Murtuza Mukhtarov and His Gothic Palace

Murtuza Mukhtarov was one of Baku's best-known oil barons, and his life sums up the era of the oil boom.

From labourer to millionaire

As a young man Mukhtarov bailed oil from wells by hand. He then opened a workshop, leased a small plot and searched for oil so long that his partner gave up. Persistence paid off: he struck it rich, founded his own company and became known for drilling inventions.

A French Gothic palace

In 1911–1912 he commissioned architect Józef Płoszko to build a mansion for his wife, Liza Tuganova. Legend has it she admired the Gothic palaces of France, so he recreated one in Baku. The facade has pointed turrets and sculptures; inside are oak panels, staircases and painted ceilings.

The palace today

It's now a wedding palace, popularly called the "Palace of Happiness", and wedding cars at the door are a common sight. It stands on Mukhtarov Street next to Icherisheher — see it on our Baku city tour.