Kokand sits at the southwestern end of the Fergana Valley, surrounded by the mountains that both defined and protected the city for centuries. It was the capital of the Kokand Khanate from the late eighteenth century until Russian annexation in 1876 — a period during which the khanate controlled territory stretching across present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and parts of Kazakhstan. Tashkent itself was a Kokand possession until 1865, when Russia seized it. The khanate's collapse came fast; the palace that was meant to assert its permanence was completed just three years before tsarist troops arrived to abolish the khan's position entirely.
The Khudayar Khan Palace — also known as Kokand Urda, or the "Pearl of Kokand" — was built in 1871 under the direction of architect Mir Ubaydullo, using 80 master builders and an estimated 16,000 conscripted laborers. It was the seventh and grandest of Kokand's royal residences, originally spanning 4 hectares, with 119 rooms across seven courtyards. The facade is decorated with ceramic tile panels produced by craftsmen from Rishtan — blue, yellow, and green in a palette that distinguishes it immediately from the predominantly turquoise monuments of Samarkand and Bukhara. American diplomat Eugene Schuyler, who visited in 1873, described it as larger and more magnificent than any other palace in Central Asia. What survives today is less than a fifth of the original: the Bolshevik demolition of 1918 removed most of the harem complex, and only 19 rooms and two courtyards remain. The original throne, inlaid with precious stones, was taken to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, where it remains. A replica throne in the restored throne room gives some sense of the original interior scale. The ceiling panels, painted in geometric and floral patterns in warm ochre and gold, are among the most detailed examples of nineteenth-century Ferghana Valley decorative painting anywhere in Uzbekistan.
Beyond the palace, the Jami Mosque — a substantial nineteenth-century building whose portico is supported by 98 carved wooden columns — and the Norbutabiy Madrasah (late eighteenth century) represent the khanate's investment in religious architecture alongside its secular ambitions. The city's literary history is also worth noting: the poet Mukimi (1851–1903), one of the major figures in Uzbek classical literature, lived and worked in Kokand, and the building that houses his museum on Mukimi Street is itself a nineteenth-century madrasah.
Kokand receives significantly fewer international visitors than Samarkand or Bukhara, which changes the experience. The palace can be toured without crowds; the old quarter has the feel of a functioning city rather than a heritage zone. The craft market and local bazaar area near the historic center sell silk textiles, woodwork, and regional goods at prices that reflect a local rather than tourist economy.
Getting there: Kokand has a railway station on the Tashkent–Andijan line. From Tashkent the journey takes approximately four hours. From Kokand, the rest of the Fergana Valley — Margilan (one hour by road), Rishtan (50 minutes), Fergana city (two hours) — is accessible by shared taxi. The palace is approximately 2–3 km from the railway station.
Best time to visit: April–June and September–October. The valley is greener and cooler than the desert cities; summer is hot but less extreme than Bukhara or Khiva.