Dedicated to the memory of our mentor Saburdzhana Yusupov, who with his interesting stories and tales taught us to love the motherland, native nature, our favorite city Khiva

Harem palace Tash Hauly (Stone palace)

Among the rulers of the East there was a custom since ancient times to build palaces to live, to rule, to welcome the guests and also with the purpose to show the power and strength of the State. Palaces were considered as a place where the khan and his family lived and public affairs were carried out. For this reason in the city of Khiva, there is not only one but several Khan`s palaces that have been preserved and extant in a complete architectural form. One of such palaces is the well-known palace of Alla Quli Khan Tash-hauli (the stone palace). Tash-hauly palace (80 x 80 m) is a bright model of architectural art of the XIX century, on an external structure and methods of construction reminds the Kunya-Ark palace. The palace was built in 1830 - 1838 by the khan of Khiva Alla Quli Khan who lived in 1794-1842. According to historical data at construction of the palace various techniques were applied and its construction had several times been suspended and resumed again by a different architect. The palace together with other buildings located near the eastern gate of Ichan-Qala made a single ensemble and the main public center of the city has shifted to this place. Having a majestic and magnificent view the palace was under construction for a long time. The best master architects, masters of an ornamental painting (naqqash), the master of production of a majolica (koshinpaz) were mobilized for its construction. Tash-hauli palace for its high towers of walls and massive gate reminds the strengthened fortress. Alla Quli Khan long prepared for construction of this palace. The reason to name the palace - Tash-hauli ("the stone palace") is its unusual magnificence and extraordinary beauty of its architectural forms and also that the walls of the palace were laid of Khorezm traditional burnt bricks of a square form in contrast to previous which were piled up of mud blocks (pahsovyh). The palace consists of three big yards – kurynyshkhana, mekhmankhana, harem and also five small yards and 163 rooms (in 1922 in the palace the museum was founded, in a certain part of the palace till 1924 there lived Khan`s relatives. From the grandson of Alla Quli Khan Babajan to`ra (the prince) who at that time was still living, it was succeeded to learn some information on history of construction of the building and the purpose of use of each room of the palace. According to the data stated in the story Babajan to`ra there were 111 rooms in the palace. The manuscript written according to this story now is stored in the Institute of Oriental Studies of Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan (Abdulla Baltayev's manuscript, serial number 9321).

Inscriptions on carved wooden columns, marble slabs, ceilings, walls of an interior of the building report that the palace was under construction within 8 years, that is from 1830 till 1838. As it became known to the construction period was divided into several periods. At first the building of a harem which presented itself a structure in the form of a direct quadrangle with the spacious yard of the same form was built separately which is built up on all perimeter by 1-2 storey premises. The palace was surrounded by a thick wall with towers at the corners. The palace was surrounded by a thick wall with towers at the corners. The structure of residential premises can be clearly felt in the location and extent of the harem rooms, in their communication and links between each other. The palace is deliberately extended in east-west direction because in this position the majority of rooms appear on the side facing the sun. The entire southern part of the harem was intended for four wives of the Khan, in the remaining rooms resided Yanga`s (matchmakers) and servants. Naturally the most beautiful and comfortable rooms were allocated for madams (wives of the Khan). Chamber of each of them consisted of a single column high aivans (terrace), spacious room located behind the terrace and small rooms performing the functions of the barn (kaznak) or anzhamhana (room for storing jewelry and personal belongings). Behind the farthest avian located in the eastern part a corridor leading to the residence of Khan was located. This aivan was relatively higher than the others and more decorated and behind it there is a small corridor and two rooms which were intended for the relatives. To the room which is on the second floor of the aivan leads a special staircase. Five large aivans and premises behind them were richly ornated by graceful majolica tiles in a plex of Khorezm patterns and intended for Khan and his four wives. Doors and columns of the palace are considered as one of the best models of Khivan art of woodcarving. In openwork carvings on marble pedestals for columns in iron panjara (artistic lattices) has found expression the most perfect art of the masters of Khiva. On the front of the marble columns stands for aivan located after the big aivans fringed floral patterns "islimi" inflicted sign denoting "eternity" of Genesis. It is said that the wife, who gave birth to an heir the Khan lived near the bedroom of Khan. The same sign is inflicted on the central part of the carved wooden column of aivans located at the very end of the harem. The sign in this place is not very conspicuous and respectively there has also to be some meaning. All premises facing the courtyard of the harem are richly decorated. Glazed panels with a variety of florid patterns, carved wooden columns and decorative marble coasters for columns, ceilings covered with ornament and overall free structure of the yard resembles a wonderful art gallery. Here every aivan and each panel is a striking work of art. The best achievements of folk master-artists in the field of architectural ornament and monumental applied arts and crafts find expression in the ornamentation of the walls of the harem. Floral, geometric (girih) patterns on large glazed panels of walls of the aivan and decorations on them do not like each other. Particularly finely executed carvings on the pillars and doors: - surface scape of the pillars filled two ternary carvings. On ceilings, being reflection of a bluish majolica, henna-red (reddish-brown) colors are applied. Deserves the interest of the fact that on no one ceiling relief patterns girih and hauzak never meet repeatedly and samples of the patterns on the walls of the small aivans performed in a peculiar manner. Images of flowers bouquets are interpreted very freely and naturally. Complex and tracery carving on marble pedestals, nine bronze pandjara - is the result of striving of masters-chisellers in their entirety to demonstrate their high skills. The pillar of the main aivan on the east side is decorated with a very colorful and delicate patterns, patten flowers on a ceiling and walls are executed by extremely small and difficult ornament. Compared with the magnificently decorated courtyard – barn, dalan (long covered corridor) and balakhana look very unsightly. Dalan, Connecting avian of Khan's wives with the living room of Khan slightly illuminated only by openings at the top. In order to pass into the yard or kurynyshkhana or arzkhana it is necessary to go through some semi-dark rooms-dalans.
The building of the palace built next was the mekhmankhana (Guest house) at 43 x 36 m. in dimensions. The next built building of the palace is the mekhmankhana (Gostiny dvor) (43 x 36 m). Its structure reminds arzkhana (the reception yard) of Tash-hauli palace and the kurynyshkhana of Kunya-ark palace, it was built in 1832-34. Small size square-shaped courtyard is surrounded by rooms around the perimeter. In the yard there are two round stone eminences (supаs) for yurts. In due time in these yurtas big feasts for the Khan's guests were arranged. On the walls of aivan decorated with majolica verses of Ogahiy in Farsi are written.
In the main aivan facing the north carried out the major ceremonial receptions were held. Travelers, ambassadors who were at Khan`s reception and talked to him used to liken the aivans to a stage of a theater. Ambassadors who came to kurynyshkhana glorified Alla Quli Khan with epithets: "The master of Jeykhun the Emir of all cities of the country of Khorezm, the Ruler of Khiva, a descendant of Muhammad, peace be upon him, the mighty Shahinshah!" - and kissing the ground in front of him with a humble bow they spoke, - "Oh Shahinshah of immeasurable power, the master of sacred Khiva and Khorezm! Your generosity and mercy has no borders"!
Ornaments of mehmankhana do not concede to the decor of the aivan but there the wizard executed the patterns on the glazed majolica tiles another way. Ceramist artist used a lot of light marine (dark blue) paint. Quite high main avian the walls smoothly coated with glazed majolica, ceilings with bright patterns, notched curtain rod and cupolas (bumps) give the court a picturesque and luxurious look. The yard of a mehmankhana has a clear shape, near a large aivan there are several subsidiary rooms. At the opposite side one large hall was built lieu of the three rooms. To the hall you can access from the patio of mulazimkhana (rooms for court servants), the Western Wall in which the door is installed does not have any decorations as over the wall, next to Dalan (long corridor), several rooms for the guards was settled down.
Palace of Alla Quli Khan is the most prominent monument of architecture of the XIX century in Khiva. In memoirs, one of the Russian ambassadors who arrived in 1842 to Khiva, it is reported: - "near the market of the Ichan-Qala one palace is located. It is framed by a high brick wall. The palace is home to the second son of the Khan of Khiva. In a magnificent palace Kun-Ark located in the western part of the fortress lived dignitary Khan of Khiva - Alla Quli Khan". That information was confirmed also by Babajan tora, the grandson of Allakulikhan, according to his story at that time the son of the Khan Rakhimquli tora lived in Tash-hauli palace and carried out insignificant construction works in the palace.
In the harem part of the Tash Hauli palace in 1945-1983 the museum of history was located. Restoration works started in 1976 were completed in 1989, the same year in the harem building exhibition of the museum "Craft of Khorezm" opened, which has been operating to this day. In 1997, the palace Tash Hawley, on the occasion of the 2500 anniversary of the city Khiva has undergone large restoration works.
In Tash-hauli palace on extent of many years restoration works were carried out repeatedly. In 1982 - 1983 the ceilings aivans were restored. For restoration works conducted in 1976 - 1989 years in the harem part of the palace the State allocated and spent more than half a million rubles. In 1997 the restoration works were carried out on paving of the bottom part of the palace with burnt brick. Buildings and mehmankhana and arzkhana Tash Hauli palace were again restored in 2001 and were open for tourists. In these palaces currently are operating interior expositions? Such as: "Divanbegi", "Mirza" and "Yurt".