In the suburbs of holy and truly fabulous Bukhara, about 400 metros from the city limits, there is the residence of the last emir of Bukhara — the palace called Sitorai Mokhi Khosa. The history of this monument began in the first half of the 18th century when the foundation of the first building constructed on that site was laid. However, Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace still had a long way to go to earn its fame.
In the middle of the 19th century, Abdul Ahad Khan, the ruler of the lands of Bukhara, sent his best architects to St. Petersburg to acquire new skills so that they could add something new to the palace. The construction of the palace was personally led by the chief architect of Bukhara, and under his supervision the building was given its distinctive feature — the interior of the rooms combined a mixture of the European style of the 19th century with the style of noble houses of the wealthy people of Bukhara.
Years later, under the rule of the last emir of Bukhara, Alim Khan Mangyt, a more modern palace was constructed on the same site, next to the old residence, that consisted of large buildings. Statues of lions majestically sat at the entrance; though, unfortunately the masters were not experienced enough to recreate the beasts, so the result was not brilliant.
The construction of the main attraction of the palace with personal apartments of the emir of Bukhara was supervised by Russian specialists. Coronation hall called the White Hall and its presence chamber were constructed only by the architects of beautiful Bukhara. Those halls united all best achievements of the architects of Bukhara of that time that were their source of pride.
In the White Hall, rich carved alabaster covered the entire surface of the chamber. Mirrors in the form of walled panels served as a background for carved gunch. The unique decoration was created due to the outstanding master of his time, Shirin Muradov; a monument in his honor was placed in the palace in acknowledgement of his work.
Today, the Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace houses a branch of the Bukhara Museum of Local Lore and History, which attracts a huge number of tourists each year. In the museum, the guests who are visits the ancient city learn about the life and culture of the Bukhara citizens of the late 19th century and get acquainted with their traditions. In addition, a sanatorium was established on the territory of the Palace where the guests and residents of Bukhara can rest.
The team of Canaan Travel invites all visitors and connoisseurs of history of the East to fabulous Uzbekistan, whose ancient cities keeps many unsolved secrets and are famous for their amazing architectural monuments.