Leyla Aliyeva was born on March 26, 1948, in the city of Tbilisi. She graduated with honors from Secondary School No. 65 in Tbilisi. In 1973, she graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tbilisi State University, specializing in economics. In 2000, she earned a degree in Georgian language and literature from the Faculty of Philology at the Caucasus Humanitarian University in Tbilisi. She was also actively involved in public service and served as the head of the NGO “Center of Azerbaijanis of Georgia,” which focused on resolving issues faced by Azerbaijanis living in Georgia and engaged in humanitarian activities. She is a talented organizer.

In recognition of her public and organizational activities, she was appointed director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Museum named after Mirza Fatali Akhundov by the Government of Georgia in 2008. Since then, she has also led the Azerbaijan Cultural Center operating under the museum.

Under her leadership, the museum has established a library and educational clubs, and developed activities in scientific and creative work, translation, publishing, and many other cultural and educational projects. During this period, the museum has developed strong partnerships with other museums and cultural institutions both within Georgia and abroad.

To support the research, preservation, and promotion of Georgian-Azerbaijani cultural heritage, memoranda of cooperation have been signed with the Georgian National Museum, Palace of Arts, National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, State Silk Museum, as well as the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, Azerbaijan Museum of Art, and other cultural institutions.

Projects

• 2012 – “Hand-woven Azerbaijani Carpets – Preserving Cultural Heritage” project.

• 2013 – Participation of Azerbaijani children living in Georgia in the “Golden Key” music festival held in Frankfurt, Germany.

• 2014 – As part of a project led by Leyla Aliyeva, in collaboration with the Georgian National Museum, a catalog titled “Azerbaijani Carpets in the Georgian National Museum” was published, featuring hand-woven Azerbaijani carpets preserved at the Georgian National Museum.

• 2014 – On the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, the exhibition “With Love from Georgia” showcasing works by Georgian artists was held at the Azerbaijan Museum of Art.

Thanks to her initiatives, numerous events, meetings, and exhibitions have been held in museums across Georgia.

Leyla Aliyeva has been awarded multiple honorary diplomas and certificates by the Ministries of Culture of both Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Between 2008 and 2018, 464 events were organized under her leadership, including exhibitions, meetings, commemorations and anniversaries of prominent Azerbaijani figures, book presentations, conferences, and seminars.

In 2017, by Decree No. 2708 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, she was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Cultural Worker of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

She has received numerous letters of gratitude and honorary diplomas from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Georgia. In 2016, she was selected as the “Tolerant Woman of the Year”, becoming the first Azerbaijani woman in Georgia to receive this title.

In 2018, the Tbilisi City Hall and Sakrebulo awarded her with a certificate of appreciation for her contributions to strengthening Azerbaijani-Georgian cultural and friendly relations.

In 2019, she was awarded the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Azerbaijan State Drama Theatre.

Also in 2019, Leyla Aliyeva, as Director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Museum named after M.F. Akhundov, was awarded the “100th Anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic” medal by decree of President Ilham Aliyev.

In 2019, she was honored with the title of “Cultural Figure” and awarded a medal by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.