# Nurullabay Palace, Khiva > Nurullabay (Nurullaboy) Palace is the last residence of the Khiva khans, a 5–7-minute walk north of the West Gate, just outside the Itchan Kala walls. It has its own ticket, **roughly 80,000–120,000 UZS** (unofficial), opens daily around 8:00–18:00 and takes 45 minutes to an hour. The highlight is Asfandiyar Khan’s 1912 reception palace: seven halls where Khorezm carved plaster meets Russian Art Nouveau. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/nurullabay-palace - City: [Khiva](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket: Separate, at the palace gate: roughly 80,000–120,000 UZS depending on the source; one guide says it is covered by the Itchan Kala pass - Hours: Daily, roughly 8:00–18:00 - Closed: Open every day - Where: Dishan Kala, the outer town — a 5–7-minute walk north of the West Gate (Ota Darvoza) - Payment: Cash in som is safest; the gate may not take cards; ATMs at the West Gate - Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour; about 2 hours with a guide - With kids: Fine — the reception palace is single-storey and compact - Coordinates: 41.38206, 60.35616 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1912** — Asfandiyar Khan’s reception palace was completed — the last major building of the Khiva Khanate (source: National Bank of Uzbekistan: Nurullabay historical complex; English Wikipedia; Welcome.kz) - **7 halls** — in the reception palace — waiting room, reception hall, throne room, banquet hall and living rooms, each decorated differently (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Turkestantravel) - **Nurullabay** — the merchant who sold the khan his garden on condition that it keep his name (source: National Bank of Uzbekistan; English Wikipedia; Uzbekistan.travel) - **1896–1904** — the inner palace and harem were built (Russian Wikipedia gives 1893–1904) (source: National Bank of Uzbekistan; Russian Wikipedia) - **4 courtyards** — and more than a hundred rooms in the inner palace — living quarters, harem, guards, servants, stables (source: National Bank of Uzbekistan; English Wikipedia; Turkestantravel) - **Mennonites** — German craftsmen from a community near Khiva made the tall doors, windows and parquet (source: Russian Wikipedia; Uzbekistan.travel; National Bank of Uzbekistan) - **Muhammad Rahim Khan II** — planned the palace for his son, the future Asfandiyar Khan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Uzbekistan.travel) - **1910–1918** — Asfandiyar Khan’s reign, when the reception palace was finished (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkestantravel; Welcome.kz) - **Tiled stoves** — shipped from Russia in pieces and reassembled in the halls (source: Uzbekistan.travel; Welcome.kz) - **Dishan Kala** — the palace stands in Khiva’s outer town, beyond the Itchan Kala wall (source: National Bank of Uzbekistan; Orexca; Turkestantravel) ## Nurullabay Palace tickets and entrance fee There is no official price list online and the figures differ. Eurasia.Travel quotes **80,000 UZS** for a single ticket to the whole complex (December 2025); tour operators give about $8 or 120,000 UZS. You may also see older figures of 30,000–60,000 UZS. All of these are unofficial. Most sources treat it as a separate ticket bought at the palace gate, because the palace is outside the walls. Aviasales.uz, however, lists it under the Itchan Kala pass. When you buy the pass at the West Gate, simply ask whether Nurullabay is included. **Paying.** Bring som in cash: ticket desks in Khiva take cards only when the terminal is working, and Russian-issued cards don’t work in Uzbekistan at all. Bank ATMs and exchange offices are by the West Gate, five minutes away. > **Your Itchan Kala pass probably won’t get you in** The palace sits outside the old-town walls and usually has its own ticket desk. Budget **80,000–120,000 UZS** in cash on top of the Itchan Kala pass (unofficial prices) — and ask at the West Gate before you walk over. ## Opening hours Aviasales.uz gives **8:00–18:00 daily**, with no closing day. We found no official timetable for the complex, so treat the hours as unofficial. Mornings are the best time: soft light in the courtyards and few groups. By late afternoon you will want to be back inside the walls for sunset on the Kunya-Ark watchtower. ## Is Nurullabay Palace worth visiting? Yes — once you have seen [Tash-Hauli](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/tash-hauli-palace) and [Kunya-Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kunya-ark). This is the only palace in Khiva where Central Asia and Europe share the same rooms: carved ganch and Khorezm tiles next to parquet, mirrors, tiled stoves and electric chandeliers. Nothing inside the walls looks like it, and it takes under an hour. Skip it if you have a single day and haven’t finished Itchan Kala — the old town matters more. It’s also not for you if you only want medieval Khiva: this is the early 20th century. A guide makes a real difference here; without the stories, the stoves and chandeliers are just furniture. ## What to see inside - **The throne room** in Russian Art Nouveau style — tall doors, large mirrors, stained glass and parquet. Guidebooks say Tsar Nicholas II gave the bronze-and-crystal chandeliers and a small power station to light them. - **Painted ceilings** of flowers and cherubs by invited Russian artists, framed by fine gilded patterns from Khiva’s own masters. - **Tiled stoves** in every hall, shipped from Russia in pieces and rebuilt on site. - **Doors, windows and parquet** made by Mennonite craftsmen, a German community that lived near Khiva. - **Gilded carved ganch** and oil paintings — each of the seven halls is finished differently. - **The inner-palace courtyards** with two-storey galleries and small exhibitions: crafts, costume, pottery and early 20th-century photographs of Khiva. ## A short history By the late 19th century there was no room left for a new palace inside Itchan Kala, so Muhammad Rahim Khan II bought a garden outside the walls from the merchant **Nurullabay**. He agreed to sell only if the garden — and whatever was built in it — kept his name. The inner palace with its harem, four courtyards and more than a hundred rooms came first. Asfandiyar Khan, who ruled from 1910 to 1918, added a separate **reception palace** for ambassadors and guests, finished in 1912. It was the khanate’s last great building; the khanate itself ended in 1920. ## How to get to Nurullabay Palace 1. From Urgench airport (UGC) or Urgench railway station, take a taxi to Khiva — about 35 km and 40 minutes. The Urgench–Khiva trolleybus is cheaper but takes about 1.5 hours. 2. Trains from Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara stop at Khiva station, 1.5 km east of the old town — a few minutes by taxi to the West Gate. 3. Start at the West Gate (Ota Darvoza), outside the wall by the Itchan Kala ticket office. 4. Walk north along the outside of the wall for about 500 metres — 5–7 minutes. 5. The entrance faces the street, behind a high wall with turrets. Buy your ticket at the gate. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Som in cash for the palace ticket - [ ] Asked at the West Gate whether my pass covers Nurullabay - [ ] Arriving before 17:00 - [ ] Allowed 45 minutes to an hour - [ ] A guide, or at least this page open — the stories make the rooms ## Nurullabay vs Tash-Hauli vs Kunya-Ark | | Nurullabay | Tash-Hauli | Kunya-Ark | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | The last khans’ residence | Allakuli Khan’s palace and harem | The khans’ old citadel | | Where | Dishan Kala, outside the wall | By the East Gate | By the West Gate | | Style | Khorezm meets Russian Art Nouveau | Blue-and-white majolica, carved columns | Iwans, throne courtyard, watchtower | | Ticket | Its own, at the gate | Itchan Kala pass | Pass; watchtower extra | | Time needed | 45 min – 1 h | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 1 h | Seeing only one palace? Pick Tash-Hauli or Kunya-Ark. Nurullabay works best as the third, for contrast. ## Khiva’s palaces compared Every palace in Khiva rated by YesGo. - [Nurullabay Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/nurullabay-palace) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ 80,000–120,000 UZS - [Tash-Hauli Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/tash-hauli-palace) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Itchan Kala pass ≈ 250,000 UZS - [Kunya-Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kunya-ark) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 250,000 UZS pass; tower extra - [Itchan Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-itchan-kala) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ 250,000 UZS, valid 48 hours - [Toprak-Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/toprak-kala) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 10,000–20,000 UZS, cash ## Three palaces and the old town in half a day Start at Nurullabay, walk back to the West Gate and cross the old town to Tash-Hauli. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Nurullabay Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/nurullabay-palace) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ 80,000–120,000 UZS 2. [Kalta Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kalta-minor) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free, outside view 3. [Kunya-Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kunya-ark) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 250,000 UZS pass; tower extra 4. [Juma Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-juma-mosque) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Itchan Kala ticket, ≈ 250,000 UZS 5. [Tash-Hauli Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/tash-hauli-palace) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Itchan Kala pass ≈ 250,000 UZS ## Good to know You’ll see many spellings: Nurullabay, Nurullaboy, Nurullabai, Nurillaboy. The reception building is sometimes called the Asfandiyar (Isfandiyar) Khan Palace. It is not Tash-Hauli or Kunya-Ark — both of those are inside the Itchan Kala walls. ## Tips - Go first thing in the morning: it’s five minutes from the West Gate and the groups haven’t arrived. - Save your attention for the reception palace — that’s where the best rooms are. - If you hire a guide for one place in Khiva, make it this one. - Carry small som notes — the card terminal at the gate may be down. - Afterwards, walk back to [Kalta Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kalta-minor), right inside the West Gate. ## Questions ### How much is the Nurullabay Palace entrance fee? There is no official price list; sources give 80,000–120,000 UZS. These are unofficial figures — bring cash. ### Is Nurullabay Palace included in the Itchan Kala ticket? Most sources say no: it has its own ticket at the gate. One guide says it is included, so ask at the West Gate ticket office. ### What are Nurullabay Palace opening hours? Roughly 8:00–18:00 daily, with no closing day. There is no official timetable, so treat this as unofficial. ### Where is Nurullabay Palace? In Dishan Kala, Khiva’s outer town, just north of the West Gate (Ota Darvoza) outside the Itchan Kala walls — a 5–7-minute walk. ### How long do you need at Nurullabay Palace? 45 minutes to an hour on your own, about 2 hours with a guide. ### Is Nurullabay Palace worth it? Yes, after you’ve seen the old town: it’s the only palace in Khiva mixing Khorezm decoration with Russian Art Nouveau. With only one day, do Itchan Kala first. ### When was Nurullabay Palace built? The inner palace dates from around the turn of the 20th century; Asfandiyar Khan’s reception palace was completed in 1912. ### Did Nicholas II give the chandeliers? Guidebooks say so — the chandeliers and a small power station to run them. We found no scholarly source confirming the gift. ### Can you pay by card? Don’t count on it. Bring som in cash; ATMs and exchange offices are at the West Gate. ## How we checked We found no official price list or timetable, so the price and hours are marked “verifying”. Prices differ (80,000 UZS as of December 2025, about $8, 120,000 UZS) and Aviasales.uz counts the palace as part of the Itchan Kala pass, so we show all of it. The “9:00–21:00” that search engines attach to the National Bank of Uzbekistan’s page is the bank’s call-centre schedule, not the palace’s, so we don’t use it. Dates for the inner palace differ (1896–1904 from the bank, 1893–1904 from Russian Wikipedia) — we show both; every source agrees on 1912 for the reception palace. The Nicholas II chandeliers appear only in guidebooks, and we say so. The walk from the West Gate is estimated from Wikidata coordinates: about 450 m in a straight line from Kalta Minor, about 500 m on foot. ## Sources - National Bank of Uzbekistan: Nurullabay historical complex — history and building dates - English Wikipedia: Nurullabai Palace; Russian Wikipedia: Дворец Нуруллабая; Wikidata Q20536333 - Uzbekistan.travel, the national tourism portal: Nurullabay Palace - Turkestantravel: Nurullabay Palace in Khiva - Orexca: Nurulla-bai Palace, Khiva - Welcome.kz: Nurillaboy Palace, 2026 - Eurasia.Travel: Inside Khiva’s Forgotten Royal Residence — ticket price as of December 2025 - Aviasales.uz: What to see in Khiva, July 2026 — hours and the Itchan Kala pass - Wander-lush: 2 Days in Khiva, updated 12.10.2026 — payment at Khiva ticket desks - Tour listings on Tripster, Sputnik8 and Putevka — on the entrance ticket --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.