Emir's Palace in the Kari Grove near Bukhara

1905
After the Russian capture of Samarkand (1868), the Emirate of Bukhara remained nominally independent but in fact became a Russian protectorate linked to settlements along the Trans-Caspian Railway. Russian authorities rendered substantial services to the emir (ruler), including the construction of buildings for his palace compound. Seen here is a new structure solidly built on a masonry foundation and identified as “the Emir’s palace in the Kari Garden near Bukhara.” Although not the main palace, it is of considerable size. The structure combines standard European design with an arcade of pointed arches to signify its importance to the local culture. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan, which he visited on a number of occasions, including a trip in January 1907 to the ancient cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.

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Filename: 5862.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1643 / 599.4KB; 1905 Uzbekistan Buxoro Viloyati Bukhara Palaces Castles Kari Grove Photo WDL 010519
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1905<br />
After the Russian capture of Samarkand (1868), the Emirate of Bukhara remained nominally independent but in fact became a Russian protectorate linked to settlements along the Trans-Caspian Railway. Russian authorities rendered substantial services to the emir (ruler), including the construction of buildings for his palace compound. Seen here is a new structure solidly built on a masonry foundation and identified as “the Emir’s palace in the Kari Garden near Bukhara.” Although not the main palace, it is of considerable size. The structure combines standard European design with an arcade of pointed arches to signify its importance to the local culture. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan, which he visited on a number of occasions, including a trip in January 1907 to the ancient cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.