Tash Hauli Palace

Tash Hauli Palace was built in the 19th century for an emir with overly grand ambitions and desires. When the emir declared he wanted his palace to be built in less than three years, the most renowned architects of the time were executed for telling him it wouldn't be possible. Yet, they were right... Tash Hauli Palace required thousands of slaves and eight years of construction.

Nowadays, Tash Hauli Palace stands as an impressive colourful building with walls, towers, and defensive gates that give the palace a fortress-like appearance. This architecture is largely inspired by the traditional houses and villas of the Khorezm region. The palace is considered a late construction, built less than two hundred years ago, but is representative of Khiva's architectural style.

Coloured tiles are omnipresent and are the work of Abdullah, a renowned tile decorator who was even nicknamed 'Genius'. You'll easily see why when you stand in front of the stunning blue, white and golden tiles that create complex arabesques on the palace’s walls. The Genius Abdullah is the one who decorated all the palace’s courtyards and, thanks to the wealth of the Khan who reigned during the 19th century, Allakuli-Khan, the decorations were abundant as a way to project a sense of power.