Ataya Aliyeva was born in Poltoratsk, Turkmenistan.

She began her stage career as an amateur. She first played the role of Garib's sister in the play "Ashiq Garib" staged by Rza Afganli at the Ashgabat Musical Drama Theater in 1933.

She studied at the Baku Theater Technical School (1934-1936). Here, at the initiative of Fatma Gadri, she performed in several performances in the drama club.

In 1934, while still a first-year student at the technical school, she was invited to the Azerbaijan State Academic Drama Theater. In 1936, she went to Yerevan with a group of actors from the theater, where she worked at the Yerevan State Azerbaijan Drama Theater for ten years (1936-1946). She worked for a while at the Ganja Drama Theater (1948-1955). In 1956, she returned to the Azerbaijan State Academic Drama Theater.

Honored Artist (1964) Ataya Aliyeva died in 1995 and was buried in the Yasamal cemetery.

Actress Ataya Aliyeva is the wife of director and actor Hasanagha Mirzayev.
Actress Ataya Aliyeva is the mother of director Ramiz Hasanoghlu and director Rauf Suleyman.