Ak-Saray Palace

The main portal, a towering structure with arched pinnacles (ko’ngra), reached an estimated height of 70 meters, with corner towers on multifaceted pedestals standing at least 80 meters tall. The entrance portal spanned 50 meters in width, with an arch spanning 22.5 meters, the largest in Central Asia.

The palace’s architectural decor is remarkable for its diverse designs and colors. The north-facing main portal, due to its poor lighting, features flat segmentation and continuous decorative treatment. Brick mosaic work, primarily in dark and light blue, forms large geometric and epigraphic designs on polished brick, giving the portal a soft and mysterious appearance. The mosaic and majolica work in the portal’s niche is especially refined, with foliate ornamentation and intricate calligraphic inscriptions, mainly of Koranic content, though some secular inscriptions are present. An inscription in the decorative facing, dating to 798 (1395-1396), credits the craftsman Muhammad Yusuf Tebrizi from Tabriz.

Clavijo’s account describes a grand entrance, with arches adorned with painted tiles and small rooms beneath them. Beyond lay a large courtyard with white slabs and richly decorated galleries surrounding a central pool. The courtyard led to a luxurious house with a high, wide door embellished with gold and azure tiles. A lion depicted in the sun adorned the door, symbolizing the king of Samarkand. Beyond this, a vast garden with shady fruit trees, pools, and meadows provided a serene setting for royal leisure.

The Ak-Saray Palace is a monumental example of civil architecture, impressive even by Central Asian standards. Historical accounts attribute the palace’s destruction to Abdullakhan, who allegedly ordered its demolition during a siege of Shakhrisabz. By the late 18th century, only the pillars and part of the main portal’s arch remained of the once opulent palace.