Ashraf Guliyev was born in Baku.
He studied at the Azerbaijan State Theater School.
As a student, he appeared on the public stage in the performances of the Azerbaijan Academic State Theater. In 1938, he was assigned to the Yerevan State Azerbaijan Drama Theater. He participated in the Great Patriotic War. After returning from the war, he worked for a short time at the Yerevan Theater, and then entered the directing faculty of the newly opened Azerbaijan State Theater Institute. Since 1952, he has been a director at the Academic National Drama Theater.
Since 1984, he has worked exclusively at the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts, teaching acting and directing, and being the dean of the Faculty of Acting. In different years, he directed performances at the Lankaran and Ganja theaters.
Honored Artist (1974) Ashraf Guliyev died in 1994 and was buried at the Yasamal cemetery.
Theater director, actor Ashraf Guliyev is the husband of actress Amina Babayeva.
