Day 6

       Today we visited Sitorai Mokhi Khosa. This time our guides were 3. They are Shakhrixida, Nigina and Vazira.

     

Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace

                            LOCATION

Located at a distance of 4 km from Bukhara to the north, Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa Palace was the countryside residence of Bukhara emirs just a short time ago.

                                 CLIMATE

In comparison with the rest of Bukhara, the climate in the palace is different: it is never hot there on even the hottest days. Such effect was reached thanks to the ancient method of locating the sites for important buildings. They put sheep carcasses at the likely construction sites and opted for the one whose carcass had least decomposed.

                                  LEGENDS

The foundations of the palace were laid by order of Akhad-Khan late in the 19th c, but the construction of the main part of it was completed during the reign of the next khan, Muzaffar-Khan, who designated the palace as his young wife Sitora-Bonu’s residence. The Bukhara master builders of the palace were trained in Russia. That was why the palace features a mixture of western and eastern architectural styles. The emir’s wife died young, and this was the reason for poetically naming the palace Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa (‘star-like and moon-like palace’).

The final parts of the palace were built during the reign of the last Bukhara emir Alim-Khan. They were the main gate arch, greenhouse, reception office, frontal terrace and a few other structures.

The decoration of the throne room called White Hall is especially attractive. It features the traditional ganch carving stucco-like traceries on a mirror background invented by the usto master Shirin Muradov. There is even a monument to him on the palace premises