Azerbaijan.US
In southern Azerbaijan, a quiet family story has drawn attention for its rare blend of generations. A 45-year-old woman from the village of Sinovli in the Lankaran district has given birth to her tenth child – despite already being a grandmother to eight grandchildren.
Samira Mehraliyeva and her husband, 46-year-old Niyazi Habibov, have been married for 26 years. Their eldest child is 25. Their youngest son, born just after midnight at 01:02 on New Year’s Day at the Lankaran Perinatal Center, became a symbolic start to the family’s year.
The boy was named Murad, a name that in Azerbaijani tradition is associated with hope and the fulfillment of wishes. The parents say the timing of the birth made the moment especially meaningful.
The couple now has ten children – seven daughters and three sons. Five of their daughters are already married, which is why the newborn joins a family where the parents are both mother and father, as well as grandmother and grandfather.
In many parts of the world, declining birth rates and smaller families have become the norm. In rural regions of Azerbaijan, however, large families remain part of everyday life, supported by close family ties and traditional household structures.
According to the family, childcare and upbringing are largely handled by the mother, while the father works outside the home. Evenings are often spent together, with conversations centered on both children and grandchildren.
“I am proud of my children,” Mehraliyeva says. “God has given me ten children – seven daughters and three sons.”
The story stands as a reminder that behind global demographic trends, individual lives and family choices continue to follow very different paths.
