Taghiyev's house museum opens its doors after reconstruction

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

House museum of Azerbaijan’s philanthropist, oil baron Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev was opened on June 17 in Baku after restoration and reconstruction work.

The museum’s opening is in line with the 100th anniversary of the National History Museum of Azerbaijan.

The large touch screen of the new exhibition of the museum provides information about business, social and charitable activities of Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, as well as his family.

The information is provided in three languages - Azerbaijani, English and Russian.

Additionally, the new exposition demonstrates the materials stored in the funds of the museum - paintings, documents, photographs, orders and books published on his manuals.

The museum’s director, academician Nailya Velikhanli opened the ceremony.

In 2020 the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan celebrates 100 years anniversary. The initial activity of the Museum is connected with the creation of the "Museum of Education of the native land" as a part of the Museum-Excursion Department by the order of the Department of Out-of-School Education of the People's Commissariat of Azerbaijan on July 15, 1920.

Since its establishment, this first state museum has functioned as a cultural, educational and research institution, engaged in demonstration, propaganda, collection, storage, research and publication of material values reflecting the history of the Azerbaijani people in expositions and exhibitions.

The museum's holdings contain more than 300,000 cultural monuments.

In 2007, at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, the museum was repaired and restored in accordance with world standards, and a new exposition reflecting the history of Azerbaijan from ancient times to 1920 was opened.

In nine halls of the museum there is also memorial museum of the owner of the mansion Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev.

Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev (1821-1924) is among the most generous philanthropists of Azerbaijan’s oil boom period. Among his many charity works, Tagiyev is also remembered for opening a school for girls in Baku, which became one of the first school of its kind among Muslim countries.

Tagiyev spent his fortune to set up industrial enterprises that served the country's socio-economic development, created jobs and provided thousands of people with stable salaries, jobs and housing; opened schools to educate the nation, assisted educational institutions and paid hundreds of students; considering the role of the press in shaping the public consciousness, sponsored the publication of newspapers and magazines; built a building for the theatre, which played an unprecedented role in the development of national culture, and supported the publication and translation of poetry works.

The National Museum of History of Azerbaijan is located in the palace where Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev once lived, books are published and various events are held.