Located in the Golodnaya (Hungry) Steppe, a few kilometers from Navoi, Uzbekistan, the ruins of Rabat-i-Malik stand as a testament to the medieval Karakhanid epoch. While only its foundations and entrance portal remain today, this ancient monument offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of Central Asia.
First mentioned in the mid-19th century by natural scientist A. Leman during the Bukhara mission of 1841-42, Rabat-i-Malik was initially thought to be a caravanserai. However, archaeological excavations later revealed that it was a summer residence of the Karakhanid rulers. As nomads, the Karakhanids would leave their winter palaces and move to summer residences like Rabat-i-Malik, located in the steppe.
The site of Rabat-i-Malik features two courtyards, a gallery, a small mosque, and a bathhouse. The living quarters were richly decorated with gypsum and carved terracotta, while various ceramic items such as jugs, pans, and kettles were found among the ruins. The site was also surrounded by walls, almost 1.70-1.80 meters wide, indicating its defensive nature.
Rabat-i-Malik is the only surviving palace of the Karakhanid era, offering a unique glimpse into the daily life of the rulers of Central Asia. While the monument is no longer in use, it is open to tourists, allowing visitors to marvel at its ancient ruins. In recent years, restoration works have been carried out, restoring parts of the walls and the entrance portal to their former glory.
The name “Rabat” is Arabic for “palace” or “fortress,” and Rabat-i-Malik was indeed a rich settlement and a place of rest along the Silk Road. Travelers and merchants from different nationalities would converge within its walls, finding shelter and a place to share their experiences and discoveries.
Despite the ravages of time, Rabat-i-Malik’s entrance portal remains an imposing sight, visible from afar. While much of the site has been restored, there are still areas where the hand of the restorer has not yet reached, offering a glimpse into the untouched history of this ancient monument. A visit to Rabat-i-Malik is a journey back in time, allowing visitors to touch the centuries-old structures and imagine life as it was hundreds of years ago.
All that remains of the majestic building of the Karakhanid residence is the foundation and the entrance portal, the inscription on which informs that the Sultan of Peace turned this lifeless place into a “landscaped” one. Indeed, this was done, and in a rather technological way, especially for the time.
To supply the palace with water, a reservoir (sardoba) 13 meters deep and covered with a dome 12 meters high was built. Water from the river Zaravshan, on the bank of which all settlements were built, was supplied to it through underground tunnels. Thanks to its construction, the Sardoba Malik reservoir provided the residence with cool river water throughout the hot summer. In addition, caravans traveling through the desert area with goods could quench their thirst here. But let’s return to the palace.
In the process of excavation and study it was found that on the territory of the palace there was a mosque, a bathhouse, the territory itself was divided into two courtyards. According to the findings, the walls of the residence were richly decorated with terracotta carvings and ornaments. Many numerical household items were also found.
There are few places left that have not been touched by the hand of the restorer, and you can imagine how it was here hundreds of years ago. get a feeling of the history going deep in times and not corrected by modernity.
