Historic City & WallsIslam Khoja Minaret & Madrasa
Khiva's tallest vertical monument: a 56-meter-high slender minaret decorated in concentric bands of turquoise, cobalt, and white majolica tiles, paired with a charming asymmetric madrasa.
Royal Palaces & Fortresses
Tash Hauli Palace
The Stone Palace of Labyrinths and Tile
An opulent 19th-century royal palace containing over 150 rooms and three grand courtyards, smothered in the most dense, hypnotic cobalt and turquoise majolica tiles in Uzbekistan.
Location
Eastern quadrant of Ichan-Kala
Type of Place
Royal Residential
Period
1830 – 1838 CE
Patron / Founder
Allakuli Khan (Khan of Khiva)
Original Purpose
Private royal residence
Recommended Time
1.5 hours
A. What Is This Place?
Essential Role in Khiva & Historical Significance
Tash Hauli (meaning 'Stone Palace') was built as a more luxurious and private alternative to the austere Kunya-Ark fortress. It is an astonishing labyrinth of grand ceremonial courts, high-vaulted wooden porches (iwans), and secluded residential chambers for the Khan, his four wives, and royal retinue.
C. When Was It Built or Established?
Historical Chronology & Building Phases
Constructed over eight frantic years from 1830 to 1838. When the first master architect, Usto Nurmuhammad Kalandar, reported that building the palace within the Khan's unrealistic two-year deadline was impossible, the impatient Khan had him executed, hiring a second master to complete it.
D. Who Created It and Why?
The Patrons, Khans & Masters
Allakuli Khan, one of Khiva’s most ambitious builders, who sought a palace that combined unyielding fortress security with the utmost luxury, privacy, and artistic brilliance.
E. What Was Its Original Purpose?
How This Space Functioned in Historic Khiva
Divided into three distinct functional zones: the Harem (private residential quarters for the Khan and family), the Arz-khana (reception court for trials and state petitions), and the Ishrat-khana (court for lavish banquets and royal entertainment).
Palace Architecture
Inside the Stone Palace (Tash Hauli)
Tash Hauli comprises more than 150 rooms and 9 intimate courtyards arranged in three autonomous functional wings:
1. The HaremFive monumental ayvans opening north to catch summer breezes, adorned with master Abdullah Jin’s dense majolica tilework.
2. MehmonkhanaGrand guest courtyard for high-ranking diplomatic visitors and foreign merchant caravans.
3. ArzkhanaFormal judicial court where Khan Allakuli personally arbitrated legal petitions and military matters.
Category tags
Royal HistoryPalace ArchitectureArt
F. History and Story
Chronological Narrative & Historical Significance
An engaging narrative detailing how this monument evolved across Khorezm's golden ages, desert trade conflicts, and modern preservation.
The harem section occupies the entire northern half of the palace: five large decorated iwans face an enclosed stone courtyard — one magnificent high iwan for the Khan himself, and four opposite iwans for his four lawful wives, each decorated with unique tiled medallions.
G. Architecture & Art Details
What Visitors Should Observe on Site
Features you can see with your own eyes: carved elm columns, majolica friezes, adobe brick bonds, and acoustic domes.
Observable Architectural Mastery
Nowhere else in Central Asia is ceramic majolica tilework more continuous: every square meter of wall is covered in intricate blue, white, and lapis floral spirals created by ceramic genius Abdullah Jin. Intricately carved walnut pillars stand on sculpted marble bases, while ceilings feature painted wooden lacquerwork.
H. Visitor Activities
What You Can Experience at This Location
Carefully selected activities genuinely relevant to this monument or quarter.
Walk the Royal Harem Courtyard
Stand in the secluded stone court admiring the five towering pillared iwans.
Majolica Detail Appreciation
Inspect the hand-painted tiles showing interlocking Chinese cloud bands and Persian floral motifs.
The Arz-khana Trial Court
See where the Khan sat upon his raised stone platform delivering imperial judgments.
I. Historical & Cultural Insights
What Travelers Gain From Visiting
Core educational takeaways that bring Khiva's Silk Road legacy into sharp perspective.
Domestic Life in the Khanate Court
How the royal family structured their daily routines, security, and private lives in 19th-century Central Asia.
Technique of Ceramic Overglaze
The labor-intensive method of hand-painting cobalt designs onto unfired glaze before high-temperature firing.
J. Local Life Nearby
Food, Living Crafts, and Local Discoveries Nearby
Courtyard teahouses, woodcarving studios, and quiet residential lanes right around this site.
In the Surrounding Walled Streets
Located beside the Palvan Darvoza (East Gate) and Allakuli Khan Caravanserai; perfect for exploring ancient trading markets afterwards.
Connect Your Visit
All 10 Destinations Related Places in Khiva
Explore other walled landmarks and quarters connected with this site's history or walking circuit.
Historic City & Walls
Sacred Mosques & ShrinesPahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum
The spiritual heart of Khiva: an exquisite turquoise-domed complex honoring Khiva's patron saint — a legendary wrestler, poet, furrier, and philosopher revered across Central Asia.
Silk Road Commerce & CaravansAllakuli Khan Caravanserai & Tim
A monumental 19th-century merchant complex combining an enormous two-story caravanserai with the multi-domed covered Tim bazaar, where trans-Eurasian caravans traded.
Different Perspectives
Explore Another Side of Khiva
Looking for something beyond this monument? Discover royal fortresses, sacred woodcarvings, or Silk Road bazaar alleys.
Historic City & Walls
Ichan-Kala (The Historic Walled City)
A completely intact medieval Silk Road city surrounded by two kilometers of undulating mud-brick walls, preserving over fifty historic monuments within a living pedestrian realm.
Historic City & Walls
Kalta Minor Minaret
Khiva’s most iconic and photogenic landmark: a colossal, truncated minaret completely wrapped in gleaming azure, turquoise, and white ceramic tilework.
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Walk Through the Living Walls of Khiva
Experience Ichan-Kala, royal desert palaces, and ancient Silk Road trading chambers with expert Khorezm cultural guides and seamless logistics.