On 20 February, 2016 MIRAS members joined “Stones’ music” tour under the guidance of MIRAS members Gulshan Huseynova and Aida Malikova. The excursion launched at 2p.m. near Icherisheher metro station following Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall (The Magomayev Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall located in Baku, is the main concert hall in Azerbaijan built in 1912).
Gulshan Huseynova started with the history of old buildings situated in front of the State Philharmonic Hall and gave information on decorative ornaments over the buildings, their purpose of usage and architectural style. The information shared by G. Huseynova on the houses of H.Z.Taghiyev (Hajji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev 1838–1924, was an Azeri national industrial magnate and philanthropist. He sponsored the construction of the first Azeri national theatre in 1883 (known as Taghiyev's Theatre, and later the Azerbaijan State Theatre of Musical Comedy) and helped to repair it after reactionists burned it down in 1909. In 1911, he covered all the expenses for the construction of what would later become the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Taghiyev provided money to build the first secular Muslim school for girls in the Middle East in 1898–1900. He personally obtained the permission to build the school in his correspondence with Empress Alexandra. He also sponsored the construction of a school of agriculture in Mardakan in 1894 and the first technical school in the Baku Governorate in 1911. Taghiyev helped to maintain many city institutions and contributed to the adornment of Baku, including laying out of parks and paving the streets. For this, he provided a 35-year loan of money to the City Council in 1895. Together with five other businessmen, he financially assisted in establishing the horse tramway in Baku, which started functioning in 1892. He helped to solve the water crisis in the city by helping to finance the Shollar water pipeline, which channeled water 100 miles away in the Caucasus Mountains, near Guba, via a ceramic pipeline. Taghiyev allocated money to have the project completed. The construction of the water pipeline was finished by 1916. In 1886 Taghiyev sponsored the establishment of a fire department in Baku), M.Nagiyev (Musa Naghiyev (1849-1919) was an Azerbaijani industrial oil magnate in late 19th - early 20th century. Naghiyev was the main sponsor and trustee of one of the largest technical colleges, "Real College", the building now houses the Azerbaijan State Economic University. He was also an adherent of the Bahá'í Faith and served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Baku. He died of a heart attack on 4 March 1919. Another gift from Naghiyev to the city was the city's largest hospital which was built in 1912 and still functions today in the capacity of the Ministry of Health and M. Mukhtarov (Murtuza Muktarov 1865 –1920, was an Azerbaijani oil industrialist and millionaire who built the Mukhtarov Palace in Baku and the Mukhtarov Mosque. Mukhtarov sponsored schools and build mosques in Baku and surrounding areas. His fanciful Gothic Revival residence built for his wife Liza Mukhtarova by architect Józef Plośko in 1911-1912 is a celebrated example of the Baku oil boom architecture. Mukhtarov committed suicide in his own residence after killing several Red Army soldiers on April 28, 1920 after Bolshevik takeover of Baku) led us to one-century travel. Later on the members of MIRAS visited Samad Vurgun (Samad Vakilov, 1906 –1956, was an Azerbaijani poet, dramatist, public figure, first People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1943), academician of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (1945), laureate of two USSR State Prizes of second degree (1941, 1942). He was buried in Baku, in the Alley of Honor) house museum, where they had the opportunity to familiarize with clan, world outlook, life and the life of family members of S.Vurgun. During the excursion, the monuments abroad and in the country named after Samad Vurgun, as well as streets. There are some samples of art made by world known artists and sculptors. The carpet made by carpet-maker and artist Latif Karimov for the valuable poet, some statues by Fuad Abdurrahmanov, as wll as death mask and paintings depicting Samad Vurgun were among the exhibits. There were also discussions around the historical buildings visited on that day and Gulshan Huseynova answered all questions.
To note, cultural heritage excursions launched with “Magic Baku Tour” on 6th February with the initiative of Gulshan Huseynova and Aida Malikova.