Melahat Abbasova

Melahat Abbasova — Biography

Melahat Abbasova is an actress and theatre director who began her career in Azerbaijan and has continued it in Turkey, on the stage of the Istanbul City Theatres and in television series. She holds the title of Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan and has also served as deputy artistic director of the City Theatres since 2016.

Born in Baku, she graduated from the Theatre and Film Acting department of the Azerbaijan Institute of Fine Arts and in 1988 received Azerbaijan's “Television Artist of the Year” award. She settled in Turkey after marrying and has been with the City Theatres since 1991, working as both actress and director. On stage she has appeared in plays such as Deri Ceket, Lüküs Hayat, Çalıkuşu, Moliere ya da Kara Komplo, Pembe Konağın Gelinleri and Sarıpınar 1914.

On screen she has appeared since the 1990s in productions such as Süper Baba, Eskici Baba, Köpek (Yezdan) and Hacı (Zuhal). She is best known as Mihriban Vahapzade in Binbir Gece, Kamer Banu in the film Mahmut ile Meryem and Perihan Serman in Emanet. Later roles include Sevda Kuşun Kanadında (Müberra Eren), Seddülbahir 32 Saat, Yemin (Münevver), Bizim Hikaye (2018) and Esaret (Afife Demirhanlı); in cinema she also appeared in Kızım İçin (2013).