The Palace of Stars and Moon: Bukhara's Last Emir and His Summer Dream

The gate opens onto a garden, and the first sound is not traffic but a peacock calling from the plane trees. Beyond it, a palace rises that looks as if Bukhara and St Petersburg had tried to dream the same dream at once — carved wooden columns and Russian stoves, Venetian mirrors and hand-stitched suzani, a white hall so finely carved it seems to be made of lace rather than plaster.

This is Sitorai Mohi-Xosa — "the palace like the stars and the moon" — the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara, a few kilometres north of the old city. It is one of the most romantic, and most overlooked, places on the entire Silk Road.

A Bukhara palace built at the end of an empire

The emirs had a country residence here from the late 19th century, but the palace you walk through today was largely built between 1912 and 1918 for Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan, the last ruler of the Emirate of Bukhara. The best Bukharan craftsmen worked alongside Russian engineers, and the result is a one-of-a-kind blend of Central Asian and European architecture.

Local legend says the site was chosen in a very practical way: sheep carcasses were hung in different corners of the oasis, and the palace went up where the meat stayed fresh the longest — the coolest spot for a summer retreat. Whether or not it is true, you will feel the difference the moment you step into the shaded courtyards.

The Emir did not enjoy his palace for long. In 1920, as the Red Army took Bukhara, Alim Khan fled and eventually settled in Afghanistan, leaving the stars-and-moon palace behind as a frozen snapshot of a vanished court.

What to see inside: the White Hall, the harem and the suzani

• The White Hall: the palace's showpiece, its walls covered in intricately carved ganch (alabaster) over mirrored glass — a masterpiece attributed to the Bukharan master Shirin Muradov.
• The reception rooms: European furniture, porcelain from Russia, Japan and China, and gifts from foreign courts.
• The harem pavilion and pond: a quiet pavilion overlooking the water where, according to tradition, the emir watched the court ladies in the garden below.
• The museum collections: today the palace is a museum of decorative and applied arts, with some of the finest embroidered suzani and traditional costumes in Uzbekistan.

Why now is the time to visit Uzbekistan

The world is discovering what Bukhara has always known. Uzbekistan welcomed 9.1 million visits by foreign nationals in the first eight months of 2026, up 21% year on year, according to figures reported by Euronews — and visitors are staying longer and exploring further. Citizens of 94 countries can now enter visa-free (the length of stay varies by nationality), and the Afrosiyob high-speed train links Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in comfort.

Autumn is the sweetest season: October brings warm, golden days, cool evenings and gardens full of pomegranates — perfect weather for wandering palace courtyards before a sunset tea in the old city.

Plan your Bukhara tour with a local team

GoUzbekistan is the travel brand of Lochin Express Plyus LLC, a licensed Uzbek tour operator (licence No. 662280) organising journeys across Uzbekistan since 2007. We are headquartered in Bukhara, where we also run the Dendi Plaza Hotel and our own event venue and catering teams — so a private visit to Sitorai Mohi-Xosa, a traditional dinner or a full Silk Road itinerary is something we arrange from our own doorstep.

Pair the Emir's palace with Chor Minor, the Ark fortress and the Poi-Kalon ensemble for a perfect Bukhara day, or build it into a longer route through Samarkand and Khiva.

Step into the last Emir's world. Create your own custom tour or explore our tours — and let Bukhara surprise you.

Plan your Uzbekistan trip — in your language

العربية

السياحة في أوزبكستان بطابع ملكي: زوروا قصر ستوراي ماهي خاصة، المقر الصيفي لآخر أمراء بخارى على طريق الحرير، ثم أكملوا الرحلة إلى سمرقند. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة.

Deutsch

Eine Usbekistan Reise voller Geschichte: Besuchen Sie den Sommerpalast des letzten Emirs von Buchara und verbinden Sie ihn mit Samarkand auf Ihrer Seidenstraße Rundreise. Jetzt individuelle Reise planen.

Español

Viajes a Uzbekistán con alma de palacio: descubre la residencia de verano del último emir de Bujará y continúa por la Ruta de la Seda hasta Samarcanda. Diseña tu viaje a medida.

Français

Un voyage en Ouzbékistan entre Orient et Europe : visitez le palais d'été du dernier émir de Boukhara, puis poursuivez sur la Route de la Soie jusqu'à Samarcande. Créez votre voyage sur mesure.

中文

乌兹别克斯坦旅游必访：布哈拉末代埃米尔的夏宫“星月宫”，东西方建筑交融，再沿丝绸之路前往撒马尔罕。定制您的专属行程。

Русский

Туры в Узбекистан с королевским размахом: летний дворец последнего эмира Бухары Ситораи Мохи-Хоса, а затем — Самарканд и весь Шёлковый путь. Составьте свой тур.