The Emir's Summer
Palace - Bukhara
- 2013
Also known as Sitorai Mohi Hosa (Star and Moon Garden), the palace was built by
Russian architects (outside) and local artisans (inside) and completed in 1918.
Only the reception rooms, the Emir's quarters, and one wing of the harem remains.
Emir Abdullahad-Khan (who died in 1910) started construction of the old palace.
He sent Bukhara masters to Petersburg and Yalta to study Russian architecture.
Using Russian experience, local architects built a splendid building that combined local Bukhara and European traditions.
The new palace complex of Sitorai-Mohi-Hosa was finished in the time of Emir Alim-Khan.
You can see the Russian influence in both the exteriors and interiors of the buildings.
The Reception Rooms.
The Khan's quarters.
A wing of the harem remains.
The Emir lived alone in his quarters and his 4 wives, each with 10 concubines lived in the harem.
The concubines were servants to the Emir's legal wives and helped them with cleaning, grooming and child-care.
They also were non-legal wives of the Emir, who had his pick of any of them.
If the Emir took on any of the concubines, he had to divorce one of his wives.
It was thus a risky life for each wife, whose position could be jeopardised at any time.
According to the legend, the Emir watched the women from the harem frolicking in the pool below from this balcony.
He tossed an apple to his chosen bedmate.
Inside the harem.
After seeing all of these great sights in Bukhara we headed to Khiva.
Also known as Sitorai Mohi Hosa (Star and Moon Garden), the palace was built by
Russian architects (outside) and local artisans (inside) and completed in 1918.
Only the reception rooms, the Emir's quarters, and one wing of the harem remains.
Emir Abdullahad-Khan (who died in 1910) started construction of the old palace.
He sent Bukhara masters to Petersburg and Yalta to study Russian architecture.
Using Russian experience, local architects built a splendid building that combined local Bukhara and European traditions.
The new palace complex of Sitorai-Mohi-Hosa was finished in the time of Emir Alim-Khan.
You can see the Russian influence in both the exteriors and interiors of the buildings.
The Reception Rooms.
The Khan's quarters.
A wing of the harem remains.
The Emir lived alone in his quarters and his 4 wives, each with 10 concubines lived in the harem.
The concubines were servants to the Emir's legal wives and helped them with cleaning, grooming and child-care.
They also were non-legal wives of the Emir, who had his pick of any of them.
If the Emir took on any of the concubines, he had to divorce one of his wives.
It was thus a risky life for each wife, whose position could be jeopardised at any time.
According to the legend, the Emir watched the women from the harem frolicking in the pool below from this balcony.
He tossed an apple to his chosen bedmate.
Inside the harem.
After seeing all of these great sights in Bukhara we headed to Khiva.