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During the rule of Alla-Kuli Khan in Khiva, the center of the state, public and commercial life of the city moved to the eastern part of Ichan-Kala. Here at the gates of Palvan-Darvaz a whole complex of new buildings was built, connected with the name of Alla-Kuli-khan. This is the new Khan Palace of Tash-Hauli, a madrasah, a caravanserai and a commercial dome center.
The palace of Tash-Hauli consists of three main parts:
- The harem
- The mehmohana (room for Khan receptions and feasts) and
- The Arzkhan (official administrative building).
Judging by the building inscriptions on wooden columns, marble bases and ceilings, the construction of the palace lasted from 1830 to 1838 in the above order. ZodchimuKalandarKhivaga needed 8 years to complete the dome.
The Tash-Hauli complex is surrounded by a deaf fortress wall, the top of which is crowned with battlements. On the corners rise small towers of "guldast", in which are located through lanterns. The size of the building is 80x80 meters.
Tash-Hauli means a stone farmstead, or a stone yard (tosh - "stone", hovli - "yard"). The name is best reveals its peculiar layout. Therefore, the architecture of the palace complex is widely used elements of Khiva dwellings and country estates.
In the southern part of the courtyard of the harem, small aivans are built (aivan - in Islamic architecture, it means a vaulted building, walled on three sides and open on the fourth side, it can be a vaulted hall or a terrace). Four aivans were intended for the wives of the khan, and the fifth aivan, ornate, served as a living room for the khan himself.
Mehmonhona is a square courtyard with a round elevation for a yurt. The yard is completely built up with rooms and aivans. Southern aivan served for the ceremonies and receptions of messengers. In total there are more than 160 rooms of different sizes in the palace.
Since the rule of Alla-Kuli Khan is characterized by strong power of the khan, successful international policy and progress in trade with Russia, it became possible to decorate the buildings richly.
All the premises facing the courtyard, regardless of their destination, are richly decorated. The variety in the ornamentation of majolica panels, the carving of wooden columns and marble bases, the ceiling murals and the composition of the courtyard in general, resembles the richest art gallery.
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