Day two on my tour of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, and the first place that I wanted to check out was Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace. For Bukhara, you can consider this as the youngest attraction, as it was only built in its current form at the beginning of the 20th century.
History Of Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace
The palace that we now see was built by Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan who was the last emir of Bukhara which was then ruled by the Manghud (Manghit) Dynasty. He ruled Bukhara from 1912 to 1920 and was deposed by the Red Army when the Russians captured this region of Central Asia.
Ironically Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan was seen as pro-Russian and had spent a substantial part of his childhood in Saint Petersburg when he was sent by his father for training. Back in Bukhara, he tried to introduce reforms but faced resistance from within, especially the ones having traditional views. For some time he managed to walk the thin line balancing between the old and the new, but the line slowly got erased. He was seen swaying away from the Russian influence and after initial failed negotiations the city faced the full brunt of the Russian Red Army and the city fell within days.
Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan managed to escape initially to Dushanbe and then to Afghanistan, where he spent the rest of his days till his death.
Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace in its original form was built by his father but the new palace was designed and built by him with the style and opulence having both the flavour of Central Asia and the richness of Europe. Sitori-i-Mokhi Khosa means “a palace just like stars and moon” was the summer palace of the emir and unlike the Ark of Bukhara, was very modern and had all the luxury that money could buy at that time.
Post the takeover of the city by the Russians, this place was converted into a museum in 1927. Things did not stop here as the theme of the museum changed from time to time depending on the directives of the Central Committee and at a point also became a rest house and back to being a museum.
Now it’s back to being a museum (Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts) and showcases the lifestyle, household products that were imported by the emir, clothing, embroidery, etc.
What To See At Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace
This is a ticketed place and this gives the user access to the entire palace which comprises different buildings and the palace grounds which are full of peacocks that roam freely. The gardens around the palace complex have a wide variety of plants and trees surrounding large water bodies.
The main palace comprises multiple rooms each of them having a different theme. Each room which is decorated in a different style showcases furniture, porcelain vases, rugs, carpets, household objects, etc. In this section, one can see that the Russian style was incorporated along with the traditional Bukhara style.
A smaller building houses the exhibition showcasing clothing, shoes, embroidery, etc. This building is not attached to the main building and one needs to walk a little to access this section.
The harem or the building for the female occupants of the palace is located next to a large water tank (pond). This building at the moment houses curio shops for tourists.
The whole palace complex is very well maintained, especially the greenery and one can spend leisure time sitting on one of the benches while the free-roaming peacocks show their dance.
Location Of Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace
This palace is located around six kilometers from the Ark of Bukhara and can be easily reached by app taxi (Yandex) or using a private vehicle.
Vlog Of Sitorai Mokhi Khosa Palace
Other Blogs On Bukhara
Zindon Prison Bukhara
Ark Of Bukhara
Poi Kalon Complex
Chor Minor