Baku and Ganja as the National Struggle Scene in the Novel of Ali and Nino

Abstract

The theme national struggle is described in different ways in both poems and novels in Azerbaijani literature just like in every nation's literature. In the novels, it is observed that national struggle is used mostly as a subsidiary theme or background. The novel Ali and Nino is the most remarkable example in this aspect. The novel Ali and Nino that is ranked among one of the essential novels of Azerbaijani literature written under the name Kurban Said attracts attention in terms of this. The original novel was German and translated into many languages, and into Azerbaijani Turkish in 1990. The novel Ali and Nino can be considered as a love story at first, but it gives crucial information about historical occurrences happened in the world and especially in Caucasus in the early 19th century, Tsarist Russian Empire's effects, political and cultural clashes as a result of these influences, Azerbaijan's history, Azerbaijan's struggle for independence, the period's political structure. The theme is shaped around the love story of two young people that come from two different nations and cultures, as a subsidiary theme national struggle is touched upon. The novel Ali and Nino is fictionalized in 30 chapters. In the novel events begin in Baku. Although the main city is Baku, it can also be seen in other countries and cities. In this article the role of Azerbaijan's two big cities -Baku and Ganja- play in national struggle history and its refection in the novel Ali and Nino will be analyzed.