Baku between East and West like the love of Ali and Nino
Caspian Sea seen from a window of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs Credit photo: popcinema.org
Baku between East and West like the love of Ali and Nino
“… my children, that it is partly your
responsibility as to whether our town should belong to progressive Europe
orto reactionary Asia.”
… “Please, sir, we should rather stay in Asia.” (1)
Ali has no doubts about Azerbaijan's cultural influence. Azerbaijan was born in Asia from the many invasions and influences as the Persians and Mongols.
Ali is the male protagonist, Azerbaijani, Muslim, of the beautiful book Ali and Nino set in the years 1918-1920 in Baku, written under the pseudonym of Kurban Said.
Nino is the female protagonist, Georgian, Christian, charming:
"... it bears the evocative baptismal name of a great Saint Nino, who at the beginning of the fourth century, in spring, comes from the East and gives the light of salvation in Christ to the lands of Georgia ..." (2)
Ali courts her and loves her paroxysmally. But he loves more his country, and for his honour, no one can argue.
Baku is Ali. He is bewitching, determined, imaginary, noble.
Proud of its historical and intellectual tradition: the bookstores are called Ali and Nino. It is at the same time modern, with eye-catching architecture. There are two types of the city. The old quarter and the modern one.
"Don't forget what I told you, Baku has become Europe, and forever." (3)
Kurban Said, Ali and Nino, The Overlook Press, Peter Mayer Publishers Inc., New York, 1996 (https://www.google.it/books/edition/Ali_and_Nino/4TuEDwAAQBAJ?hl=it&gbpv=1&dq=Kurban+Said,+Ali+and+Nino&printsec=frontcover)
Giampiero Bellingeri, prefazione di Ali e Nino, Imprimatur publisher, Reggio Emilia, 2013, Page 7
Kurban Said, Ali e Nino (Italian edition), Imprimatur publisher, Reggio Emilia, 2013, Page 251 translated by author
Autore Roberto Matteucci
Click Here for Italian version
Credit photo: popcinema.org
