"Palace of Happiness" transferred to the balance of the presidential administration

On November 7, by order of Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh, a historic building in the center of Baku, known as the Palace of Happiness, was assigned to the Administrative Department of the presidential administration.

According to the document, the total area of ??the building at 6 Murtuza Mukhtarov Street is more than 3,700 square meters. The order does not say how this building is to be used.

Built in 1911-12 by oil magnate and philanthropist Murtuza Mukhtarov, the Palace of Happiness is one of the most beautiful buildings in the capital.

During a tour of Europe with his wife, Mukhtarov was impressed with the architecture of Venice. His wife was particularly enchanted with one specific building, and Muhtarov promised to build a replica in Baku for her.

Renowned architect I.M. Ploshko designed and built the gothic-inspired palace as a residence for the Mukhtarov family. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the new government decided to expropriate the palace. Mukhtarov personally shot the Red Army soldiers who arrived to seize his palace; he was then  killed.

In the following years, the building was given to the Liberated Azerbaijani Woman Club, and later to the Museum Reserve of Shirvanshahs, after which it became the Wedding Palace (Palace of Happiness). In 2007, the Palace was closed for renovations and opened again in the summer of 2012.

The building was redesigned and divided into two parts: one section to be the House of Business Meetings and the second as the registrar. The redevelopment project involved French architects; the interior was created jointly by local and Italian experts.

Part of the facility, designed for business meetings, starts from the entrance to the building (big hall) and leads to the winter garden, where there is space for business meetings, and a museum. -02D-