Ismailiyya Palace, Baku

Ismailiyya Palace, Baku

Ismailiyya Palace is a historic building on Istiglaliyyat Street. Construction on the palace was completed in 1913. The Venetian Gothic building was constructed for the Muslim Charity Society with funding by Azerbaijani industrial oil magnate Musa Naghiyev. It was named in honor of Naghiyev's deceased son, Ismayil.

The palace was designed with inspiration from a palace in Switzerland. This inspiration was chosen by Naghiyev as he often saw the Swiss palace while visiting his son as he was undergoing treatments for his illness. Naghiyev sent architect Józef Plośko to Switzerland for three years so he could study the building while drawing up plans for the palace.

The palace has carved, golden letters on the facade that show its intent for the Muslim Charity Society. It also has a stone statue surrounded by angels. The angels were meant to represent the grandchildren that Naghiyev would have had if his son had survived his illness.

Ismailiyya Palace currently serves as the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Baku. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Ismailiyya Palace on Map

Sight Name: Ismailiyya Palace
Sight Location: Baku, Azerbaijan (See walking tours in Baku)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Baku, Azerbaijan

Create Your Own Walk in Baku

Create Your Own Walk in Baku

Creating your own self-guided walk in Baku is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Baku's Architectural Jewels

Baku's Architectural Jewels

The city of Baku is an architectural marvel that delights with its historic buildings, grand mansions and cultural diversity. The Old City, for example, is full of fantastic old mosques and palaces that are listed as heritage monuments by UNESCO. The city is especially beautiful at night when it is wonderfully illuminated. Follow this self-guided walking tour to see the most impressive...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Baku Old City Walking Tour

Baku Old City Walking Tour

Baku's "Ichari Shahar" [pronounced ee-char-EE sha-HAR], which literally means Inner City, is also often referred to by foreigners as the Old City. This unique architectural preserve differs considerably from other ancient places in Azerbaijan and is replete with fascinating architectural monuments. The most prominent of them are the 12th-century, 97-foot Maiden Tower (the most...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
Baku Introduction Walking Tour

Baku Introduction Walking Tour

Baku is the capital city of Azerbaijan. It is also the country's largest city with about 25 percent of the nation's population located here.

A city existed on the site of Baku since at least the 5th century ADE. The city at that time was called Bagavan. The first record of its modern name appeared in 938 when it was called Bakuh. The city was a domain of the Arab Caliphate, followed...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles