Brief description: Azerbaijan State Museum of Theatre named after Jafar Jabbarli reflects more than one century of professional theatre history of Azerbaijan.
Due to rare displays collected here, it is possible to get detailed information about history of formation of the national theatre, its development and different stages of development, also about intellectuals and educators, theatre coryphaeus, artists, having great merits in the history of Azerbaijan culture. These materials include programs and playbills of the first performances of different genres, handwritings, letters, role books of playwrights, actors and directors, photos and negatives, sketches of clothes and decorations, scale models of stage decorations, made for different parts of performances, personal things and requisites, theatre clothes, puppets made for characters and etc. Majority of the displays, kept in the museum, are originals and some of them are exhibited in the exposition of the museum consisting of seven showrooms and they are exhibited in a chronological sequence.
Playbill of the first performance, staged upon the comedy of Mirza Fatali Akhundov "Lankaran khaninin vaziri" in 1873 year, photo of theatre troupe, taken in 1888, film-strip of performance "Hamlet", staged in oriental way in 1926 year, playbill of premier of the opera "Leila and Majnun", which is the first opera in the East are the most ancient displays of the museum.
Pictures, reflecting theatrical elements, seen in religious traditions and custom, in gatherings, also materials, belonging to great artists, who had laid the foundation of professional theatre of European type and its development at the beginning of XIX century, also programs, written on silk pillows and materials, reflecting theatrical life of that period, musicalinstruments, played in the first Eastern concert are of great interest.
Visitors of the museum are given detailed information about many artists, who have agitated national theatre art beyond limits of Azerbaijan. Stands, dedicated to Mirza Fatali Akhundov, whose works were published in the middle of XIX century in France and Germany and being known as the founder of dramaturgy in Near East and Transcaucasia, Hussein Arablinski, who might be an example to world theatres for his bitter fate and self-sacrifice, Uzeyir Hajibeyov, who has laid foundation of opera and musical comedy genres in Moslem world and being famous all over the world, Bulbul, who is the first professional opera singer and got musical education in Italy, Shovkat Mammadova are evidences of synthesis of Eastern and Western cultures in development process of Azerbaijan theatre art. In exhibition hall of the museum exhibitions on different themes are regularly held and here personal collections, rare displays - photos, which are kept in funds, also programs, decoration sketches and etc. are exhibited.
Memorial parties are held for great artists, lectures are delivered about their art.
Many displays, which are protected in the museum, are of great importance from point of view of investigating scientific works, essays, monographs and studying artistic performance of national, Russian and West European dramaturgy, ballet music on Azerbaijan stage.