Mir-Fatah-Agha
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Mir-Fatah-Agha commonly known as Mushthaid (died 24 October, 1892) was a high-ranking Muslim Shiite cleric (specifically, he was a mujtahid) from Tabriz (Iranian Azarbaijan, Persian Empire), whom the Russian government credited with keeping the population of Iranian Azerbaijan loyal to the brief Russian occupation of the territory during the second Russian-Persian war of 1827 to 1828. When Mir-Fatah asked to accompany Russian forces on their withdrawal, the Russian authorities sought to use his influence and, in June 1828, he was appointed to a newly formed Caucasus Committee that was to gather information on the Muslim inhabitants of the Caucasus and make recommendations on how to incorporate them into the Russian polity. As an advisor to the Russian governor general Ivan Paskevich, he lived in Tiflis, Georgia (then part of the Russian Empire) where he established a famous garden on the left bank of the Kura River (Mtkvari). Paskevich’s departure to Warsaw and bad relations with subsequent governor generals forced him to return to Tabriz in 1845.
Mushthaid Garden
Established by Mir-Fatah in Tiflis in the 1830s to 1840s, the garden occupied an area of approximately 110,000 square metres. In 1853, the authorities obtained the control of the garden to set up an example agricultural farm there. In 1858, it was turned into a public recreation centre. Apart from usual facilities - the restaurant, snack bar, open-air theatre, etc. - silkworm rearing stations were erected on its territory. These stations built in 1880s to 1890s still exist. During the second half of the 19th century, receptions of high-ranking guests were held in the garden. It was here where the first children railway was opened at the turn of the 20th century. Today, the Mushthaid Garden is popular spot in Tbilisi where the locals walk and rest at leisure.
References
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