The Khan's Palace ( tr, Han Sarayı) or Hansaray is located in the town of
Bakhchysarai
Bakhchysarai ( crh, Bağçasaray, italic=yes; russian: Бахчисара́й; ua, Бахчисара́й; tr, Bahçesaray) is a town in Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and annexed by Russia as the ...
,
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
. It was built in the 16th century and became home to a succession of
Crimean Khans. The walled enclosure contains a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, a
harem
Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...
, a cemetery, living quarters and gardens. The palace interior has been decorated to appear lived in and reflects the traditional 16th-century
Crimean Tatar style. It is one of the best known Muslim palaces found in Europe, alongside the Sultan palaces of
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
and the
Alhambra
The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of ...
in Spain.
In December 2022, Russian forces dismantled a roof and an ensemble of colored stained glass windows in the palace. The move has been described by the Ukrainian side as part of an ongoing assault on cultural heritage.
History
The city of Bakhchisaray and the palace were commissioned by the Crimean Khan dynasty, who moved their capital here from
Salaçıq in the first half of the 16th century. The palace's complex design and
minaret
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
s were constructed in the 16th century by
Ottoman,
Persian and
Italian architects. Later damages required partial reconstruction, but the structure still has a resemblance to its original form. Some buildings currently in the palace were attached later, while some of the original buildings could not stand past the 18th century.
In 2017, the palace was subject to restoration, which was conducted by Moscow-based Atta Group, a firm with little experience in historical preservation.
As part of the process, the palace's centuries-old oak beams were removed and replaced with concrete, original tiles were removed, while its 18th century murals were damaged by a high-pressure water stream.
[ In addition, cracks appeared on the facade of the building and plaster fell off during pressure cleaning. In response to the alleged damages, the ]Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine ( uk, Міністерство закордонних справ України) is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is th ...
sent a protest notice to UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
, which manages the World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
s, since the Bakhchisaray Place was added to the organization's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2003.
Bakhchisaray Fountain
One courtyard contains a small fountain whose sad story so moved the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
when he visited it that he wrote a long narrative poem titled "The Fountain of Bakhchisaray
''The Fountain of Bakhchisaray'' (russian: «Бахчисарайский фонтан», ''Bakhchisaraiskiy fontan'') is a poem by Alexander Pushkin, written during the years 1821 to 1823.
Pushkin began writing ''The Fountain of Bakhchisa ...
".
The fountain is known as the embodiment of love of one of the last Crimean Khans, Qırım Giray
Khan Qırım Giray (1717–1769) was one of the most influential rulers of the Crimean Khanate. He was the patron of the Bakhchisaray Fountain and many Mosques throughout Crimea, and is also known to have extended the Bakhchisaray Palace.
Reig ...
Khan, for his young wife, and his grief after her early death. The Khan was said to have fallen in love with Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
girl in his harem
Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...
named Maria. Maria is presumed to have been slain by the khan's former favourite Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
wife Zarema, who had been supplanted in his affections by Maria. Despite his battle-hardened harshness, he is said to have grieved and wept when Maria died, astonishing all those who knew him. He commissioned a marble fountain to be made, so that the rock would weep, like him, forever.
Originally placed by the young woman's tomb in a restful garden, the fountain was transferred to its current location in the Ambassadors' courtyard after Catherine II
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...
ordered the annexation of the Crimean territory. Pushkin's verses are credited in part for ensuring the survival of the palace itself to date.
The Big Khan Mosque
Minaret
The Big Khan Mosque ( crh, Büyük Han Cami) is located on the Palace Square to the east of the northern gate. It is one of the largest mosques in the Crimea and one of the first buildings of the Khan's palace. The mosque was built in 1532 by Sahib I Giray
Sahib I Giray (1501–1551) was Khan of Kazan for three years and Khan of Crimea for nineteen years. His father was the Crimean Khan Meñli I Giray. Sahib was placed on the throne of Kazan by his ambitious brother Mehmed of Crimea and driven ou ...
and bore his name in the 17th century.
The mosque consists of a three-aisle square prayer hall covered with a hipped roof, a narthex and porticos
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
facing east and west. Two symmetrical octagonal minarets rise through the porticos; they are twenty-eight meters high and have conical caps and finials
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the apex of a dome, spire, towe ...
. A domed ablution
Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to:
* Ablution as hygiene
* Ablution as ritual purification
** Ablution in Islam:
*** Wudu, daily wash
*** Ghusl, bathing ablution
*** Tayammum, waterless ablution
** Ablution in Christianity
* ...
kiosk of square shape is attached to the northeastern corner of the mosque. It is believed that a madrasah built by Khan Arslan Giray
Arslan Giray (reigned 1748–1756 and 1767, lived 1692–1768) was twice khan of the Crimean khanate. He was the second son of Devlet II Giray (1699). His son was Devlet IV Giray (1769) and his grandson was the historian Halim Giray. Two of his ...
in 1750 used to adjoin the eastern wall. The mosque is entered from a portal facing north. Inside, a balcony
A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor.
Types
The traditional Maltese balcony is ...
is attached to three of the four walls, part of which is sectioned off for the Khan's lodge. Scholars argue that the mosque was originally roofed with domes of various sizes.
In 1736 the mosque was damaged by fire during the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)
The Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739 between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was caused by the Ottoman Empire's war with Persia and continuing raids by the Crimean Tatars. The war also represented Russia's continuing struggle for access to the ...
and later restored during the reign of Khan Selâmet II Giray
Selyamet II Giray (reigned 1740–1743, lived 1691–1751) was a khan of the Crimean Khanate. His four-year reign was relatively uneventful. He was described as honest, gentle, pious and inclined to charity and good works. He was the youngest son o ...
(1740–1743).
Small Khan Mosque
The Small Khan Mosque ( crh, Kiçik Han Cami) is located in the main building and was designed for members of the Khan's family and important dignitaries. Construction of the small mosque dates back to the 16th century, and paintings in the mosque are from the 17th and 18th centuries
left, Mihrab in the Small Mosque
In the south wall is the mihrab, the upper part of which is cut seven ornamented belts, symbolizing the seven levels of heaven. Above the mihrab is a stained glass window, which shows the seal of Suleiman (hexagram). On the walls of the small mosque are scratched images of boats with sails, horses and horsemen.
Galleries
;''Buildings''
Image:WEBSTER(1830) 1.321 TOMBS OF THE KHANS OF THE CRIMEA.jpg, The palace in 1830
Image:Bahchisaraj 1855.jpg, Map of the Bakhchisarai garden and palace, 1855
Image:Bakhchisarai - mosque.jpg , Big mosque of the palace
Image:Bakhchysarai 04-14 img08 Palace from the street.jpg, Bakhchisaray Palace
Image:Hansaray2.jpg, Northern gate
Image:Hansaray3.jpg, Living quarters
Image:Bakhchysarai 04-14 img12 Palace Harem.jpg, Harem
Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
building
;''Interior''
Image:Fontana slz.jpg, Fountain of Tears
Image:Bakhchysarai 04-14 img10 Palace Golden Fountain.jpg, Golden Fountain
Image:Hansaray5.jpg, Summer Pavilion
Image:Hansaray8.jpg, Interior of the harem
;''In art''
Image:Карло Боссоли. Ханский дворец.jpg, Khan's Palace, by Carlo Bossoli
Carlo Bossoli (6 December 1815, in Lugano – 1 August 1884, in Turin) was a Swiss-born Italian painter and lithographer, who spent his early career in Russia. He is best known for historical scenes from the Risorgimento.
Biography
His ...
(1840-1842)
Image:Carlo Bossoli Khanpalast von Bachcisaraj 1857.jpg, Khan's Palace, by Carlo Bossoli (1857)
Image:1917. Кустодиев. Бахчисарай.jpg, Bakhchisaray, by Boris Kustodiev
Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev (russian: Бори́с Миха́йлович Кусто́диев; – 28 May 1927) was a Russian and Soviet painter and stage designer.
Early life
Boris Kustodiev was born in Astrakhan into the family of a profe ...
(1917)
See also
*Islam in Ukraine
Islam in Ukraine is a minority religious affiliation with Muslims representing around 0.9% of the total population as of 2016. The religion has a long history in Ukraine dating back to Berke Khan of the Ulug Ulus (Golden Horde) in the 13th c ...
References
External links
Palace's official website
ArchNet.org - Palace Images
The Fascinating Bakhchisaray Palace
{{Tourist attractions in Crimea
Houses completed in 1532
Palaces in Ukraine
Royal residences in Ukraine
Tourist attractions in Crimea
Crimean Tatar culture
Islam in Crimea
Buildings and structures in Crimea
1532 establishments in Europe
Bakhchysarai
Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Crimea