The Palace of Emir Seyyed Abd-al-Ahad

The period of the invasion of the Russian Empire into the lands of Central Asia was reflected in the architecture of this area. A striking example of this is the building of the palace of Emir Seyyed Abd-al-Ahad, which was located in a city called Kagan.

Externally, the palace is an organic mixture of European and Oriental architecture, which is strikingly different from the architecture of Bukhara. Many people call the palace the island of Europe in Uzbekistan. Despite the fact that today the palace is not a museum, the number of tourists visiting it is growing from year to year.

History

First, it's worth telling a little bit about the history of this city. In an effort to quickly establish connections between the new territories and the central cities, the Russian Empire began actively building a railway. Kagan was originally conceived as a small village of New Bukhara, in which it was planned to settle some railway workers. The settlement was founded in the summer of 1888 near the city of Bukhara and its main purpose was to service the railway tracks of the Transcaspian section.

Over time, the Kagan became a kind of embassy. Now, in addition to ordinary residential buildings, there was also an institution that dealt with diplomatic issues between representatives of Russia and the Emirate of Bukhara.

In the summer of 1895, the construction of a unique palace was initiated by Ahad Khan, who was the emir at that time. To build the new building, he called together the best craftsmen from all over the area, and the famous Russian architect A. L. Benois was engaged in the design of the palace. An experienced engineer, Dubrovin, was appointed head of construction, and it was completed three years later.

The new building had its own unique look, which was fundamentally new and perfectly combined European and Oriental styles of architecture. Even the magnificent palace of the emir himself looked rather pathetic compared to this structure. The pompous stucco building was made in a Moorish refined style combined with classical Baroque, as well as with a large number of towers, domes and columns.

There are two versions according to which this structure was erected in the Kagan. The first version says that the emir wanted to rebuild the building of a new palace for his personal purposes. But after the work was completed, the emir could not appreciate it and stayed in his old palace. Supporters of another version claim that the construction was started only because of the arrival of the Russian emperor in these parts.

As a result, the building of the new palace became the residence for all the dignitaries who came to the Emirate of Bukhara. Thus, Kagan received the first hotel designed for very important people. However, nowadays it will no longer be possible to use its services, since today this palace serves as a Cultural center for railway station workers. But many tourists prefer to personally visit this amazing landmark in order to personally enjoy the skill of the architects who worked on the creation of the palace.