The sorrowful and proud life story of Azerbaijan's legendary oil millionaire Ağa Musa Nagiyev

The life story of Ağa Musa Nagiyev, one of Azerbaijan's historic oil millionaires, stretching from poverty to wealth, has come to the agenda again with statements made by his granddaughter Dilara Nagiyeva to Moderator.az. It was noted that Nagiyev, who was born into a poor family, did heavy work from a young age and worked as a porter for 3-5 kuruş. It was stated that with the money he saved over time, he bought land suitable for oil extraction in Balaxanı and had a well drilled. With the help of luck, it was recorded that oil gushed from this region, and thus he became one of the 11 million richest owners of his time.

It was emphasized that Ağa Musa Nagiyev was also known for undertaking the construction of exactly 98 buildings in Baku, in addition to his personal wealth. It was conveyed that the exterior stones of the buildings he had constructed were decorated with motifs of baskets and wheat wreaths, in reference to the period he worked as a porter. It was stated that the letters "MN" were engraved on these emblems, symbolizing his desire never to forget that his father was a straw seller and that he himself carried 16-kilo porter baskets at a young age. It was expressed that he started carrying loads at the age of 11 to support his family, and when he turned 18, he bought a piece of land and a water well with the hope of doing agriculture, but his business expanded when oil gushed from there.

Along with a business life full of successes, it was shared that Ağa Musa Nagiyev also experienced deep sorrow and adopted a son. It was reported that Nagiyev, who built a very beautiful life with his wife Selma Hanım, had two children named Ümbülbanu and İsmayıl, but he lost his son İsmayıl in 1906. It was stated that to ease his pain after the passing of his son İsmayıl, he adopted one of his brother Ağali's four children when they were two months old, and when the child reached one year of age, he named him Ferec, meaning "joy that comes after sorrow." It was expressed that Ferec helped the millionaire forget the grief he experienced after İsmayıl's death.

According to the statements of his granddaughter Dilara Nagiyeva, his adopted son Ferec (Ağa Musa Nağıyev) had a great interest in the fields of theater and arts during his father's lifetime and made serious investments. It was reported that Ferec wrote 200 satirical poems and interludes, and since his childhood, he had a special curiosity for the Garağeley (Karavezir) genre. It was stated that he prepared a 70-page scenario about Garağeley; and he undertook the founding, management, and directing of theaters in Kuba, Sabirabad, Derbent, and Aşkabat. It was added that the texts of the traditional Garağeley shows performed especially during Novruz Bayramı were penned by Ferec, and despite criticism regarding the money he spent on art, his father fully supported this situation.

Ağa Musa Nagiyev's architectural legacy and the current functions of these structures have also been revealed through his granddaughter's narratives. It was stated that, stemming from the belief in the Quran that "he who builds much lives long," he aimed to erect 100 buildings and had constructed 98 buildings by the time he reached the age of 70. It was emphasized that the most important of these structures is the "İsmailiyye" building, which he designed for his son İsmayıl by taking a building in Switzerland as an example and brought its project to the country during his lifetime. It was conveyed that out of the 81 buildings discovered by his granddaughter, 41 of them currently serve as universities, government offices, ministries, and hospitals.