Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev (Azerbaijani: Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, Russian: Гейдар Алиев; May 10, 1923 – December 12, 2003), also spelled as Heidar Aliev, Geidar Aliev, Haydar Aliyev, Geydar Aliyev was the president of Azerbaijan for the New Azerbaijan Party from June 1993 to October 2003, when his son Ilham Aliyev succeeded him.

From 1969 till 1982, Aliyev was also the leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, practically dominating the political life of Azerbaijan for over 30 years. He was married to Zarifa Aliyeva, who died in 1985, and was survived by his son and daughter.

Aliyev obscured much of his early life, and details remain uncertain. After graduating from Nakhchivan Pedagogical School, he attended the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute (now the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy) where he studied architecture 1939-1941. He studied 1949-1950 at the USSR MGB Officers' Corps Qualifications-Raising School. He also claimed to have studied at the Baku State University, graduating with a degree in history 1957. It seems, however, that he actually attended the Ministry of State Security Academy in Leningrad.