Ensemble · Khiva

Qibla Tozabog Palace

The out-of-town summer palace of Muhammad Rahim Khan II (Feruz). Begun in the 1890s and some twenty years in the making, its courtyards blend Khorezmian and European styles amid a garden.

Russian Empire1890-yillar – 191030 min1 min read

Photo: Iaa2023 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

History and layout

The palace stands in a large garden about two kilometres southwest of Itchan Kala. Sources date the start of work to 1893 or 1897, and building continued for nearly twenty years under Muhammad Rahim Khan II and Isfandiyar Khan. In 1903–1910 a residence combining European and Khorezmian styles went up at the front. There were three courtyards — the first for the khan’s offices and staff, the second for the family’s living quarters, the third with a European-style iwan and rooms — plus a mosque, guest house, stables and service buildings. It is managed by the regional cultural heritage department.