Khan Palace

The Khan Palace, a family residence of the renowned Giray’s dynasty, is located in Bakhchysarai, on the Crimea peninsula. It is a very honourable and ancient kin of Genghis-Khan and only its descendants could claim to be a khan. Dzhezar Giray, a present-day heir to the Crimean throne, lives in London at this moment.

At the beginning of the 16th century, during reigning of Khan Sahib I Giray, a construction of the palace and Bakhchysarai itself started. Crimean lands saw many khans and they all wanted to immortalize their names, constructing more wonderful buildings than a former owner. Thus, a whole palace complex was formed; its oldest constructions – Sari Güzel Bath and Big Khan Mosque are dating back to the year of 1532. You can see this grand mosque with 2 minarets of 28 m which rise towards the sky, arcs and red tile to the left hand, going into through northern gates. This is the only place to keep the rarest glazed tile with dark blue patterns on a white background.

To the south from the mosque, there is a cemetery - a burial ground of many members of the Giray family. You will see marble monuments adorned with carvings, durbe (mausoleum) of the rulers, stone sarcophaguses, as well as cypresses all around. In front of the Khan Mosque there is the Main building and dwellings of the palace. It is an amazing ensemble of coloured stained-glass windows, geometric ornaments on the ceiling; the most impressive is the Gold cabinet (a place to hold khan audience) with its ornamental paintings, modelled pictures of fruits, crystal chandelier, velvet sofas, and inscriptions of glorification. The best masters and painters of that time worked on it all. The Divan Hall, where the Crimean monarch sat on a gold decorated throne, was a place to manage federal issues.

The Summer Arbour and a courtyard next to it were a recreation place for a khan and his guests, where they could be philosophical and recite poetry. You know, many eminent figures were there in the khan’s family. Gardens, parterres, garden terraces used to be a place to have a walk and stay alone. The Harem (a woman’s section of the palace), the Fountain of Tears, the Golden Fountain – a place, where Muslims performed ritual ablution before a prayer, shouldn’t be missed by you. The Falcon Tower used to be a place, where rare falcons, a pride of khan’s yard were bred. All of the constructions of the palace, including mentioned above, are located around the Palace Square – the centre of the complex.

There are no words to describe beauty of Khan-Saray, nevertheless, the residence of Crimean Khans impresses with its magnificence and unique look after a long period that changed its face. This place is the only one to let you enjoy cultural and architectural heritage of the Crimean Khanate Epoch.

It isn't hard to get to Khan Palace. In Bakhchysarai you should take a bus with a title "Palace-Museum" or you can go on foot (2 km).