Mammad Infil oglu Ibrahimov (Mammad Araz), a prominent poet, translator, and publicist of Azerbaijan, was born on October 14, 1933 in Nursu village of Shahbuz district. In 1940, he went to primary school in the village of Nursu, Shahbuz district. In 1945, while studying at school, his father Infil was exiled to Siberia as an "enemy of the people". In 1950, Mammad Araz entered the geography faculty of the Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute, during his student years, he actively participated in the literary circle led by the writer Ismayil Shikhli. In 1952, the first printed poem “Burn my lights” (“Yanin Ishiqlarim”) by Mammad Araz appeared in the magazine "Revolution and Culture" ("Ingilab ve medeniyet"). At first, he begins to create under the name Mammad Ibrahim, but since the banks of the Araz River, which divides the nation into two parts, leave indelible impressions on the poet, he takes the name Araz as a pseudonym.

Mammad Araz, who finished his higher education in 1954, started his career as a teacher at the secondary school in his native village.

In 1957, he worked as an authorized representative in the Main Press Department under the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR. In the same year, Mammad Araz, known in the literary environment under the patronage of the people's writer Ali Valiyev, created the poem "Mother of Three Sons" and became a member of the Union of Azerbaijani Writers.

In 1959-1961, Mammad Araz studied n Moscow at the Higher Literary Courses under the Union of Writers, upon his return to Baku, he was appointed to the position of editor at the "Maarif" publishing house. In 1963, he was appointed director of the editorial office of fiction of the Azerbaijan State Publishing House.

From 1971 to 1981, Mammad Araz, who started working as a secretary in "Ulduz" magazine in 1967, headed the poetry section of the Union of Azerbaijani Writers (on public grounds), strove for the development of national poetry and the formation of literary youth.

In 1974, he was promoted to the editor-in-chief of the "Azerbaijan nature" magazine, which started its new edition, and worked there until the end of his life.

Mammad Araz's works such as "Song of Love", "Father of Three Sons", "Araz is Running", "I Will Find You", "Letter to the Reader", "My Months, My Years", "Your World, My World" are still loved and composed today.

"My father's book", "The colors of life and words", "A letter to the reader", "Winged rocks", "My months, my years" books brought fame to the poet, as well as books and monographs written about him, including a textbook that provides information about the poet's work and textbooks have been printed.

In 2003, Mammad Araz's "Selected Works" was published in 4 volumes.

He has also been engaged in literary translation for many years. The poet showed special interest in the poetry of various peoples. Among them, N.Nekrasov, M.Lermontov, Abay, G.Sevcenko, S.Mikhalkov, R.Tagore and others can be cited as examples. As a talented translator, M.Araz translated 195 verse and 5 poems from the literature of the peoples of the world and published them in the form of a book in 1988 under the name "At the Hearth".

National leader Heydar Aliyev has always highly appreciated the creativity and personality of Mammad Araz, the People's Poet, a talented representative of our poetry. During the that time when the Great Leader led Azerbaijan, the poet was awarded a number of prizes and honorary titles.

In 1975, Mammad Araz was awarded an honorary decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR, and in 1978 he was awarded the honorary title of Honored Cultural Worker.

In 1982, again with the Honorary Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR, in 1984 he was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and in 1991 he was the People's Poet of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The "Mammad Araz" award was established in his name since 1993.

In 1995, he was one of the first three poets to receive the highest award of Independent Azerbaijan- the Order of “Independence”.

Considering his services in the development of Azerbaijani literature, President Ilham Aliyev signed decrees on perpetuating the memory of the outstanding artist and celebrating his jubilee. One of the most beautiful streets of Baku is named after Mammad Araz.

Mammad Araz died on December 1, 2004 in Baku and was buried in the Alley of Honor.

Recommended literature:

1. Həbibbəyli, İsa Əkbər oğlu. Məmməd Araz (Məmməd İnfil oğlu İbrahimov) : tərcümeyi-hal / İ. Ə. Həbibbəyli ; elmi red. Ş. H. Alışanlı. - Bakı : Sabah, 1993. - 62 s.
2. Yusifli, Vaqif Əziz oğlu. Məmməd Araz dünyası: [Monoqrafiya] /V. Yusifli ; elmi red. Y. Qarayev. - Bakı: Şur, 1994. - 155 s.
3. Xəlilov, Əmirxan Məhərrəm oğlu. Məmməd Araz dühası : monoqrafiya / Ə. M. Xəlilov ; elmi red. N. Q. Cəfərov. - Bakı : Azərbaycan Universiteti nəşriyyatı, 2002. - 256 c.
4. Eminalıyev, Eyvaz Məhəmmədəli oğlu.Məmməd Araz /E. Eminalıyev ; elmi red. K. İ. Əliyev ; rəyçi və ön sözün müəl. S. H. Qəniyev. - Bakı: Səda, 2006. - 130 s.
5. Fətəliqızı, Gülxanım. Məmməd Arazlı günlərim : xatirələr / G. Fətəliqızı ; red. Q. Əzizxanlı. - Bakı : Zəkioğlu, 2008. - 216 s.
6. Xəlilzadə Flora. Məmməd Araza məktub /F.Xəlılzadə; Red.: S.Kərimova.- Bakı: Araz, 2003.- 108 səh.