Palace of Khudáyár Khán

[2] The American diplomat Eugene Schuyler described the palace as being "much larger and more magnificent than any other in Central Asia... glittering in all the brightness of its fresh tiles, blue, yellow and green[3]."

During the Russian Conquest of Central Asia, Tsarist troops seized and liquidated the Khanate of Kokand, turning it into a vassal state.

Khudayar Khan initially took a pro-Russian stance but was forced into exile, leaving his palace behind.

When the Bolsheviks did take control of the city in 1918, they demolished the majority of the palace, including all of the harem, leaving just 19 original rooms out of nearly 120.

Above the gateway, an Arabic inscription reads “High Palace of Seid Muhammad Khudayar Khan”.

[2] The use of yellow and green in the colour scheme makes this building distinct (and dates it later) than the mostly blue and turquoise monuments found elsewhere in Uzbekistan.

Constructed by sixteen thousand conscripted or enslaved workers using one thousand carts to transport materials, the eighty master builders designed and built an ornate structure of variegated colors and rich ornaments with geometric patterns, arabesques, and floral motifs all made from ceramic tiles and based on tales of the Orient.