188th birth anniversary of Princess Khurshidbanu Natavan

On the occasion of the 188th birth Anniversary of Princess Khurshidbanu Natavan of Karabakh, a wreath was laid at the Princess' statue in the historic town of Waterloo by the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Belgium.

Khurshidbanu Natavan was a prominent Azerbaijani poetess, thinker and enlightener. Daughter of Mehdiqulu Khan, the last ruler of the Karabakh Khanate, she was born in 1832 in Shusha, the city founded by her great grandfather Panah-Ali Khan Javanshir. Khurshidbanu Natavan, popularly referred to as the Princess, dedicated her life to literature, education and philanthropy, thereby enriching and promoting the social and cultural heritage of her native land. Her cultural influence spread far beyond Azerbaijan, the Muslim East and tzarist Russia. Famous French writer Alexandre Dumas, during his trip to Azerbaijan in 1858-1859, was fascinated with Natavan's mind and personality and considered her a dear friend.