Things to see and do Kokand

The construction of the palace of Khudaiar Khan, the last khan of Kokand, took 11 years from 1863 to 1873. It mobilized no less than 16,000 workers and 80 craftsmen from Rishtan, Samarkand and other cities in the country. Five years later, the Russians destroyed most of it. The building had a large enclosure with twelve gates bearing the names of the cities to which they led.

The palace is now reached by a paved road that leads up to a monumental gate flanked by two fine turrets. The long façade of the building is entirely decorated with glazed bricks, which owe much to the restorers. The majolica on the left wing were made by craftsmen from Namangan and Andijan, those on the right by craftsmen from Kokand. All the courtyards were renovated after 2010.

Originally, the palace had 7 courtyards and 114 rooms, which is as many suras as the Koran counts. Only 4 courtyards and 19 rooms remain today, most of which have been converted into showrooms.

The visit usually begins in the left wing of the palace, where the former reception hall of the khan used to be. It is decorated from floor to ceiling in the traditional Uzbek style. A model of the palace shows the harem (the khan had 43 wives) which was destroyed during the Soviet takeover of Kokand. Admire the quality of the decorations. On the top right, you will notice a darker space: these are the original, unrenovated colours. Guests entered the reception hall through a small room to the north, where the khan's secretary was located. The complex overlooks a sumptuous inner courtyard bordered by a magnificent 15th century iwan from a mosque built by Tamerlan at Chakhimardan. On the eastern flank, the wooden posts supporting the iwan are new. The original posts are exposed under the south iwan, itself supported by original wooden columns.

It is said that the khan liked to have the heads of his enemies brought to him and stacked at the foot of one of the pillars of this iwan. Of these warlike customs, only two cannons remain: the first, short and artistically twisted, is a local production of the 18th century; the second, long and thin, comes from China and was taken from the enemy during the war of 1840 against the Kashgar khanate.

In the southwest corner of the courtyard, a small reception room housed Khudaiar Khan's secret talks. It is decorated with 114 different motifs, as many as there were rooms in the original palace.

The other wings of the palace, especially those where European diplomats and dignitaries were received, have been transformed into a museum. There are various archaeological finds from the valley, as well as interesting photographs of the construction of the Ferghana Canal and the excavation of the 47 tombs of the village of Pap. Other areas are devoted to the weaponry of the Timurid period, but also exhibit some rifles and two unusual French and Italian shields from the 15th century which were donated to the museum on the occasion of an exhibition in 1924.

A second and then a third inner courtyard lead to the old mosque and other rooms with ceilings decorated in the traditional style. They are transformed into showrooms. In the last room, you can take a look at Khudaiar Khan's diary.

In the cemetery, the Modari Khan Mausoleum, built in 1825, houses the remains of Omar Khan's mother, who died only seven years after her son and always remained very close to power, while successfully and popularly indulging in poetry. The monument is surmounted by a blue dome and its portal imitates, in miniature, that of the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand. It is therefore mainly women who go on pilgrimage to this tomb and, as elsewhere, go around the grave three times to obtain health, happiness or fertility.

The Dakhma-i-Chakhan Mausoleum (or Tomb of the Kings) is more imposing and colourful than the other funerary monuments in the cemetery. Built in the 1820s, it houses the tombs of Omar Khan, his sons and brother. Restored in 1970, it combines styles that illustrate the talents of the three khanates of Uzbekistan: the woodwork of Khiva, the paintings of the Ferghana and the ornaments of Bukhara. An old tree at the entrance, planted at the time of its construction, provides shade for passing pilgrims who come to collect themselves.

The old cemetery of Kokand is a magical place, especially when you get lost in the finissante day. The screams of the swifts are then the only ones to disturb the absolute calm there. The graves, for most simple whitewashed monuments, appear to be arranged randomly. We walk here quietly, asking from time to time under a tree. The tombs with pastel colours, sometimes blue or pink, indicate early death. It is in this cemetery that you will see the magnificent tombs listed below.

One of the most beautiful monuments in the city! Built by Omar Khan between 1809 and 1812, its style is monumentally reminiscent of the style of the mosques at iwan. 99 wooden pillars, a veritable forest, support a ceiling with woodwork painted with traditional motifs. It is said that 100 elephants left India to bring back the precious wood from the pillars. One elephant died en route, so there are only 99 to support the awning. The total length of the iwan is 100m. In the middle of the courtyard rises the minaret, which is 22 m high.

Behind the Tomb of the Kings, this white tombstone commemorates Nadira, Omar Khan's wife. This is the opportunity to discover this poetess who lived from 1792 to 1842 (she was murdered by the Emir of Bukhara when he took over the city). After the death of her sovereign husband in 1822, she ruled the Khanate of Kokand. She is known for her poems written in both Uzbek and Persian. This slab is the object of pilgrimage by many women.

In the purest Soviet tradition, this house where the poet Khamza, whose real name was Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi, was born and grew up, was transformed into a museum in 1959. Traditional house of old Kokand, it is the occasion to discover the alleys of the old town and the habitat of the beginning of the 20th century. The courtyard shelters a hundred-year-old mulberry tree while the living rooms are divided between a space for men and a space for women. We discover the house which saw the beginnings of the emblematic poet of Uzbek social realism and is still considered the father of modern poetry in Uzbekistan, having broken with Arab and Persian legends and integrated Russian and Western rules into themes that remain oriental. An early supporter of the Bolsheviks, he was transformed into a national hero by Soviet power, alongside Tamara Khanum, one of the first dancers to remove her veil in public, with whom he led a small travelling theatre troupe. Yet many still consider him a traitor to the Uzbek nation and to Islam. He was stoned to death by clerics during his stay at Chakhimardan, a tragic death in 1929, the year he turned 40. The same year as Nurkhon Youlacheva, another dancer who had removed her veil and also died by stoning. The town of Chakhimardan, a small Uzbek enclave in Kyrgyz territory, is home to one of the few statues in the country dedicated to the memory of the poet, enthroned in the place where the poet was executed by the rabble.

Leaving the cemetery, take the street that enters the city, on the other side of the road. Go around the first block, turning twice to the right; the madrasa is on the left after the second turn. This madrasa, built in 1833, was partially restored in 1992. To the left of the entrance, a beautiful iwan with traditional woodwork and paintings is worth a visit on its own. Unfortunately, the rest of the building is rather abandoned and of little interest until it has been completely restored.

Dating from 1799, this madrasa was one of the few, along with the Mir-i-Arab Madrasa in Bukhara, to accommodate students during the Soviet period. Today it has closed its doors but is open to Uzbek and foreign visitors who request access. You can get an idea of the life that reigned here by entering the cells on two floors: the ground floor was used for study and the preparation of meals while the first floor was reserved for rest.