Tour name: Baku: City of Oil and Millionaires

Duration: 4 hours

Highlights: Taghiyev House Museum | Bibi-Heybat Mosque | Villa Petrolea | White City | First Oil Well

Pick-up & Drop-off: at your hotel (within Baku city)

Category: Private tour

Language: English (other languages on request)

All prices are per group (not per person)

Note:

VIP option includes premium cars (Mercedes S-class, E-class, V-class).
Prices may vary during holidays or major events (New Year, Formula 1, international conferences, etc.).

✓ Hotel pick-up and drop-off (within Baku)
✓ Private English-speaking guide (other languages available)
✓ Private driver and air-conditioned vehicle

✕ Entrance fees

Baku: City of Oil and Millionaires – A Journey Through Time and Fortune

In the second half of the 19th century, oil transformed Baku into the energy capital of the world. Rapid wealth from black gold not only shaped the skyline of the city but also funded cultural and industrial revolutions across the Russian Empire. On this themed tour, we trace the footsteps of oil barons and explore Baku’s unique architectural and historical heritage born from the oil boom.

Highlights of the Tour:

Taghiyev’s Mansion – Museum of History of Azerbaijan
Built between 1895 and 1901 by philanthropist and oil magnate Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev, this magnificent palace reflects a blend of European classicism and Azerbaijani architectural motifs. With over 100 richly decorated rooms and grand domes, it is one of Baku’s most beautiful landmarks and now houses the National History Museum of Azerbaijan.

Architectural Walk Through Oil-Boom Era Baku
Stroll through the heart of Baku to discover striking pre-Soviet architecture funded by oil wealth:

• Ismailiyya Building (1910) – built by millionaire Musa Naghiyev

• Murtuza Mukhtarov’s Venetian-style palace (1911–1912)

• Rothschilds’ Caspian-Black Sea Oil Company building (1898–1899)

• Baku City Duma – a masterpiece of civic architecture (1899–1904)

• Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall – inspired by Monte Carlo (1910–1914)

• Count De Bour’s mansion – manager of the Rothschild office

• SOCAR headquarters – symbol of modern oil leadership

Bibi-Heybat Oil Field & Mosque
Visit the legendary Bibi-Heybat oil field – site of the world’s first drilled oil well (1848) and first offshore well in the former USSR. Nearby, admire the reconstructed Bibi-Heybat Mosque, originally built in the 13th century and now one of Baku’s most revered religious sites.

Villa Petrolea – Nobel Brothers’ Legacy (Open Tuesdays and Fridays)
Explore the former residence of the Nobel brothers in the Black City – now a museum telling the story of one of Baku’s most influential oil families. The estate includes original furnishings, artifacts, and a room decorated in Oriental style. The museum is the only Nobel heritage site outside of Sweden.

Baku White City
Conclude your tour with a drive through the redeveloped area formerly known as the Black City – once the heart of oil refining in Baku. Now transformed into a modern residential and business district, the Baku White City project is one of Azerbaijan’s largest urban regeneration initiatives, designed to turn a polluted industrial zone into a vibrant modern neighborhood.