Kokand — Uzbekistan
Highlights
Khudayar Khan Palace
The 19th-century palace of Khudayar Khan is the reason to stop in Kokand — a sprawling, richly tiled complex that was once the political heart of the Kokand Khanate. Entry was 50,000 so'm per person, and it's worth the time to read the history on the boards inside: the Fergana Valley's long tangle of khanates, trade, and the Babur connection that runs through this whole region. We reached Kokand by shared taxi from Namangan, grabbed groceries first (paid by card), then spent the late afternoon here.
Inside the Khan's Palace
The Khudoyar Khan Palace was built for the khanate's last era by architect Mir Ubaydulla Muhandis, largely between 1845 and 1875, using some 16,000 laborers and Rishtan ceramic tiles across a facade roughly 138×65 m. Raised about 3 m on its platform, only the khan could ride up the ramp to the portal; inside were 119 rooms around seven courtyards. Since 1925 it has housed the Kokand Museum of Local Lore.
Practical Tips
- Shared taxis are the way around the Fergana Valley — they wait to fill four seats and often double as parcel couriers, so allow a little extra time.
- From Kokand it's roughly two hours by shared taxi on to Fergana city.