Zeynalabdin Taghiyev
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Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev (Azeri: Zeynalabdin Tağıyev) (25 January 1838, Baku – 1 September 1924, Mardakan) was an Azeri national industrial magnate and philanthropist.
Zeynalabdin Taghiyev was born into a poor family of a shoemaker in Old Town of Baku and started learning masonry at an early age. By mid 1860s he had become a successful builder and real estate owner. In the first Baku oil boom in 1873 Taghiyev with three associates purchased a piece of land, where he struck oil after long drilling campaign in 1877, instantly becoming a millionaire.
Taghiev invested his fortune not only in oil business, but also in many important projects such as the first textile factory in Azerbaijan and industrial fisheries. He sold his oil business interest to Ango-Russian Oil Company for 5 million rubles. In two and a half years, they had earned more than 7.5 million rubles in net profit.
It should be mentioned that Taghiyev sold his oil companies in order to diversify into other industries of the Azerbaijani economy. Meanwhile, he amassed shares in the Oleum Company established on the basis of these enterprises to the amount of 16 million rubles. This allowed him to continue accumulating capital created in the oil sector. During this period, Taghiyev invested significant sums into the textile, food, construction and shipbuilding industries, as well as in fishery. Later, in 1890, Taghiyev bought the Caspian Steamship Company, renovated it, and then created a fleet of 10 steamboats.
He sponsored construction of the first Azeri national theatre in 1883, build the first Muslim boarding school for girls in the Middle East in 1896 and paid all tuition fees for students, sponsored the first technical school in Azerbaijan in 1911 and school of agriculture in Mardakyan. Taghiyev also helped to maintain many city institutions and charities, and contributed to the adornment of Baku town.
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, via a ceramic pipeline. The water pipeline was completed by 1916.
In 1920, Taghyiev's palace was confiscated by Soviet Government and he was exiled to his summer house, where he died on September 1, 1924. Despite of many years of Soviet attempts to suppress memories of Taghiyev, he is still widely recognized in Azerbaijan as an example of generosity and a philanthropy.
His was married two times, second time in 1896 to Sona, the youngest daughter of General Balakishi Arablinski. He had two sons by first marriage and two sons and three daughters by second marriage.
