Academician Zarifa Aliyeva's Memorial Day

April 15 marks 41 years since the death of the prominent ophthalmologist-scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.
Born in the village of Shahtakhti in ancient Nakhchivan, Zarifa Aliyeva lived a rich and meaningful life. The life path of her father, a prominent public and statesman Aziz Aliyev, was a real school of life for her. Zarifa Aliyeva was a lifelong companion, friend and comrade-in-arms of the architect and founder of the contemporary independent Azerbaijani state, National Leader Heydar Aliyev. 
Academician Zarifa Aliyeva's research and great successes as a scientist constitute a special stage in the history of Azerbaijani medical science. 
In the 1940s-1950s, eye diseases, especially trachoma, were widespread in Azerbaijan. Soon, Zarifa Aliyeva achieved successful consequences in the application of syntomycin in the initial stages of trachoma. 
As a result of her research, in 1959 she successfully defended her PhD thesis on the topic “Treatment of trachoma with synthomycin in combination with other therapeutic methods”. The treatment method she proposed was widely used in our republic and played an important role in eliminating trachoma as a disease.
Zarifa Aliyeva was the first in the world to create a scientific research laboratory studying occupational pathology of the organ of vision and laid the foundation for a new direction in the world of science - occupational ophthalmology. Summarizing the initial consequences of her research in this field, she wrote a doctoral dissertation on the topic “The state of the organ of vision in workers of the chemical industry of Azerbaijan”. In 1977, she was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences.
In 1980, for her intense and productive scientific activity, she was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Scientist”. 
Zarifa Aliyeva was elected a full member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in 1983. She is also the author of a number of textbooks and monographs. 
Zarifa Aliyeva has many honorary titles, scientific titles, and awards. Each of these titles is a source of pride and honor. But the most honorable among these titles is the title of Mother. Zarifa Aliyeva is the mother of President Ilham Aliyev, a worthy successor to the political line of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. As her contemporaries said, Zarifa Aliyeva was an extraordinary mother and her attitude towards her children was also special. It is difficult to find a similar attitude to such an attitude. She perceived children as if they were a share of light bestowed by the Almighty God. She did not pity herself, and she did not pity herself in fulfilling her maternal duty. Sometimes mothers reach such high levels of love for their children that they amaze everyone with this. Zarifa Aliyeva was one of such mothers.