The Uzbek Khan's Dream — The Tash Khauli Palace of Khiva

Khiva blessed us with another gorgeous day with a bright blue sky, echoing the turquoise mosaics that would become the motif of our sightseeing that day. Meaning the “Stone House,” the Tash Khauli Palace was built in 1830-1838, by the order of the Allakuli Khan. It is said that the construction of a new palace was motivated by a shift of the heart of Khiva’s city life from the west (where the Kunya Ark is) to the east (where the Tash Khauli is). As Allakuli Khan was known for his penchant for all things luxurious, the Tash Khauli was indeed designed and built to entertain a lavish lifestyle. Just to give an idea of what that meant, Allakuli Khan had four wives and more than 30 concubines! A project of this scale was going to require resources. Being a demanding man of excesses, Allakuli Khan wanted the palace built in three years. The plan for the palace envisioned three courtyards and more than 160 rooms. The Tash Khauli eventually took eight years to complete, and even this was only possible with the labor of 1,000 slaves. The tour of the Tash Khauli inspired much intrigue. The experience was varied with many turns of pleasant surprises. First of all, I found the courtyards to be incredibly charming. When I arrived, no one was there and I could enjoy quiet moments surrounded by burnt brick walls adorned with blue majolica panels. These blue and white ceramic panels were the work of famous ceramist Abdullah Djinn. The lodges of the harem showed the turquoise blue as its theme but when you look up you will see the ceilings decorated in brown and red. The columned lodges show mosaic patterns in different shades of blue, fully expressing the sweeping grandeur of a glorious Khiva, an elegance enabled only by the dictates of a strongman rule. For it was during Allakuli Khan’s reign that central power was restored in Khiva, with success in foreign relations, especially in strengthening commercial ties with the Russian empire. #uzbekistan #uzbekhistory #tashkauli #khiva #historicpalace #centralasia #历史古迹#世界遗产#博物馆