Places in Baku · Historic architecture
Palace of Happiness (Mukhtarov Palace)
Xayala Mammadli · CC0 · Resized; cropped for display
The Palace of Happiness, also known as the Mukhtarov Palace, was completed in 1912 for the oil entrepreneur Murtuza Mukhtarov. Its neo-Gothic design is a striking example of the city's oil-boom mansions.
The building is used for wedding-related functions, so public access is not automatic. Its exterior is the practical focus of an independent architecture walk.
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The Palace of Happiness is also known as the Mukhtarov Palace. Completed in nineteen twelve for the oil entrepreneur Murtuza Mukhtarov, it shows another side of Baku's oil-boom architecture: a private mansion with a distinctive neo-Gothic appearance.
The towers and carved stone details help give the facade its character. They reward a slower look, especially when compared with the other architectural styles found in central Baku. Today the building is used for wedding-related functions. That does not mean the interior is generally open to visitors. The exterior is the practical focus for a self-guided walk; ask about access separately if you hope to go inside.
Sources and official information
Photographs: 10
Photographs
Photographs of this place from different viewpoints and periods.
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Original title: Palace of Happiness9
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Contemporary views
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Original title: Palace of Happiness 2
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Contemporary views
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Original title: Old Baku Mukhtarov Palace 01
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Contemporary views
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Urek Meniashvili · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Original title: Palace of Happiness detail 8
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Archive photographs
1920sDate not independently verified
Unknown author · Public domain
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Original title: Səadət Sarayı (1920-ci illər)
Date label in the source: 1920s
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Contemporary views
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No machine-readable author provided. Grandmaster assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY 2.5
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Original title: Saadet sarayi 1.jpg
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Contemporary views
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Original title: Saadet sarayi 2.jpg
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Original title: Səadət sarayı əsas fasad.jpg
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Contemporary views
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Original title: Palace of Happiness façade 2.jpg
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Contemporary views
Date not established
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Original title: Palace of Happiness façade 6.jpg
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SourceBaku, one step at a time
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