaijan State Prize in Science and Technology.

Z. Bunyadov was awarded the honorary title of Honored Scientist of the Azerbaijan USSR in 1982. In the same year, he was elected as a corresponding member of the Turkish Historical Society for his great contribution to studying the history of Turkish nations. In 1986, the publishing house “Nauka” in Moscow published the scientist’s monograph “The State of Khorezmshahs-Anushteginids. 1097-1231”.

From January 1986 to May 1988, Z. Bunyadov worked as the head of the Middle Age History of the East Department of the Oriental studies İnstitute of Azerbaijan USSR AS. He was elected an honorary member of the Turkish Historical Society (Türk Tarih Kurumu) in October 1988, and vice-president of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in June 1990.

Ziya Bunyadov’s scientific research was not limited only to the medieval period. The scholar was also interested in the recent past of his homeland. He devoted several articles to the events that took place in Azerbaijan at the beginning of the century, the Baku commune, and other topics. Repressions of 1930s were covered in the book of the scientist “Red Terror” (Baku, 1993). The book was written based on numerous archive documents.

Since the early 90s of the last century, one of the directions of Ziya Bunyadov’s scientific activity was devoted to the correct study of Islam by the people. Together with academician Vasim Mammadaliyev he translated the sacred “Quran” into the Azerbaijani language and wrote commentaries to it. He prepared a reference book “Religions, Sects, Religious Movements”. The book was published in 1997 after the scientist’s death due to the personal initiative of National leader Heydar Aliyev.

Z. Bunyadov was awarded the prize named after H.Z. Taghiyev in “Translation of the Holy Quran” in 1990 and A.A. Bakikhanov in 1993, for scientific and commentary publication of Gulistani-Iram by A. Bakikhanov.

As director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academician Ziya Bunyadov organised several international and regional scientific conferences on the problems of the Near and Middle East. In 1992, the most difficult period for Azerbaijan, Ziya Bunyadov made his political choice. He was elected deputy chairman of the Yeni Azerbaijan Party. In 1993 he was awarded the title of “Honourable Citizen of Astara” and in 1994 “Honourable Citizen of Goychay”. On 12 November 1995 Z. Bunyadov was elected a deputy of Milli Majlis. The merits of academician Z. Bunyadov for the motherland, the contribution to world science and higher education were marked by government awards. He was awarded orders and medals of the former USSR.

The life of academician Ziya Musa oghlu Bunyadov was tragically cut short. On 21 February 1997 he was murdered at the entrance to his apartment in Baku. 
In 1998, after his death, he was awarded “Istiqlal” Order, which is the highest award of Azerbaijan. One of the main avenues of Baku is named after the scientist, the Institute of Oriental Studies of ANAS bears the name of the prominent scientist and academician.

Recommended literature:

1. Baxşəliyeva, Gövhər Baxşəli qızı. Hamıdan ucadır alimin yeri : Məqalələr. Müsahibələr. Rəylər / G. B. Baxşəliyeva ; red. M. Ə. Məhəmmədi ; AMEA akad. Z.M. Bünyadov adına Şərqşünaslıq İnstitutu. - Bakı : Nurlan, 2003. - 322 s.
2. Буниятова, Тагира. Сильнее смерти : Зия Буниятов в воспоминаниях современников = Ölümdən güclü : Ziya Bünyadov müasirlərinin xatirələrində / Т. Буниятова ; ред. А. Бабаев. - Баку : Элм, 2002. - 584 с.
3. Буниятова, Тагира. Зия - моя судьба : воспоминания = Ziya - mənim taleyim : xatirələr / Т. Буниятова ; ред. А. Бабаев. - Баку : Pedaqogika, 2004. - 232 с.