Description of the attraction
The Mukhtarov Palace is one of the architectural sights of Baku. It is located in the central part of Istigaliyat street.
The magnificent building of the palace was built in 1911-1912. The author of this project was the Polish architect I. K. Bad. Funds for its construction were allocated by oil industrialist, millionaire patron M. Mukhtarov. On one of their European tours, Mukhtarov and his wife really liked Venice. Returning from a tour, the oil industrialist decided to build a luxurious Venetian-style palace in his city. Mukhtarov chose the site for the construction of the palace opposite the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which at that time was the largest Orthodox church in the entire Transcaucasia.
The architectural solution of this palace once again emphasized the talent of the architect I. K. Ploshko, who is also the author of the amazing Ismailiyye building. The building of the Mukhtarov Palace is made in the style of "French Gothic".
According to the architectural project, the height of Murtuza Mukhtarov's palace was supposed to be slightly higher than the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral located opposite. However, the local authorities forbade the construction of a palace of such height, since the cathedral was the main attraction of Baku, and no building in the city could be erected higher than it.
The construction of the palace was completed in record time - in just one year. In the post-revolutionary period, the building of the palace was used as the "Club of the Liberated Turkish Woman", and after that it housed the "Shirvanshahs" Museum-Reserve and the Wedding Palace ("Palace of Happiness").
In recent years, Mukhtarov's palace was in a rather deplorable state. In 2007, renovation work began in the palace building, which ended in spring 2012. Today, the Mukhtarov Palace in Baku is one of the most remarkable and beautiful architectural structures in the city.
