Currently, this building is used as the office of the tourist company "Neofit".
The head of the firm stated that in 1887, the house was built by merchant Rafikov as a private wooden structure. In 1918, after the building was handed over to the authorities during the Soviet Union, a hotel was opened here. Subsequently, the building housed the State Security Committee, an institute, and a state insurance company. In 1992, the building became private property, and since 2001, its use has been associated with the office of the tourist firm.
The structure of the building includes 13 rooms.
“The house of merchant Rafikov is a traditional one-story brick corner building with arched windows that imitate Russian stone masonry. The entrance is designed in a similar style. A decorative masonry belt runs around the perimeter of the building, and above it is a brick cornice. There are also carved wooden cornices, window frames, and shutters, while the porch has retained its original appearance. The walls are made of brick, and the arched windows and entrance are painted white. The roof is metal. After 1918, the house was adapted into the hotel "Dom Dekhanina", and the roof has not changed since its construction,” the message notes.
The city hall also mentioned that according to other sources, this building was the property of merchant Fatih Sulaymanov, one of the most famous Tatar traders.
Fatih Sulaymanov, who arrived from Verny (now Almaty) to Karakol in 1893, had amassed a fortune of 300,000 gold rubles by 1914 and founded the trading house "Sulaymanov and Co", which became one of the most successful in Central Asia.
He owned 16 stores, as well as factories and plants, and two sailing barges on Issyk-Kul. His trading house, in particular, presented products from the Przhevalsky district for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. However, during the events of 1916, he lost his fortune, and the merchant spent many years in captivity. He lived to be 98 years old, passing away in his native Karakol, while keeping a diary throughout his life,” the city hall materials report.
