The Palace of Khudáyár Khán in Kokand, Uzbekistan

Khudáyár Khán Palace was built in the 1870s by, well, Khudáyár Khán. You build it, you name it. Tsarist Russia showed up, eventually drove the Khan from his humble home and then the mean Bolsheviks destroyed most of the palace. No taste. Post-independent Uzbekistan has carried out a couple of restorations and today glimpses of old grandeur can be seen, as well as a couple of museums.

Good front on a grey day. A giant platform in the plaza is frequently present for shows, exhibitions.

Babushka and inner courtyard. Colorful column.

Throne room, fancy.

In case one takes the restoration for granted, there's a nice "before" section on display. All cleaned up! When few artifacts remain, you display what you have. Carts and a door.

In the museum for local tools, materials. On display, a funky, curved, semi diorama horse portrait thing. Inventive.

Bukharan Jews Synagogue In Kokand

A bit of a confusing title for the synagogue as Bukhara is nowhere near the city of Kokand, which is in Eastern Uzbekistan, in the Fergana Valley. The synagogue was built in 1904, presumably for Jews from Bukhara who wandered over to Kokand. New location, give props to home city heritage.

Humble exterior, probably a nice, garden oasis on a sunny, summer day.

Humble interior. Through the main entrance, first a relaxing, eating area with, yes, a humble kitchen.

The main temple area, bimah in the center.

View of the ark where torahs, prayer scrolls, are kept. The sign seems to be a list of exalted rabbis. Or Important Men. Prayer books of various vintages.

Prep station. Purify your hands, slap on a yarmulke and get ready for God. Key to unlock your faith.

Wandering The Fergana Valley

Road trips are fun. Especially if there are cool things to see. Which is the point of road trips.

Holy Brutalist, Socialist Monument! Right outside the city of Fergana (which, duh, is in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan) sits this impressive salute to the Great Patriotic War, otherwise known as World War II. Soviet built, full of their iconic themes of communism and military might.

Soldiers in sync under the former USSR flag. The identifying marks of the flag have been chipped away. Progress. 1941, a big year! A beleaguered yet proud citizenry gathered together. Big anvil for strength.

Moving on to the city of Kokand, visiting the famous Juma mosque and madrasa complex. Central minaret.

The highlight is the extensive portico with hand-carved, wood columns, some original ones on display. Nice capitals. Looking up, wood ceilings of the portico full of colorful designs.

You Are Now Entering An Important City. Back to Fergana, the big gate over the highway lets you know something special is ahead.

Old Neighborhoods In The Fergana Valley

A lot of the cities in Uzbekistan have an old Soviet vibe of huge avenues bounded by endless apartment blocks. Centralized blah. Old, winding, dense neighborhoods still exist in small pockets, especially in some of the towns in the Fergana Valley.

In Namangan and Kokand, the old areas feel a little Middle East, North African in layout, walled streets in a random pattern with courtyard compounds beyond the door.

The street is the playground.

Construction/reconstruction. Courtyard, parking area, square, street, whatever purpose is needed.

Utility poles, placed wherever.

More views, alleys, streets, trees, sunsets.

A typical door, leading to another, private world.

The Norbutabiy Mosque And Nearby Cemetery In Kokand

One of the old highlights of Kokand is the impressive Norbutabiy Mosque and the crammed graveyard next to it. The mosque was built in the 18th century and its Madrassah is the largest in Kokand. Style-wise, the building follows traditional, Silk Road-era Islamic architecture, all tan stone with blue tile highlights.

Men only. Service letting out.

Classic looks, an intimate prayer area and an iconic dome.

The imposing facade is a bit of a ruse. While housing a mosque, services are held outside, in a courtyard beyond the front building.

Right next to the mosque is an expansive cemetery, full of elaborate tomb mounds and bigger graves. That's the Modari Khan Mausoleum in the center.

Painted ceilings and etched photographs are some of the features found around the site.

In Khan's tomb, impressive tile work with subtle restoration. Clear enough to notice, nice enough to enjoy the overall pattern.

A Quick Look At Kokand, Uzbekistan

Kokand is a decent-sized city in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan. Some old Muslim landmarks still exist within the modern city.

The biggest attraction: the palace of Khudayar Khan. Incredible tile work, imposing entrance. Good for group tours. More on it later.

Typical Uzbekistan urban renewal, tearing down squat, nondescript buildings to put up a faux palace business. As a contrast, reaching back to the past with a fantasy re-creation of a Silk Road-era stop.

Something in between, a modern administrative building, designed to look traditional.

Let's go to school for a little English lesson. Learning one's "-arts," ending with something cute. In another classroom, a big mural to the big future.

More future, construction on a Mosque and surrounding complex.