Khudayar Khan's Palace
One of the main attractions of Kokand is its citadel – Urda, more known as Khudoyar-Khan’s palace. According to historical chronicles, 29 khans reigned in Kokand within 150 years, but the most famous among them was the last khan, Khudoyar-Khan. He succeeded to the throne in 1845, when he was a 12-year-old boy, and became the brother-in-law of powerful military leader Mingboshi Musulmonkul. During his 30-year reign Khudoyar-Khan lost his throne four times, and each time he reinstated his sovereignty.

Khudoyar-Khan palace, built in 1871, was the ruler’s seventh mansion and was intended to surpass all the previous constructions in terms of its dimensions and splendour of decoration, thus symbolizing the might of Kokand ruler. The palace building, indeed, occupied 4 hectares, was 138 metres in length and 65 metres in width. The palace was constructed on a three-metre-high platform with a ramp leading to the main entrance; at the bottom of the ramp there once were cast-iron and copper cannons. On the portal, between two guldasta-towers, above the huge fretted entrance gates, there is an Arabic inscription made of majolica tiles, which states “Seyid Mukhammad Khudoyar-Khan – the great ruler”. The palace was surrounded by an impressive carved stone fence. On the right flank of the palace there was constructed a faceted minaret faced with ceramic tiles whose colours imitate Ferghana abr silk. 
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