The monument of architecture of beginnings of XX century - ex-palace of Bukhara's emir in Yalta is erected in 1907-1911. The author of project Tarasov used the plastic methods and decorative elements of moslem architecture of countries of Northern Africa. The two-floor building is characterizing with the asymmetric composition, combination of rectangular, faceted and half-round volumes, porticos and terraces. The light carving of columns with refined capitals, balustrades, frames of horseshoe-shaped windows and cogged parapet over cornice looks well dressed on background of whitestone walls.

The Palace of Emir of Bukhara is an outstanding monument of architecture of the early 20th century. The Palace was constructed to the design by the Yalta architect N. Tarasov in the Moorish architecture style in 1903.

The building of the Palace that had domes, towers, pavilions really graced Yalta. Emir of Bukhara called the Palace "Dilkiso", that means "fascinating".

The building of the Palace survived in spite of the hard historical processes which were taking place after the October Revolution of 1917. Now the building of Palace of Emir of Bokhara is a part of the sanatorium of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Sayed Abd al-Ahad Bakhadur-Khan was born on 26 March 1859, at the country Palace of Kermine. Shamshat, his mother, was a former Persian slave, and one of Emir Muzaffar's four legitimate wives; she was also said to be his favorite, respected for her intelligence and beauty. Abd al-Ahad was her favorite son, and, when she died at Kermine in 1879, he was desolate with grief. At the age of eighteen, Abd al-Ahad was appointed beg of Kermine, a post he held until he came to the Throne in 1885. His intellect, abilities, and undoubted loyalty convinced his father to name Abd al-Ahad his official heir in 1882; the twenty-three-year-old Prince was sent to St. Petersburg to meet Alexander III, and receive the Imperial stamp of approval, which the Emperor was only too happy to give. A year later, he represented his father at Alexander III's Coronation in Moscow.

One of the most eagerly anticipated visitors during the Imperial Family's annual holiday at Livadia was the Emir of Bokhara. An enormous man, swathed in colorful robes, he was a great favorite of all the Romanovs, and formed an especially close bond with the family of Nicholas II. His visits were always filled with great amusement and laughter, and he showered the Romanovs with expensive and elaborate gifts. Such joviality, however, shielded a complex man and the troubled past of his country and his life.

The Emir of Bokhara ruled an arid, mountainous region in Central Asia which had only fallen to Russian influence and power in the mid-19th Century. This final humiliation at the hands of a foreign power was the last in a long line of invasions, wars, and revolutions that swept through Bokhara's history. That such a small stretch of desert land captivated the imaginations of so many and compelled hundreds of thousands of men to die in attempts to subvert her was mute testimony to the material and spiritual wealth contained within Bokhara's borders.

The Emir and his wife came here every spring and fall. The warm southern air and sunshine greatly relieved the pain in Abd al-Ahad's legs, providing him with a convenient excuse to linger in the Crimea while his Ruling Council conducted the business of state in Bokhara. When the Imperial Family stayed to Livadia, the Emir usually visited them several times. His appearance never failed to delight and impress the Russians. The children particularly looked forward to his visits, as he showered them with toys and other expensive gifts.

Anna Vyrubova remembered Abd al-Ahad as "a big, handsome Oriental, in a long black coat, and a white turban glittering with diamonds and rubies. He seemed intensely interested in the comparative simplicity of Russian Imperial customs."123 Tatiana Botkin, daughter of Court Physician Eugene Botkin, was at Livadia one day when she saw a line of polished black landaus pull up the drive and halt at the main entrance. Sneaking her head round the corner, she saw "a big, tall man, in a caftan embroidered with gold, and an immaculate white turban decorated with aigrettes." The scene was so exotic that she ran to find her father, who explained that it was the Emir of Bokhara and his suite.

Abd al-Ahad was always accompanied by an entourage of aides, doctors, secretaries, and Bokharan representatives, "dressed in long, Oriental robes of bright colors, with white turbans," as Baron Wrangell-Rokoassowsky later wrote.125 These men were all extremely tall, with long beards dyed bright red, and clothed in exquisitely embroidered robes. "They were real figures out of the Arabian Nights," Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden later wrote, "and looked as if any of the Arabian Nights adventures might have been theirs."126 Among this colorful group, one figure stood out in his plain Imperial Army uniform: this was Captain S. R. Asfendiarov, Governor-General of Turkestan, who served as Abd al-Ahad's personal translator. Although the Emir himself spoke perfect Russian, Bokharan Court protocol officially forbid him from greeting any dignitary or fellow sovereign in anything but his native tongue. Only when he was alone with the Imperial Family did Abd al-Ahad ignore protocol and converse freely with them in Russian.

The Emir also regularly visited other Romanovs in the Crimea, and never failed to call on the Yusupovs when they were at Koreiz or Kokoz. During one of these visits, lunch was served on the terrace, and the young Prince Felix saw a chance to exchange the tray of regular cigarettes which would be passed round after the meal for one filled with exploding cigarettes he had discovered in a small shop in Paris. When the meal ended, Felix later wrote, "the butler handed round a tray of cigarettes with the coffee and liqueurs. With the Emir's permission everybody lit one. Then hell broke loose in the form of a magnificent display of fireworks which caused such a panic among the guests that they rushed outside, thinking than an attempt had been made upon their lives. I was in fits of laughter at the success of the fake cigarettes I had bought in Paris. My laughter gave me away, and I was severely reprimanded by my father. A few days later, however, to everyone's astonishment, the Emir returned and pinned a diamond and ruby star on my breast. It was one of his country's most exalted decorations. He also asked to be photographed with me. He alone had appreciated the joke!"

When he left Livadia, the Emir once again distributed extravagant gifts to the Imperial Family and members of their Suite. Anna Vyrubova recalled "costly diamonds and rubies" presented to Nicholas and Alexandra, and his Personal Orders decorated with jewels to members of the Emperor's Suite.129 On one occasion, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, the Emperor's sister who was staying at Livadia, was surprised when the Emir lavished upon her "an enormous gold necklace from which, like tongues of flame, hung tassels of rubies."

You can get there by direct flight to Simferopol or through Kiev or Odessa.