The father of Hajji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev was a shoe-maker. By this profession, he earned a living for his family. By the time Zeynalabdin was 10, he asked his father to find him a job. His father arranged for him to be an apprentice of a stone-master. Little Zeynalabdin used to carry grout for the master and each day earned 6 gapiks. By the time he was 12, he already hewed stone, and by 15, he started to work as a stone-master.

Having been engaged in an oill business, he became one of the reachest people of his country – millioner Taghiyev. However, he did not forget the poor, the orphan, and the hungry. He paid the education fee for a number of children. He helped schools. First vocational school was opened with his support. He built a water line from Quba to Baku. A mill working in electricity was built by him in Mardakan. These are just part of the works Hajji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev has done for our nation. One of his greatest services before our people is engaging girls in education.