Baku: The next feature in AZERTAC's 'If I Were a Tourist' column turns the spotlight on the House Museum of the Nobel Brothers. The House Museum of the Nobel Brothers is located in Baku's Khatai district, at 8 Noyabr Avenue.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the Nobel House, built between 1882 and 1884, has been operating as a museum since 2008. The two-story building accommodates the museum on the lower floor, while the upper floor functions as the Baku Nobel Oil Club and Business Center. The interior is designed in a simple European style, complemented by a specially arranged 'Eastern-style' room. The exhibits were prepared on the basis of historical materials with financial support from the late Toghrul Baghirov, former chairman of the Baku Nobel Heritage Foundation.

Known as 'Villa Petrolea,' the building is the only house museum of the Nobel brothers located outside Sweden. Its interior reflects an atmosphere of luxury, featuring paintings and books brought from St. Petersburg, as well as expensive locally woven carpets from Azerbaijan and Iran. The property belonged to the Nobel brothers until 1920. Prior to its transformation into a museum, the building served as a hospital and later as an orphanage.

The arrival and investments of the Nobel brothers, who played a significant role in the development of Baku's oil industry, marked an important milestone in the country's history. These oil magnates from Northern Europe left a lasting legacy on Azerbaijan's economic life - a heritage that continues to live on through the museum's exhibits.