Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

One of the magnificent pearls of architecture of the Azerbaijani capital Baku, Ismailliya, an historical building that presently hosts the National Academy of Sciences Presidium, turns 100 this year.

This grand building was constructed in the memory of a young man, son of Baku oil millionaire Agamusa Nagiyev, who owned hundreds of buildings and tens of ships.

Nagiyev lost early the biggest treasure of his life - his lovely son Ismayil, who was too young to die.

When Ismayil fell ill with white plague, a doctor saying that the condition is critical suggested that Nagiyev take his son to Switzerland for treatment. Ismayil was sent there and the treatment had a positive effect, but soon after returning to Baku he died.

That is how the story of the great Ismailliya building began.

History

Each Novruz holiday, a traditional holiday in a number of eastern countries symbolyzing the coming of spring which is celebrated on March 20-21, millionaire Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, another person who became rich after oil was found in his land, conducted three-day festivities that were open to everyone.

There was no building available for Muslims Charity Society in Baku and Tagiyev decided to encourage Nagiyev to construct one.

"Agamusa (Nagiyev), would you like to perpetuate your son' name?" he asked his friend. "Muslims' charity society does not have its own building, and there is an excellent vacant place just below the school for girls I have built. Why don't you build a house over there and name it Ismailiya? Then the name of your ill-fated son will not disappear from our memory!"

The Gaban dibi square situated in the center of the city was designated for construction work. The square was one of the busiest in the city, as a lot of caravans from all parts of the country brought here food, domestic goods and even animals. The place in the city center was dirty and unpicturesque.

The Baku administrative board decided to grant the square for a mosque building; Baku millionaires wanted to construct a monumental mosque with a garden around it in the manner of those situated in Istanbul, Tabriz, Baghdad and Cairo. However, Christian confessors who had an authority at that time were against such a grand mosque being located near the Alexander Nevsky or Golden Church.

The decision of the charity society house's construction sparked long disputes, as the city's administrative board sought to build a garden in that location. However, after long discussions, the place was granted to the Muslims Charity Society.

The project on creating the building was ready by 1907. Polish architect Iosif Ploshko was invited to work on the project. Ploshko became one of the best architects in Baku after this project. The building was founded on December 21, 1908 and its construction was completed in early 1913.

In 1908, on February 4, the day of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, the project and the plan of the building was presented to the charity society.

Soon thereafter, the bazaar in the Gaban dibi was demolished and essentially all the city's notable people came to the solemn groundbreaking ceremony. After the congratulatory speech and parting words, a golden bar with construction beginning date in a steel box was laid down in the foundation.

Ismailliya was built in a Venetian Gothic style. To emphasize the building's belonging to the Muslims' charity society, the following aphorisms in golden letters were carved on the building walls: "A human being is exulted with work, and only with the help of work he can achieve his goal." "Work created the human." "A person should strive for knowledge from birth to death." "Muslims, your century dies with you. Prepare your descendants for the future." "Strive for knowledge, in spite of the length of the way."

Outstanding palazzo of Ismailliya is well drawn and produces admiration of the architect and mastership of stone-dressers, who managed to create a real architectural symphony.

After opening, Ismailliya's large assembly hall dressed in white stones and opening into Nikolayevsky street, now Istiqlaliyyet, hosted Muslims charitable society members' meetings, rallies of Muslim women and Baku intellectuals, and clerics' congress.

In March 1918, Baku was exposed to fire by the Red Army, which resulted in damage to Ismailliya as well as a number of other buildings in the city. The building which was a stronghold of the Muslims' society was one of the resistance centers and was subjected to uninterrupted attacks.

The building was riddled by bullets, shells and fire. The fire destroyed the lobby and front chambers of the first floor.

The architectural monument was restored under the leadership of Alexander Dubov in 1922-1923 and became Turkish Palace of Culture after the Communist revolution. However, not everything was restored, as the writings on the walls were replaced with red stars, symbolizing communism.

Soon after the restoration, a square named in honor of Azerbaijani public figure and poet-innovator Mirza Alakbar Sabir was created near the building.

A number of organizations in different years were based in Ismailliya, including Society for Researching and Studying Azerbaijan, Commission for Archaeology, Turkish Society of Culture, Foundation of Manuscripts, Republican affiliate of the USSR Academy of Sciences, etc. Currently the building hosts the Presidium of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Today, every Baku resident can honestly say that Ismailliya is an adornment of the city.