KOUNIA ARK
Rebuilt in the 17th century by Arang khan, the son of Anusha khan, the palace includes the throne room and the walls that protected the city from outside and inside. But it was in the early 19th century, under Altuzar khan, founder of the Kungrad dynasty, that construction of the present palace began. It comprised several inner courtyards housing the mosque, the guard, the chancellery, the throne room, the mint and the harem. Behind the palace's large gates, various inner courtyards served as visitors' anterooms and guard courtyards, followed by the chancellery. On the right is the Summer Mosque (1838). Its immense six-column iwan with walls covered in blue majolica is breathtakingly beautiful: plant arabesques and geometric designs by renowned 19th-century master craftsmen Abdullah and Ibadulla Djinn.
The Mint , located at the far end of the inner courtyard, has now been converted into a museum. In order to preserve their skills, those who minted the coins here were imprisoned and only released after their death. In the second inner courtyard, Kurinish Khana, built in 1804, the khan received his subjects under the shelter of high walls. The throne room itself is a long, empty room with high ceilings. The wooden throne plated with silver leaf, which stood in the large niche at the back of the room, is in Russia. Panels of carved and gilded gantch (wood) decorate the walls.
The two-columned iwan, open to the north to take advantage of the cooler winds during the warmer months, is decorated with cool-colored majolica made with cobalt powder for the blue and copper for the green. The ceiling, on the other hand, is decorated in warm colors, yellow and red, Zoroastrian symbols of sun and fire. The sun and stars, often symbolized on ceilings, consecrate the khan as an intermediary between earth and heaven. The wooden doors and columns are entirely carved. Their splayed, hollowed-out bases enabled them to be set on their marble or wooden plinths, insulating the wood from the stone with camel wool for earthquake resistance.
From inside Kounia Ark, a short staircase leads to Ak-Cheikh-Bobo, "the tower of the white sheikh", built in the 12th century (the oldest part preserved) and named after the sheik who lived there in the 14th century. Part royal residence, part watchtower, it offers a panoramic view.
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à noter que chaque carreau de faïence est numéroté car unique et a sa place dans cette immense décoration où les raccords sont invisibles de loin et à chercher de près tant les artistes ont été précis dans leur réalisation.
à visiter absolument
En faire le tour permet de découvrir les quartiers d'habitation de cette ville et d'admirer cette réalisation exceptionnelle .