Azerbaijan Railway Museum (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Dəmiryol Muzeyi) is a railway museum in Baku, Azerbaijan. The museum was opened in 2019.[1]
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| Established | 2019 |
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| Location | Jafar Jabbarli Square |
| Coordinates | 40°22′45.18″N 49°50′53.42″E / 40.3792167°N 49.8481722°E / 40.3792167; 49.8481722 |
| Website | Official website |
The museum is located in historic building of Sabunchu Railway StationofBaku City, near Jafar Jabbarli Square (28 May metro station).[2]
The opening of the Azerbaijan Railway Museum took place on November 19, 2019, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev.[3]
Reconstruction works were carried out in the museum, which was closed during the pandemic, and after being enriched with new exhibits, it started welcoming visitors on December 28, 2023.[4]
The historic Sabunchu Railway Station (near the 28 May metro station), one of the three buildings comprising the historical station complex of the Baku Passenger Station, is home to the Azerbaijan Railway Museum. This building was commissioned on July 6, 1926, the day of the opening of the first electrified railway in Azerbaijan. Sabunchu Railway Station in Baku was the first station building to receive electric trains.[5]
The building was constructed based on the national architectural traditions of Azerbaijan and is reminiscent of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs due to its appearance and many elements. The windows of the building made in the style of national “shabaka” art, the decor of the Shirvanshahs period in the upper part of the facade of the entrance, and the stone carvings of lions on the clock tower are noteworthy.[citation needed]
The museum has 2 exhibition halls, a cinema hall, and halls for organizing cultural and corporate events. Events such as book signing days, reading hours, book and art exhibitions, meetings with public figures are held here. In the halls, various interesting exhibits related to the development stages of the railway sector of Azerbaijan, including photo and video materials reflecting the history of the creation of the railway in the 19th century, and train models are displayed. Also, a photo corner was created to reflect the incomparable services rendered by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the development of railways in Azerbaijan.[citation needed]
1926, the building was reconstructed. In June of the same year, an electric train was launched in the former USSR, for the first time in Azerbaijan, on the Baku-Sabunchu railway.
