Palace of the Emir of Bukhara: A Neo-Moorish Residence in Uzbekistan
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Uzbekistan
- Primary era
- Modern
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- Emirate of Bukhara
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Palace
On this page5 sections
History
Construction in New Bukhara
The Palace of the Emir of Bukhara is a nineteenth-century palace in Kagan, Uzbekistan, about 12 kilometres east of Bukhara. It was built in the Neo-Moorish style, with Baroque and Empire-style elements, and construction began on 14 August 1895 by order of Emir Said Abdulahad Khan. The work was completed in 1898.
Alexei Leonidovich Benois designed the building, while the engineer Dubrovin directed its construction. Bukharan and Russian craftsmen carried out the building and finishing work. At the time, Kagan was known as New Bukhara. The city took the name Kagan in 1935.
Changing Purpose
The palace’s original purpose is described in two ways. One tradition holds that Said Abdulahad Khan commissioned it for himself but judged the completed building insufficiently magnificent. Another interpretation says that it was intended from the beginning to receive Emperor Nicholas II, the last emperor of the Russian Empire, during a visit to the Emirate of Bukhara.
After Said Abdulahad Khan died, his successor, Emir Seyid Alim Khan, used the palace as a residence for high-ranking visitors arriving in Bukhara. Its position near the railway station suited this role. The building now houses the Palace of Culture of Railway Workers and has recognition as a historical and cultural monument as well as an architectural monument.
Remains
Palace Architecture
The palace is an eclectic building, combining elements drawn from several historical styles. Its Neo-Moorish design adapts forms associated with Islamic architecture, while Baroque and Empire-style features add European decorative and monumental character. Numerous towers, domes, and columns shape the building’s exterior, and Arabic motifs form part of its decoration alongside the European stylistic features.
