Azerbaijan National Museum Of Art

The Azerbaijan National Museum of Art is one of the country’s leading cultural institutions. The history of the museum dates back to 1920, when the fine arts department was established within the Azerbaijan State Museum. In 1936, the Azerbaijan State Museum of Art was founded on the basis of this department.

The museum operates in two historic architectural monuments located in the center of Baku — the buildings of the “Lev de Burun Palace” and the “Mariinsky Women’s Gymnasium.” Constructed in the late 19th century, these buildings played a significant role in shaping the architectural appearance of the city of Baku. In 2013, both buildings were connected by a modern glass-and-steel passage, creating a unified museum complex. The new wing primarily hosts exhibitions of contemporary art.

The museum fund, which includes collections of painting, graphics, sculpture, embroidery, metalwork, and archaeological ceramics and porcelain, preserves more than 18,000 exhibits. Alongside works reflecting various historical stages of Azerbaijani art — including painting, graphics, sculpture, and decorative-applied arts — the collection also contains rare examples of Western European, Eastern, and Russian art. The museum possesses a rich collection of Western European paintings dating from the 16th to 19th centuries as well as works of Russian avant-garde art.