There are many palaces on the territory of Big Yalta, and each of them can be fairly called a work of architectural art. One of such charming pearls in the necklace of the Southern coast of Crimea is The Palace of the Emir of Bukhara — one of the most original and colorful buildings of the city.
Magnificent nature, warm sea, gentle sun — Crimea has always beckoned people even from distant places, seeking to enjoy a beautiful, revitalizing, health-giving vacation. Many of them, who had the opportunity and means, eventually built their estates, summer houses and palaces here, thanks to which the architectural heritage of the beautiful Taurica became rich. Many of these buildings can now be seen in any part of the Crimea, but most of all rich in them Big Yalta — in each of its parts, harmoniously complementing the natural beauty, rise estates and palaces in a variety of styles. There are such attractions and in the heart — the center of Yalta. Thus, west of Bank Embankment above Primorskij park you can see the Palace of Emir of Bukhara — an impressive building built in the Moorish style.
In 1898, the land where the majestic palace and park now stands was acquired by Seyyid Abdul-Ahad Khan, the ninth emir (ruler) who headed the Bukhara Khanate (which existed from 1500 to 1785 in what is now Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) from 1885 to 1910. Despite the vast territory of his state, the emir, apparently, did not find a place where his soul would rest — and so brought the eastern ruler to the Crimea. Here he became an honorary citizen of the city, as he allocated to its arrangement of generous donations, his name was even named one of the streets. Well, the ruler called his estate in Yalta «Dilkiso», which means «captivating, charming» in Turkic, he spent every summer in it. These places captivated his heart forever, which is remarkable, because on the territory of his state there were many beautiful places, but, apparently, none of them so enchanted him as Krym.
The palace, which was built on the lands acquired by the Emir by the architect N.G. Tarasov, and the estate as a whole justified the name given to it by the owner. A picturesque park and an impressive building in the Moorish style became one of the decorations of Yalta. The two-storey palace erected from Kerch stone is a harmonious interweaving of different architectural forms, details and elements, organically united by the general concept of the Moorish style. Round turrets, faceted, rectangular and semicircular parts of the building, terraces and porticoes — all this creates a unique look of the building that brings to mind the mysterious East.
Fine elements in the form of columns with openwork carvings and exquisite balustrades and capitals, toothed parapets above the cornice, horseshoe-shaped windows — all this creates its light, as if airy image. Maybe it is a mirage that is about to disappear? Such a thought may come to the mind of anyone who admires this work of architectural art.
In the past, in addition to the palace that has survived to this day, there were 4 other buildings here, but they, alas, have not survived to the present day. Fortunately, the palace itself, which was badly damaged during the war years, was restored in the late twentieth century in full conformity with the original appearance, in the 1970s restoration and repair work was actively carried out here, and we can see it in all its glory.
Today, the building of the Palace of the Emir of Bukhara has become one of the buildings of the sanatorium of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and its doors are not open to everyone. But this magnificent building is worth admiring just from the outside: even with such a superficial acquaintance the palace impresses and is remembered as one of the most beautiful buildings of the city — the beauty of this attraction of Yalta is peculiar, it is not similar to any other palace in the city, it is a bright and priceless treasure in its architectural fund.