THE PALACE OF THE EMIR OF BUKHARA

 Today we went to the palace of the emir of Bukhara with our classmates. Continuing our journey, we got a lot of news and information about historical places that we did not know.

When arriving in Bukhara by train, visit the 19th century Palace of the Emir of Bukhara in Kagan, which is located near the station. Tourists often pass by the palace quickly, as it’s not easy to see from the road. This is a shame because the palace is very attractive, with unusual architecture and an interesting history. It’s considered an architectural monument of Uzbekistan.

The palace’s origins lie in the expansion of the Russian Empire to Central Asia in the second half of the 19th century. Towards the end of the century, strong diplomatic relations developed between Russia and the Bukhara Emirate, and the development of railways continued. The settlement of New Bukhara was established 12km from Bukhara, on the railway line to Tashkent, and New Bukhara became a base for the Russian military, engineers, and builders. In a sense, New Bukhara was also a diplomatic town, which hosted various offices that represented the Russian Empire in the Emirate of Bukhara.

In 1895, the Emir of Bukhara, Said Abdulahad Khan, ordered the construction of a palace in New Bukhara. According to some, this was because the Emir wanted to have his own palace in the Russian settlement. In another version of the story, the palace was built to accommodate a visit by the Russian Emperor, Nicholas II. However, Said Abdulahad Khan never lived in the palace, and Nicholas II never visited.

The palace’s architecture is eclectic, combining Arabic motifs and elements of the Baroque, Empire, and so-called Neo-Mauritanian styles. The exterior includes ganch (gypsum plaster) carving in the Bukhara style. The interior decoration is less-well preserved, but also illustrates the skill of the builders and local craftsmen at the time.

Today was also very good. Until our next trip, my dears👋🤗☺️

21 .11.2023