The Emir's Palace in Kogon: A European-Style Residence of Bukhara's Ruler

Almost everyone who arrives in Bukhara by train actually steps off not in Bukhara but in Kogon, a town 12 to 15 kilometres from the old centre. Most people jump straight into a taxi and head for the madrasas and minarets. That is a pity, because Kogon has one of the most unusual monuments of the Bukhara Emirate: the Emir's palace, built in European style. It is a short stop that tells the story of how a medieval state met the nineteenth century.

How Kogon came about

In the late 1880s the Transcaspian Railway was laid across the lands of the Bukhara Emirate. The Emir did not want a station built beside the walls of holy Bukhara, so it was placed some distance away. A settlement quickly grew up around the station, simply called New Bukhara. Railway workers, officials and merchants lived here, along with banks, warehouses and the Russian administration. The settlement was later renamed Kogon, often spelled Kagan.

In effect it was a "European" town next to a medieval capital: straight streets, brick houses, a station and a telegraph office. Relations between the Emirate and the Russian Empire ran through Kogon, so the Emir needed a residence of his own here.

The Emir's palace

The palace was built in the 1890s for Emir Abdulahad Khan. The brief was unusual: the building had to impress Russian visitors while remaining the home of an eastern ruler. So from the outside the palace looks like a European mansion, with a symmetrical facade, columns, tall windows and decorative brickwork. Inside, according to descriptions, European elements were combined with traditional Bukharan finishes: carved ganch plaster, painted ceilings and niches.

Here the Emir received officials, held negotiations and stayed when he came to the station. In Soviet times, like many buildings of the Emirate, it was used by various institutions, and some of the interiors were lost. The palace was later restored.

What you can see

From the outside, the palace is clearly visible from the street, and the facade is the main reason to come. Look out for:

• the mix of a European facade composition with eastern decorative details;
• the patterned brickwork, the work of local craftsmen;
• the courtyard and fence, which still keep their formal look.

Inside are surviving or restored halls with carved ganch and painted decoration. Access varies: in different years the building has been open as a museum, closed for restoration or used for official purposes. Check before you go whether you can get inside, and do not be disappointed if you only see the facade.

Kogon as part of a Bukhara trip

The palace is easy to see on the day you arrive or leave if you travel by train. Bukhara-1 station is in Kogon, and the palace is not far from it. A plan might look like this:

1. Arrive by train in Kogon.
2. Spend an hour walking: the Emir's palace and the streets of old New Bukhara with brick houses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. Transfer to Bukhara, about 20 to 25 minutes.

On the way back, you can come to Kogon early and leave time before your train.

Comparing it with the Emir's other residence

Bukhara itself has the famous country palace of Sitorai Mohi-Khosa, the last residence of the emirs, which also blends European and eastern styles. The Kogon palace is older and more restrained, while Sitorai Mohi-Khosa is more lavish and ornate. If the subject interests you, see both: together they show how the Emirate tried to look modern in the final decades of its existence.

Practical tips

• Kogon is an ordinary working town with little tourist infrastructure. You can eat at simple cafes near the station and at the market.
• In summer, walk in the morning, as the Bukhara region is very hot by day.
• You can photograph the facade freely; inside, if you get into the halls, ask permission.
• If the palace is open as a museum, the entrance fee is usually modest but changes, so check on site.

Getting there

Bukhara and Kogon are about 12 to 15 km apart, a 20 to 25 minute drive. Local taxis and minibuses run between them, and Yo'ldosh has shared rides on the Bukhara to Kogon route. That is handy when you need to catch a train with luggage and do not want to haggle with a taxi driver. You can book a seat in advance, and the driver will drop you at the station or by the palace.

Kogon rarely features in tour programmes, yet it is here that you understand how Bukhara entered the twentieth century: through rails, a station and a palace built to impress guests from the north. Other destinations in the region are on the routes page.

Cover photo: Faqscl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.