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SdA 3-168 — Le palais seraj ul-emarat

Le palais seraj ul-emarat à Jalalabad, vue de l’est. Le long de la rue des candélabres à gaz. La route est bordée par des centaines de pots de fleurs. Au loin, on reconnaît la façade du palais, marquée par le porche et la véranda du premier étage disposant d’une terrasse au-dessus du porche. Le bâtiment est également caractérisé par la combinaison de sa forme rectangulaire avec les arcades cintrées de sa véranda. Selon les récits des visiteurs, l’ensemble du palais était d’abord peint en blanc et plus tard en bleu clair. Tout à droite, on découvre un autre bâtiment à style anglo-indien.
A noter particulièrement la symétrie de la prise, comme on peut la constater sur d’autres planches de cette série, notamment SdA 3-013 (ayn ul-emarat), 3-015 et 3-016 (zayn ul-emarat), et sur la planche SdA 3-155 (palais principal du bagh-e shahi).
PALAIS du SIRADJ-UL-IMARET — DJELAL-ABAD
  • Souvenir d’Afghanistan, série 1 (petit format) : n’y figure pas.
  • Souvenir d'Afghanistan, série 2 (grand format), SdA 2-27 : identiques.
  • Thomas, L. (1925) : Beyond Khyber Pass, photographie du palais de plus près, en face de p. 125 : «The Amir’s sky-blue palace at Jalalabad, near which his father was murdered.» ; p. 124 : «[…] We drove direct to the amir’s winter palace, which lies a few hundred yards to the west of the Kabul gate in the center of a tropical park. With its graceful spires and its light blue walls, it looked from a distance like a palace of gossamer of fairy-land.»
  • Azadi-e Sharq, Edition festive lors du voyage de S.M. le roi Amanullah Shah en Europe, en janvier 1928, fol. 26, verso, en bas : photographie similaire, mais prise quelques ans plus tard.
  • Parr, D.J. (1975) : Architecture in Afghanistan, 1880-1929, pp. 112-115 et Fig. 100-110 : description du palais seraj ul-emarat.
  • Dupree, N.H. (1977) : Early 20th Century Afghan Adaptations of European Architecture, p. 19 : «The Amir [Habibullah] personally designed a large new palace constructed during the winter of 1910-1911 in the winter resort town of Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan. Though the Seraj ul-Emorat, «Torch of Buildings», contained features present in his other structures, new experiments produced his most charming architectural contribution. Pitched roofs were dispensed with in favour of a multiplicity of flat-roof levels crowned with balustrades studded at intervals with extended conical-capped piers. These balustrades provide a graceful note countering the severity of the lower façade. A typically Indian port-cochère surmounted by a verandah with slender columns, and flanking round-arched upstairs verandahs further enlivened the façade. […]» ; p. 20 : «During the revolt by Shinwari tribesmen in November 1928, the Seraj ul-Emorat, which King Amanullah and his Queen used as their private palace, was a primary target. […]»
  • Dupree, N. H. (1977) : An historical guide to Afghanistan, p. 212 : «The palace in the heart of the city called Seraj-ul-Emorat (Light of Buildings) was also built by Amir Habibullah, around 1910. It is reported that the Amir supervised the construction himself, standing on a raised platform and urging on the workmen with such zeal that they completed it in only 40 days.» «After the Amir’s assassination in 1919, this palace was used as a state guest house by his son King Amanullah (1919-1929) until it was looted and abandoned after tribal revolts struck Jalalabad in November 1928. Only shadowy bits of decoration remain beside the west entrance; the original gas lamps stand intact.»
Image No.
SdA 3-168
Collection
Souvenir d’Afghanistan 1925-1927
Series
SdA 3/5 (double face, 1927) 153 à 181 : Jalalabad, etc.
Format
image : 134/200 mmplanche : 148/218 mmcouverture bleue ou verte
Quality
excellente ; noir et blanc
Place, date
Jalalabad, 192?
Descriptors
  • 0801. Jalalabad
  • 1.57 Pictures of Landscapes, Cities
  • 3.825 Representative / Administrative Buildings
  • 3.829 Parks / Gardens
  • 4.366 Emir Habibullah (1901-1919)
  • Latitude / Longitude34.434960 / 70.451660
    Google Earth34°26’03'' N / 70°27’16'' E / 575 m

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