Kibla Tozabag

The turn of the century Kibla Tozabag (New South Garden) was the summer residence of Muhammad Rakhimkhan II. Its 0.5ha plot is 2km south of the city centre, and its design incorporates both central Asian and Western features. Though the verandas are open in the traditional style, the palace also has large, European windows made by artisans in St Petersburg, and the front courtyard (there are three in total) is laid out with flowerbeds and a fountain. The buildings are made from fired bricks, in some places decorated with plasterwork and gilt, and the wide wooden doors were carved by German craftsmen. The palace was restored in 1992 to mark the 150th anniversary of its founders birth, but its rarely visited by tourists and you may well have the site to yourself.