DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF WOODEN CARVINGS IN THE KHUDOYORKHAN HORDE

SCIENTIFIC AND THEORETICAL CONFERENCE “DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART OF THE TURKIC WORLD: HISTORY, MODERNITY, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS”, OCTOBER 23, 2025 105 DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF WOODEN CARVINGS IN THE KHUDOYORKHAN HORDE N.Ismailova PhD researcher of the department MRDI named after Kamoliddin Bekhzod Art history and design https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17463795 Abstract. Kokand, one of the ancient cities in the Fergana Valley, has preserved more architectural monuments than other cities in the valley, one of which is the Khudoyorkhan Palace and many other monuments that reflect the historical image of the city. The huge palace, located on a hill in the center of the old city, is the most beautiful and majestic of the 19th century architectural monuments of the Kokand Horde in terms of its appearance and architectural design, and the uniqueness of its decorations. Key words: Architectural, palatial, ancient, embroidery, design, decoration. Annotatsiya. Farg‘ona vodiysidagi qadimiy shaharlardan bо‘lgan Qо‘qonda vodiydagi boshqa shaharlarga nisbatan me’moriy yodgorliklar kо‘p saqlanib qolgan, shulardan biri Xudoyorxon saroyi va boshqa kо‘plab yodgorliklar shaharning tarixiy qiyofasini aks etgan. Kо‘hna shahar markazidagi tepalikda о‘rnashgan ulkan saroy, Qо‘qon о‘rdasi XIX asr me’morchilik yodgorliklari ichida tashqi kо‘rinishi va me’moriy tarhi jihatidan eng kо‘rkam va ulug‘vorligi hamda bezaklarini о‘ziga xosligi yortilmoqda Kalit sо‘zi. Me’moriy, saroy, qadimiy, naqish, tarh, bezak. Аннотация. Коканд, один из древнейших городов Ферганской долины, сохранил больше архитектурных памятников, чем другие города долины. Среди них – дворец Худоёрхана и множество других, отражающих исторический облик города. Этот огромный дворец, расположенный на холме в центре старого города, по своему внешнему виду, архитектурному решению и неповторимости декора является самым красивым и величественным из архитектурных памятников Кокандской Орды XIX века. Ключевые слова. Архитектурный, дворцовый, старинный, вышивка, дизайн, декор. The independence period in Uzbekistan initiated profound foundational transformations that encompassed all the most important spheres of social thought. A vivid example of this is the policy pursued by independent Uzbekistan in the field of culture. At the core of the ongoing cultural processes lie priority directions such as the revival of national treasures, the preservation of the unique historical and cultural values of the Uzbek people, the creation of full-fledged conditions for the comprehensive development of Uzbekistan's modern fine arts, and harmonization with global cultural processes. Today, Uzbekistan possesses invaluable experience in the sphere of cultural policy, incomparable to that of other countries. Preserving rare historical and cultural heritage is one of the most pressing issues in Uzbekistan today. Within this system of cultural values, the preservation, restoration, and conservation of architectural monuments hold significant importance. Among the ancient cities of the Fergana Valley, Kokand has preserved more architectural monuments compared to other cities in the valley. One of these is the Khudayar Khan Palace, along with numerous other monuments that define the city's historical silhouette and bestow SCIENTIFIC AND THEORETICAL CONFERENCE “DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART OF THE TURKIC WORLD: HISTORY, MODERNITY, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS”, OCTOBER 23, 2025 106 beauty upon its splendor. The grand palace, situated on a hill in the center of the old city, stands as the most majestic and magnificent in terms of its external appearance and architectural design among the 19th-century architectural landmarks of Kokand. The construction of the Saroy was carried out based on the engineering project of Mir Ubaydullo, the prominent architect of that era. He led the palace's construction as the chief architect. The building's decorations and tile works were executed by Usta Abdullo, the potter from Rishton. The plaque inscribed with the phrase "The art of decorating with patterns is as if like the art of Behzod" on the southern part of the building's front side likely alludes to his labor. Usta Abdullo's father had gained fame in Rishton as a potter. His son Abdullo followed in his father's footsteps, mastering the craft thoroughly. Eventually, he earned renown throughout the entire Fergana Valley. Some Fergana residents still cherish and preserve the exquisite ceramic items crafted by the potter to this day. The famous master Abdullo, who captured the people's attention, further enhanced his fame by adorning the palace's surfaces with colorful tiles. In the tile-making works, Usto Jamol and Usto Jamil from Rishton also participated. Meanwhile, the master Zokir from Pskent was honored to undertake the responsible task of tiling the main iwan of the ark. From the Kokand masters, Mullah Suyarqul, Usta Solihkhodja, and the Bukharan master Fazilkhodja contributed their worthy shares to the construction of the palace. In decorating the interior of the house with various patterns and ganch (plaster) carving, Usta Hakimboy, Usta Sufi Yol'dosh, and Usta Marasullar demonstrated their skills. In addition, the inscription painted above the gatehouse—"Muhammad Alam, painter, master Muhammad Kamal o'g'li. 1287 Hijri year"—provides information about the master who executed the pattern work. The Orda's total area is a flat plain exceeding eight hectares, surrounded by a sturdy fortress wall, with a porticoed gatehouse constructed on the eastern side. Inside the walls were gardens, vineyards, pools, a training ground for soldiers, an armory, barracks, and other buildings. Outside the walls, a deep moat was dug and filled with water. The palace, consisting of more than a hundred rooms and several courtyards, is divided primarily into three parts according to its functional service roles—the Divan (Court), the Shahniyin (Throne Room), and the Haram (Harem). The Divan and Shahniyin sections are constructed as single-story, while the Haram is two-story. The Khudoyarkhan Palace is built according to a rectangular plan (68 × 143 meters), with its height (4.3 × 5.6 meters) elevated by a basement. The palace's main building faces east and is designed as a single-story structure. Its basement is covered with baked bricks mixed with lime mortar. Its cornices and decorative patterns have not been preserved. From the ground, a sloping brick ramp, 40 meters long and 6 meters wide, rises toward the iwan. In the central part of the main building, an iwan is constructed in a luxurious manner, slightly protruding from the surface of the palace wall. On its inscription tablet, in Arabic script, it reads: "The sublime arch of Said Muhammad Khudoyarkhan, year 1387 Hijri." At the two corners of the main building, there are four minarets in total—crafted in a flowerpot style—their upper parts crowned with domed lanterns. One of the gulbastas, the one on the southern side, is hexagonal, while the other three are octagonal in shape. The two on the sides of the peshtak and the one on the northern side of the main building were constructed by the Bukharan master Iso Mahzum, while the one in the southern corner was built by Azamat Domla. These corner minarets, known as gulbastas, are rich SCIENTIFIC AND THEORETICAL CONFERENCE “DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART OF THE TURKIC WORLD: HISTORY, MODERNITY, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS”, OCTOBER 23, 2025 107 in blue, yellow, and turquoise colors, adorned with tiles of various shapes and hues. They form a variety of geometric patterns. Through the peshtak entrance, there is a spacious rectangular darvozakhona (gateway hall), flanked by vaulted, patterned rooms connected to the courtyard. The front of the darvozakhona is situated above intersecting vaulted arcades, with an octagonal dome worked into its surface. Light enters the interior of the darvozakhona through the latticework of the hashtak. In the past, there was a staircase and an underground passage beneath the steep brick bridge. Nowadays, they have been buried. The main building's sloping porticos, tympana, pediments, and walls are adorned according to the rules of calligraphy, using a variety of glazed tile fragments in diverse shapes and colors, featuring plant-like arches, patterns, interlacing knots, and inscriptions with religious and philosophical content. These inscriptions were executed based on the scripts of the renowned calligrapher Mirzo Mirmahmud Khoqandiy. The carved wooden door at the entrance to the domed gatehouse behind the peshtoq was repaired by the woodworker master Qodirjon Haydarov, who inscribed his own name on it. The decorative patterns on the ceilings of the room and the iwan were restored by Saidmahmud Norqoziev, Saidahmad Mahmudov, Shukurkhon Mahmudov, and other master carvers. It is worth noting here as background information that wood carving at the Khudoyarkhan Palace is one of the types of Uzbekistan's applied decorative arts, distinguished by its ancient traditions, sophisticated artistic system, and numerous interpretations that reflect its unique regional character. Wood carving is more widely practiced in the Fergana Valley, where one of the most prestigious schools of this art form emerged, developing in direct connection with the evolution of the local architectural tradition. The Fergana carvings stand out for the richness and diversity of their motifs, as well as the harmonious integration of vibrant, sharply contrasting colors. Its finest examples were primarily created in the 19th century and the early 20th century (during the Kokand Khanate period). The traditions of this art form have been preserved and continue to evolve throughout the 20th century and even to the present day. During this period, a new profession known as "naqqosh-rassom" (ornamental painter) emerged. Representatives of this profession developed sketches for wall ornaments, prepared covers for manuscripts and pages adorned with patterns, and personally engaged in painting designs on the walls of rooms. The most skilled masters even mastered the art of miniatures. In the valley, such specialists are still referred to today as "syrchi" (unlike the widespread concept of "naqqosh" in Uzbekistan), meaning in a broader sense a master who adorns houses, a pattern craftsman, and also a master who creates intricate, enigmatic designs. The very name of this profession evokes the embodied image of being enveloped in some mystical, luminous aura. In the works of ornamental painters who decorated the interiors of buildings, the vibrant natural colors of the valley's landscape at the foot of the mountains are vividly reflected. The rich flora of the Fergana region has inspired artists to create magnificent images from ancient times onward. It is thus no coincidence that the region's artistic culture features a distinctive form of art: the development of architectural embellishments for buildings using wood-carving techniques. In none of Uzbekistan's pattern schools do we find such extensive use of wood as the primary material for interior decorations as in the Fergana Valley. Local construction practices stand out particularly for their formation of a unique framing system crafted from available building materials—more precisely, from wood—incorporating large-scale flat-pressed elements SCIENTIFIC AND THEORETICAL CONFERENCE “DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART OF THE TURKIC WORLD: HISTORY, MODERNITY, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS”, OCTOBER 23, 2025 108 with distinctive structural features. Wood is also widely employed in the production of door lintels, intricately carved window frames and lattices, columns, and household furnishings. The Jame' Mosque (early 19th century), which is the center of the Kokand State Museum-Reserve, is considered the most remarkable monument demonstrating the art of local painting. The unique styles, compositions and distinctive decorative motifs of its patterns indicate that Fergana patterns developed within the framework of the general Muslim heritage, which was used in cities built in the Middle Ages. On the other hand, the patterns in it have an independent, somewhat simpler character, which is noticeable in the rich and diverse range of colors, as well as in a number of motifs with a unique interpretation. The uniqueness of the decoration of the Jame' mosque is seen in the careful arrangement of the patterns, the quietness of the motifs and color harmony made using gold and silver colors, the subtlety and scattering of the Islamic and geometrical patterns. The wide verandah in the courtyard to the right of the entrance and the ceiling of the hall are real masterpieces of medieval art. Among the painters who lived and worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one can also recall the names of such famous masters as Master Abdullo, Master Marasul, Saidmahmud Norkoziyev, Madaminjon Husainov Naqqosh, Master Nurmuhammad Sirchi, Master Normuhammad Sadhakoshk, Mullo Qazi Naqqosh, Master Nosir Qori and others. These names, preserved in the annals of history, prove that the art of painting was not out of sight, that this art was a truly professional activity with its own famous pioneers. The fact that in the 19th century the attitude towards painters-sirchi was the same as towards professional artists is evidenced by the inscriptions on the silent plaques on the southern wing of the facade of the Khudoyorkhan Palace: Drawing patterns requires not only talent but also determination and long-term practical experience from the artist. In addition, in the past, master painters were the most educated and talented part of the creative intelligentsia. They were educated in madrasahs and were very well versed in history, literature, music, chemistry, and mathematics. In conclusion, the architectural monument of the Khudoyorkhan Horde is a priceless jewel of our material and spiritual heritage. This architectural monument stands out from other historical monuments with its impressive appearance and huge scale. When we see this architectural monument, we immediately see that it was built by people with deep knowledge. This ordain, the largest in the Fergana Valley and reflecting the architecture of its time, is distinguished by the fact that it reflects the unique features of Fergana architecture in its appearance. The work done by the painters of the building is especially striking in its uniqueness. References 1. 1.Азимов И. Фарғона водийсининг архитектура ёдгорликлари. -Т.,1986. 2. Султанов М.А. Искусство орнаментальной росписи в архитектуре Коканда ХVIII-ХХ вв. Автореф. канд. иск. Ташкент., 1994. 3. Воҳидов Ш. Қўқон хонлигида тарихий нафислик.-Т., 2010. 4. Дадабоев Я. Худоёрхон ўрдаси.-Т., 2011