On 29 April 2026, a roundtable discussion dedicated to the book “Sufi Phenomenology” by Konul Bunyadzade was held at the Presidential Library. Bunyadzade is a prominent philosopher, Corresponding Member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), and Head of the Department of Islamic Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology.

Opening the event with introductory remarks, Professor Afet Abbasova, Director of the Presidential Library, spoke about the author’s scholarly work and noted that the book “Sufi Phenomenology” opens a new chapter in our philosophical thought. It was emphasized that the work offers a high-level scholarly analysis of the rich Sufi traditions of the East in conjunction with the methodological principles of the Western phenomenological school.

In her presentation, the author, Konul Bunyadzade, noted that the primary aim of the book is to bring together millennia-old Eastern Sufi thought and modern Western phenomenological methods within a unified conceptual framework.

Participants in the roundtable—including Irada Huseynova, Vice-President of the ANAS; Nargiz Akhundova, Academician-Secretary of the Division of Social Sciences of ANAS; Ilham Mammadzade, Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology; Associate Professor Eynulla Madatli, Deputy Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Member of Parliament Fazil Mustafa; and other guests—exchanged views on the topic and noted that the book is an invaluable resource for the study of Islamic philosophy using modern methodologies.

During the discussion, the reviewers—Gamar Murshudlu, Associate Professor at Baku State University; Shahla Majidova, Associate Professor at the Institute of Manuscripts of the ANAS; and Jabi Bahramov, Head of Department at the Institute of History and Ethnology of the ANAS and PhD in History—emphasized both the theoretical and practical significance of the work.
 
It was noted at the event that the work has also been published in English by the renowned publisher “Springer.” The author donated a copy of that edition to the holdings of the Presidential Library.

Also speaking at the event were Associate Professors Samira Dadashova and Fidan Nasirova, Honoured Journalist Tahir Talibli, and other scholars, who emphasized the significant role of the work in the field of the humanities.

In her concluding remarks, Professor Afet Abbasova noted that such scholarly and analytical discussions are a well-established tradition at the Presidential Library and that the book “Sufi Phenomenology” will serve as an important resource for the broader research community.