Dendrology garden
Информация о Дендрологическом саде
In the Dendrology Garden, extensive research works are being carried out in the direction of restoration of the natural and cultural flora gene fund of our republic, efficient use of plant resources, as well as adaptation and introduction. The garden's plant collections are a unique landscape ensemble (array) using the best examples of park design, designed with the traditions of eastern and western park architecture. Samples of 1,500 different types of plant seeds from various regions of the Earth were brought here, and extensive work was carried out in the field of cultivation, regionalization and acclimatization in Absheron conditions. Currently, there are 556 types of plants in the Dendrology Garden, of which 363 are trees, 106 are orangery plants, 34 are herbs, and 53 are various flowers.
Murtuza Mukhtarov
In the second half of the 19th century in the history of Azerbaijan, the entrepreneurial class did a lot of charity work related to the development of the country and took care of its people. At the beginning of the 20th century, millionaire local oil tycoons came from the lowest social classes - workers in mines, foremen's assistants or foremen. Unfortunately, in the Soviet empire, it was strictly forbidden to talk about the representatives of the national bourgeoisie and the work they did for the people.
At the end of the 19th century, at the beginning of the 20th century, philanthropists played a great role in the education of our people and the education of poor children. At the same time, they rendered invaluable services in bringing our people closer to the world culture and joining it. Those people have done such great things in a limited time that the future generations should recognize them and remember them with great gratitude.
Currently, the area where the "Dendrology Garden" public legal entity is located was the private garden of the petroleum millionaire and great philanthropist Murtuza Mukhtarov in 1895-1920. Murtuza Mukhtarov was born in 1857 in the village of Amirjan, Baku, in the family of a poor coachman. Adhering to the family tradition, Murtuza, who first earned money by driving carts, worked as a plasterer for a long time. After working as a market worker, he was engaged in oil stone contracting with a cart.
In 1870, he sold his cart and from an early age started working in one of the mines built around Balakhani-Zabrat villages with an entrepreneur named Martov, extracting oil from shallow wells. Seeing this young man's intelligence, passion for work, responsibility, capability and will, the entrepreneur Martov taught him the secrets of mechanical tools and devices, promoted him to the position of foreman in a very short time, and entrusted him with the mining workshop. Murtuza could determine the situation in the deep layers of the well from the sound of machines, the harmony of axes and pipes, and the rumble of equipment. They begin to invite Mukhtarov to various mines as an indispensable master in the repair and elimination of malfunctions in wells.
The entrepreneur Martov, seeing that he is getting old, sells his personal workshop together with the drilling equipment to him. In 1890, 25-year-old Murtuza Mukhtarov opened a private drilling office, began to receive orders for drilling the most complex and deep wells, and cooperated with many countries. This is where his ingenuity comes to the fore - the many changes he made in a short period of time to the Canadian-made semi-mechanized Molot drilling machine helped to increase the productivity of the equipment and extend its useful life. The development of oil extraction technology in Baku is connected with the name of Mukhtarov. Although he did not have a high technical education, he was an entrepreneur who professionally knew the secret of petroleum fields and drilling among oil tycoons. Young Murtuza enriches his innate flexibility with theoretical knowledge - he hires teachers from among engineers, and with their help, he acquires technical training.
M. Mukhtarov was also known as an petroleum engineer without a diploma. In that period, fragile, oily, etc. digging wells in rocks was considered a miracle. For the first time in 1895, he installed a hammer drill with metal bars and received a State Patent - Certificate of Authorship for it. Mukhtarov named his invention "Baku drilling system". Mukhtarov's machine was the most perfect of all drilling machines known up to that time.
At the end of the 19th century, Murtuza Mukhtarov started a drilling equipment factory in Bibiheybet. This plant was the first industrial enterprise producing oil equipment in Russia. He built a three-story residential building for workers and servants near the plant, gathered the best workforce of Baku with the created conditions and was able to obtain new information on oil extraction. Machine tools and equipment produced at the factory were sold on the Russian market or exported abroad. At the same time, Mukhtarov himself brought a lot of tools, machines, devices and equipment to Baku from abroad, especially from America. Even after Azerbaijan was occupied by Soviet Russia - after the Revolution, these instructions continued, and equipment was sent in his name. In addition, in 1917, the first wood-burning bench was invented by him. Currently, this machine is stored in the "Mining" Institute in St.Petersburg.
The business relations of Murtuza Mukhtarov's office were extensive, his activities in the petroleum industry did not cover only Azerbaijan. He often visited different governorates of Russia and made business deals. In particular, he maintained close relations with the oil industrialists of the North Caucasus, mine owners in Maykop and Grozny, established relations, and concluded technical contracts with design bureaus.
Murtuza Mukhtarov was also a great builder and a great philanthropist. Apart from Baku, he supported the construction of many buildings that still retain their grandeur in its surrounding villages, cities of Russia and some European countries. The mosque building he built in the village of Amirjan is still eye-catching with its architectural structure and grandeur. Although the local population started building the mosque in 1901, later the financial resources to complete the construction ran out and they turned to Mukhtarov. A millionaire is interested in building a mosque and invites architects for his project. After consulting several architects, he undertakes the cost of completing the construction. In 1908, the mosque was built based on the project of the famous architect Zivarbay Ahmadbayov. At the beginning of the construction of the mosque, a 25 kg Koran book engraved with the words of God in golden water was made to order in Istanbul, Turkey. Even now, this holy book is kept as a deposit in the Amirjan mosque. Considered one of the best pearls of Eastern architecture, this magnificent mosque with double minarets is included in the list of historical monuments of UNESCO.
Also, the millionaire's charity work did not end there. In 1902, M. Mukhtarov built a school for children in the village of Amirjan and Vladikavkaz, and in 1913, a lighthouse as a memorial to the sinking of a ship near Pirallahi on the Caspian Sea, as well as 17 buildings in Absheron. Many buildings built by Murtuza Mukhtarov in Baku, Russian and European cities still bear his name today.
During the revolution in 1911, M.Mukhtarov did not spare his help to his people and nation, so he registered the Turkish prisoners of war brought to Baku from Iran and Turkey as "captives who died" from thirst, unsanitary conditions, and infectious diseases, and buried them on Nargin Island in Baku. He threw them into the sea in sacks under the name of "the dead". Known for his kindness, Murtuza Mukhtarov helped many poor families and invested in their treatment and education. Even in those days, he adopted a shy girl named Katya and named her Fatma. Fatma is known as a great opera soloist and Azerbaijani actress in our republic.
During the period when there was no electricity in the northern DRES and Shuvalan, Murtuza Mukhtarov established the electricity dynamics for the first time and supplied the villages of Shuvalan and Mardakan with a little electricity.
During one of his next trips to Besland, Mukhtarov witnessed an interesting event. Walking on the station platform, Mukhtarov's attention is attracted by two lieutenants who put a carpet on the floor to pray in Circassian clothes. The general in Circassian clothes begins to pray. Murtuza Mukhtarov asks the station staff who this general is and learns that he is the famous general Hambi Tuganov from Vladikavkaz. They meet, General Murtuza invites Mukhtarov to his house in Vladikavkaz. Accepting this invitation, Mukhatarov meets Tuganov's family. Here Murtuza sees his future wife Lisa, the general's middle daughter, and falls in love with her at first sight. Murtuza Mukhtarov's embassy and wedding ceremonies are very luxurious.
It should also be noted that this marriage was Mukhtarov's second family. He had two daughters from his marriage with his first wife, Mrs. Gonchanaz. But as a result of an unfortunate incident, he loses his daughters and thus his family is tragically broken up.
At Murtuza and Liza's engagement, 30 brave girls dressed in white Circassian chukka, white Bukhara hats and swords brought home 30 luxurious khonchas, and the wedding lasted 7 days and 7 nights. The bride was escorted in a silver-trimmed phaeton, accompanied by a cavalcade of honor on white horses, dressed in white from head to toe. Despite the fact that Lisa is 24 years younger than her husband and both belong to different social classes, this did not prevent them from living happily together. After a luxurious wedding ceremony in Vladikavkaz, they went on a wedding trip to Europe, and after returning from the trip, they lived in Vladikavkaz for several years.
As an expression of his gratitude to the Ossetian land for his family happiness, Mukhtarov built a Sunni mosque in Vladikavkaz in 1908 with his own funds, which is a rare example of architecture due to its many parameters. The Sunni mosque built by the Shiite Mukhtarov in honor of Liza Tuganova on the banks of the Terek River is still considered one of the largest mosques in the North Caucasus. According to experts, this mosque built by Mukhtarov is one of the richest mosques in Russia in terms of its beauty. As Ossetian historians wrote: "Authorized representatives of the Sunni community of Vladikavkaz city, Lieutenant-General Inal Kusov and Idris Shanayev, decide to call the mosque "Mukhtarov's Juma Mosque" as an expression of sincere gratitude on behalf of all Vladikavkaz Muslims to Baku merchant Murtuza Agha Mukhtarov, who built the mosque."
While Murtuza Mukhtarov was on a wedding trip in Europe, his young wife was fascinated by the wonderful architecture of the city of Venice, the architecture of Italian buildings, and he expressed this fascination to his wife. While walking in Venice, standing in front of a very beautiful and magnificent building, Liza shares her feelings with her husband with admiration - "How happy are the people who live in such a building!". Murtuza Bey, watching this scene calmly, does not say anything. Returning from Vladikavkaz in 1910, Mr. Murtuza built a palace for his beloved lady in Baku in a similar style and architecture to the buildings in Venice, Italy (1911-1912). The palace was designed by the architect Iosif Ploshko in the French Gothic style. Mukhtarov specially invited Ploshko from Moscow to Baku and then sent him to Italy to get to know the palace. Ploshko thought that he would design the project for Mukhtarov in the Eastern style, but because he liked M.Mukhtarov's "Ismailiyya" building, he decided to build a palace in the "Gothic" architectural style, not in the national-oriental interpretation. Although the construction of Murtuza Mukhtarov's palace was planned on the central highway of the city (then Nikolayev, now Istiglaliyyat Street), later it was decided to use the area adjacent to Nikolayev Street for this purpose. Since the owner of the land refused to sell the land, Mukhtarov bought the land opposite the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (architect R.R. Marfeld, 1888-1889, builder Y.V.Goslavsky) on the opposite side of Persidsky (now Murtuza Mukhtarov Street) and Wrangel (now Ahmed Javad Street) streets. Despite being located next to such a huge and monumental church, the palace had a very favorable urban planning position. After the demolition of the church in 1930, the surroundings of the palace were completely opened.
About a year later, when Murtuza Mukhtarov was going for a street walk in Baku, he put Lisa on a carriage and brought her to Fars Street in front of the building. Lisa's gaze collides with a palace-like building she saw in distant Italy. Kissing his wife's hands, Mukhtarov congratulates her on her new property. The lady, who did not know what to say because of her surprise, was overjoyed when she heard that her servants welcomed them at the door of the building and that the palace was donated to her. Every column, arches, bushes and flowers, windows and doors of the palace is a unique work of art, an architectural gem, and these details fascinate everyone who enters. The vertical towers, reminiscent of the minarets of Cairo mosques, embodied the oriental color very well. The facade details of the palace, elegantly decorated columns in the spirit of French Gothic, the central tower give the building a special beauty. In the vestibule opening to the palace's classically shaped three-course marble staircase, more order methods were used. The front staircase is ornate, and the semicircular ceiling is filled with decorative elements. While designing Mukhtarov's palace in 1911-1912, I.Ploshko benefited from the effective corner composition in the project of H.D.Grimm, an academician of architecture in Petersburg, and gave his own interpretation by revisiting the tract of the style direction of French Gothic. It should be noted that the successful H.D.Grimm project was awarded a prize in 1900.
After the October revolution, the palace functioned as a Women's club named after Ali Bayramov, and later as a museum of Shirvanshahs. Later, it was used as a marriage house for many years. As a monument of 1911-1912, the building was included in the "List of immovable historical and cultural monuments of national importance" as inventory №149 by the decision №132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated August 2, 2001. In 2007-2012, restoration works were carried out in the Palace. On July 5, 2012, the opening of the palace took place, and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev participated in the ceremony and familiarized himself with the work done.
Such as Mukhtarov, his wife Liza did not lag behind in charity work. Liza Mukhtarova was one of the members of "İşıq" newspaper, the first women's press organ established in Baku on January 22, 1911 by Mrs. Khadija Alibayova. She actively fought for women's rights to gain knowledge and education. Mrs. Liza, one of the most active members of the "Children's Hospital" charitable society, which was established in 1913, helped to establish a special children's hospital in Baku. His educational and educational activity was wider. Since she had no children of her own, Mrs. Lisa created a boarding house in her luxurious palace, where orphaned and poor girls were educated. Ms. Liza, a member of the board of directors of "Murtuza Mukhtarov" Joint Stock Company, also supported "Nicat" Baku Muslim Charitable Society.
The sketched plan and documents of approximately 2.5 hectares of land donated by Murtuza Mukhtarov to the Women's Muslim Charitable Society in the village of Gala still remain. Two orphanages were built in that territory. Mrs. Liza headed the Baku Women's Charity Society established in 1914. He was able to unite Rahila Gaziyeva, Sara Vazirova, Pari Topchubashova and many others in the ranks of this society. At the same time, Ms. Liza was a member of the management board of the Baku branch of the Caucasian Society for the fight against tuberculosis. All the issues of the society are discussed in his house, it was on his initiative that cultural events were often carried out. In addition, she organized plays at the girl's school and treated the girls with motherly care.
Unfortunately, this marriage, founded on love, is not destined to be happy until the end. April 1920 was coming. Thus, after the murders and robberies they committed in the neighborhoods of Baku where Azerbaijanis lived, the Armenian Bolshevik gangs arrived at the Mukhtarovs' house. At the threshold of Mukhtarov's house, armed usurpers demand that he leave the building and submit to the Soviet authorities. Hearing this, the oil tycoon takes his rifle, first kills two Bolsheviks, and then himself. As a result, the building becomes the headquarters of the XI army.
Unfortunately, like the fate of the oil tycoon, the fate of Lisa Khanum ended with a bitter end. The Bolsheviks first forced Mrs. Lisa to live in the basement of her house. Researcher Fuad Akhundov writes: "Sara Ashurbayli used to say that she and her mother Ismet visited Liza and they helped her a little. However, it became increasingly challenge to stay in Baku. She married a Turkish diplomat in order to escape the danger and emigrate. Ms. Liza goes to Istanbul. But she is not lucky here either. That person, taking the money that was in Liza's possession and was considered very valuable to her, disappeared in the noisy street and did not appear again." Little is known about the future fate of Ms. Liza Mukhtarova. It is only known that Liza was helped by the Azerbaijani diaspora operating in Turkey and she lived in Istanbul until 1956. Zuleykha Asadullayeva, the granddaughter of another oil magnate Shamsi Asadullayev, said in one of her interviews: "Among the former Baku millionaires, only Mukhtarov deserves respect. He lived like a man and died like a man." It was worth living for such a memory. A good memory that lives after a person is not a small treasure.
This beautiful garden inherited from the oil millionaire Murtuza Mukhtarov is currently being used by the people. The Dendrology Garden with a total area of 12 ha is located in the northeastern part of the Absheron Peninsula, 3.2 km from the Caspian Sea and 40 km from the city center. The area is 8.2 m above sea level, the average annual temperature of the area is about 13-15°C. The temperature in the winter months is 8-8.2°C, the humidity in hot summer days is below 35-40%, the amount of annual precipitation in Absheron is 120-270 mm. In this regard, the climate of the Absheron Peninsula is similar to the climate of dry subtropical and temperate subtropical zones. According to its mechanical composition, the soil is alkaline (PH 8-9), belongs to the type of gray clay and sandy soil. The composition of soils is 80-85% lime. The soil layer of the dendrology garden was not suitable for cultivation, it was surrounded by limestone rocks at a depth of 20-40 cm. In 1926, M.Mukhtarov brought soil suitable for planting to the garden from the Lankaran zone. As it can be seen, the research work conducted by the laboratories in the artificial ecosystem created here plays a comprehensive role in solving many environmental problems of Absheron's environmental factors. 4 underground water reservoirs reflecting the history of the Dendrology Garden, the construction of which is not yet known, are considered a historical monument not only for this garden, but also for our republic. The diameter of the wells is 8-13 m, and the average depth is 36 m. These wells have 3 transmission lines. Here is the 1st version of the film "Arshin Mal Alan", a beautiful pearl of the Azerbaijani cinema collection, films such as "Don't be afraid, I am with you", "Headless Horseman", "Vaziri-khani-Lankaran", Haji Zeynalabidin Taghiyev, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. A part of the four-part historical-artistic film called "Himaedar" about his life, as well as a number of music clips were shot.
As a monument belonging to the beginning of the 20th century, the territory was included in the "List of immovable historical and cultural monuments of national importance" by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan as inverter No. 438. *.