KHUDAIAR KHAN PALACE

The construction of the palace of Khudaiar Khan, the last khan of Kokand, took 11 years from 1863 to 1873. It mobilized no less than 16,000 workers and 80 craftsmen from Rishtan, Samarkand and other cities in the country. Five years later, the Russians destroyed most of it. The building had a large enclosure with twelve gates bearing the names of the cities to which they led.

The palace is now reached by a paved road that leads up to a monumental gate flanked by two fine turrets. The long façade of the building is entirely decorated with glazed bricks, which owe much to the restorers. The majolica on the left wing were made by craftsmen from Namangan and Andijan, those on the right by craftsmen from Kokand. All the courtyards were renovated after 2010.

Originally, the palace had 7 courtyards and 114 rooms, which is as many suras as the Koran counts. Only 4 courtyards and 19 rooms remain today, most of which have been converted into showrooms.

The visit usually begins in the left wing of the palace, where the former reception hall of the khan used to be. It is decorated from floor to ceiling in the traditional Uzbek style. A model of the palace shows the harem (the khan had 43 wives) which was destroyed during the Soviet takeover of Kokand. Admire the quality of the decorations. On the top right, you will notice a darker space: these are the original, unrenovated colours. Guests entered the reception hall through a small room to the north, where the khan's secretary was located. The complex overlooks a sumptuous inner courtyard bordered by a magnificent 15th century iwan from a mosque built by Tamerlan at Chakhimardan. On the eastern flank, the wooden posts supporting the iwan are new. The original posts are exposed under the south iwan, itself supported by original wooden columns.

It is said that the khan liked to have the heads of his enemies brought to him and stacked at the foot of one of the pillars of this iwan. Of these warlike customs, only two cannons remain: the first, short and artistically twisted, is a local production of the 18th century; the second, long and thin, comes from China and was taken from the enemy during the war of 1840 against the Kashgar khanate.

In the southwest corner of the courtyard, a small reception room housed Khudaiar Khan's secret talks. It is decorated with 114 different motifs, as many as there were rooms in the original palace.

The other wings of the palace, especially those where European diplomats and dignitaries were received, have been transformed into a museum. There are various archaeological finds from the valley, as well as interesting photographs of the construction of the Ferghana Canal and the excavation of the 47 tombs of the village of Pap. Other areas are devoted to the weaponry of the Timurid period, but also exhibit some rifles and two unusual French and Italian shields from the 15th century which were donated to the museum on the occasion of an exhibition in 1924.

A second and then a third inner courtyard lead to the old mosque and other rooms with ceilings decorated in the traditional style. They are transformed into showrooms. In the last room, you can take a look at Khudaiar Khan's diary.