Ismailiyya Palace

The building of mosques is appointed to be in a place called "Gapan Dibi" in the center of the city. Although it was initially planned to build a garden with fountains surrounding the mosque, the Christian clerics, who had great influence in the period of the Russian Empire, prevented the construction of such a mosque near the Alexander Nevski Church, which is called the Golden Church (Qızıl kilsə). This square, by waiting for the civil servant’s decision, gradually becomes a natural market as the solution to problem takes too much time. Food and other goods, even animals for selling are brought to this square. Known as Devil's Market(Şeytan bazar), this place was considered to be the most populated point of Baku in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While Haji Zeynalabdin planned the school of the girls of Tagiyev (1898-1901), Goslavski also prepared a market building project planned to be built together with the school in 1898. Merchants from Shamakhi, Sheki and Guba sold their wares on the sidewalks, causing pollution. In 1898, the city's architect Y. Goslavski, with the advice of the City Authority, proposed the idea of construction a commercially viable market in line with sanitary norms. Later, officials were also thinking about building a garden in this square. After considering the sales possibility at Nikolayev Street, the plan to build a market in that region has been postponed. Duma’s of city considered that the central highway is not the best commercial place (thinks that it is the main street of the present Istigliyat street in the late 19th century). Nevertheless, this area was vacant for ten years until the construction of Ishmailiyya, one of the most beautiful palaces of Baku, according to the order of the Baku millionaire Aga Musa Nagiyev in memory of his son Ismayil (1875-1902). At the beginning of the 1890s, Nikolayev adjusting street project was completed. This street is totally given to administrative and public institutions such as the Governorate, the City Duma and Bureau (current building of Baku City Executive Committee), “Realni Məktəb “(the current construction of the Azerbaijan State Economic University), for the mosque and trade lines. In 1893 the preparation of the area for the construction of the Juma Mosque was initiated. The location of mosque is decided to be placed around fountains and pool in the park. The Baku Muslims wanted to create a religious community that establishes the examples of famous mosques in Istanbul, Tabriz, Isfahan and other eastern cities that represent a magnificent architectural environment among greenery, fountains and transparent water pools. The place for the construction of the Juma mosque was given to the construction of School for Girls belonged to Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev on November 5, 1896. The area where the current palace of Ismailia is favorable for town-building (urbanism) in the structure of the street and occupies an important place in the architectural plan. == Architecture ==