The most beautiful religious buildings Uzbekistan

From the outside, nothing, or almost nothing, allows us to guess the grandiose character of the Friday mosque. The monotony of a long blind wall is interrupted by an imposing double door made of finely crafted wood. A slender minaret, 33 m high, dominates the ensemble. The interior is more than surprising: a forest of carved wooden columns supports the ceiling of the mosque. Each pillar seems to have its own story, one of the most famous being the one from India. Its decoration is abstract, as is Islam, but one can nevertheless guess a human representation. By taking the time to study the various ornamentations, one can discover Zoroastrian symbols, representations of the Buddha, etc. Wealthy pilgrims or merchants who came to Khiva to do business sometimes offered the mosque a column carved in the style of their city, which would replace another column that was too old. The oldest, about fifteen in all, date from the 10th and 11th centuries. In total, the mosque has 213 columns, all of different ages and designs. The architecture of the Juma Mosque corresponds to the style of the first mosques that were gathering places. It commented on the Koran, but also discussed other issues relating to the organization of the social life of believers. The mihrab is placed in the centre of the huge hall 55 m long and 45 m wide. The light enters through two octagonal openings in the ceiling.

Located outside the madrasah, at the eastern corner of its façade, Kalta Minor was to be the highest minaret in the Muslim world, rising to 70 m. An architectural challenge for the time, but above all a height that was never reached, the work having been abandoned after the death of the khan when the minaret barely reached 29m. According to legend, the Khan of Bukhara, learning of the project from his rival Khiva and not being able to suffer from living in the shadow of a minaret larger than the Kalon minaret (it was said that when it was completed, Bukhara could be seen from its summit), planned to have the architect removed so that he could come and erect an even larger minaret in his city. What he learned, and so that his knowledge would benefit no one else, Khiva's khan decided to assassinate the architect as soon as his work was completed. As the Bukhara Khan matured the same project, the architect finally fled without asking for the rest, and the minaret remained forever truncated. The "short minaret" therefore only rises to 29 m, leaving the title of highest minaret in Bukhara: the Kalon minaret measures 49 m! The Kalta Minor nevertheless rests on a wide 14 m base, and is entirely and superbly decorated with green and blue majolica married to the distinctive green of Khiva. It is not usually possible to go up there, as the place is closed to tourists, but you can try your luck with the staff of the Orient Star Hotel, which has opened in the adjoining madrasah.

Nicknamed "the pearl of the East", the mausoleum of the Samanides has long been forgotten at the bottom of a cemetery. When the archaeologist Shishkin discovered it in 1930, during the development of Samani Park, it was drowned among other graves, buried under several meters of earth, which saved it from the Mongolian tornado and a thousand years of history. Today the necropolis has disappeared, a park has been laid out around the mausoleum, and a basin has been dug to restore it to its original configuration. The Uzbeks venerate the founder of one of the most prestigious dynasties of Central Asia. The Pearl of the Orient is a witness to the golden age of Bukhara. Built at the beginning of the 10th century by Ismail Samani for his father Akhmad, this dynastic tomb is the second oldest mausoleum in the Muslim world. Its precise dating would make it possible to know whether the tradition of mausoleum building for Muslim dynasties originated here, or in Iraq, with the tomb of the Caliph Al Mountasir. Its architecture retains a Sogdian influence, but incorporates construction techniques that were revolutionary for the time. The mausoleum is conceived as a symbolic representation of the universe: a cube of just under 11 m on each side with four identical façades, symbolizing the earth and stability, surmounted by a semi-spherical dome which is the Sogdian representation of the universe. Above the door of the mausoleum is represented a circle in a square: the Zoroastrian symbol of eternity. Decorative techniques made of bricks assembled in groups of four or five in different directions were also an innovation that would mark the following centuries. The mausoleum has 18 different combinations, including three-dimensional. Its proportions and decorative motifs are based on the principle of the dynamic square, an architectural discovery that gives the ensemble a power and harmony rarely equalled. Depending on the position of the sun, the brickwork gives the monument a different light and appearance, moving, despite its sober form. The builders used baked brick, cemented with egg yolk and camel milk. This unusual material and its skillful assembly allowed the monument to cross more than a millennium without suffering from earthquakes. Pilgrims walk three times around the mausoleum reciting prayers. Some tourists too, because they say that if you make a wish to come back to Bukhara... the wish comes true.

The huge iwan is set on twenty wooden pillars of Karagatch. The decoration of the wooden ceiling caissons, as well as the painted stalactites adorning the tops of the fine pillars, make this mosque one of the most beautiful in the city. When the Emir went to Friday prayer, carpets were laid on the floor from the Ark door to the entrance of the mosque. The mosque itself dates from 1712, the 12m high iwan, making it one of the highest in Central Asia, was added in the 19th century and the minaret in 1917.

In the cemetery, the Modari Khan Mausoleum, built in 1825, houses the remains of Omar Khan's mother, who died only seven years after her son and always remained very close to power, while successfully and popularly indulging in poetry. The monument is surmounted by a blue dome and its portal imitates, in miniature, that of the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand. It is therefore mainly women who go on pilgrimage to this tomb and, as elsewhere, go around the grave three times to obtain health, happiness or fertility.

The Dakhma-i-Chakhan Mausoleum (or Tomb of the Kings) is more imposing and colourful than the other funerary monuments in the cemetery. Built in the 1820s, it houses the tombs of Omar Khan, his sons and brother. Restored in 1970, it combines styles that illustrate the talents of the three khanates of Uzbekistan: the woodwork of Khiva, the paintings of the Ferghana and the ornaments of Bukhara. An old tree at the entrance, planted at the time of its construction, provides shade for passing pilgrims who come to collect themselves.

The mosque was built by Ulugh Begh opposite the Shamsheddin Koulial Mausoleum in 1435. Before renovation, only the interior dome remained, 22 m high; today it is 36 m high. She gave her name to the mosque: Kok Goumbaz means "blue dome". The acoustics are perfect. The walls and the inner dome are entirely covered with fine polychrome geometric patterns. Notice the glazed bricks of the outside gate, you can clearly distinguish between old and new bricks.

Located behind the Gur Emir, the "White Palace" is a mausoleum from 1470, renovated a few years ago and still surrounded by houses. Much quieter than its large neighbour, you can admire a blue and gold dome, frescoes and beautiful bas-reliefs in the main room. Some historians believe that it is the mausoleum of the male descendants of the Timurids. Others opt instead for nobles, close to Tamerlan. A decapitated skeleton was discovered in the crypt and could be that of Abd-al-Latif, the parricide son of Ulugh Begh.

One of the most beautiful monuments in the city! Built by Omar Khan between 1809 and 1812, its style is monumentally reminiscent of the style of the mosques at iwan. 99 wooden pillars, a veritable forest, support a ceiling with woodwork painted with traditional motifs. It is said that 100 elephants left India to bring back the precious wood from the pillars. One elephant died en route, so there are only 99 to support the awning. The total length of the iwan is 100m. In the middle of the courtyard rises the minaret, which is 22 m high.

Opposite the entrance to the palace, on the other side of the square is the madrasah of the poet khan, known under the pseudonym of Ferouz. The huge portal of the madrasa opens onto a first courtyard surrounded by a floor of cells, an area for traders. The construction follows a square plan, but is characterized by a vaulted passage with 8 domes, the largest in Khiva. Through a second portal, the first courtyard leads to the interior of the madrasa, which houses a museum dedicated to Ferouz.

The highest minaret of Khiva (44.50 m) was built in 1910 by the vizier of Isfandiar Khan, Islam Khodja. It is one of the last Islamic architectural achievements in Central Asia. The minaret had a triple role: religious (the muezzin calls for prayer), military (like the Kalon minaret of Bukhara, it is an ideal observation post to prevent frequent attacks) and that of being an ideal landmark so that one does not get lost in the desert or ... in a city full of meanders. Its slender shape and colourful rings narrowing towards the top would almost make it appear taller than the Kalon Minaret, although it still yields to it nearly 4 m. To have Khiva at your feet and a view of the surrounding desert, take a breath, the minaret has 120 steps. The Islam Khodja Madrasa, built in 1908, is small in size, only the façade has two levels to harmonize with the powerful minaret. The Wazir Islam Khodja was a reformer, but he had the misfortune of serving Isfandiar Khan with a sulphurous reputation. He still managed to build a hospital, to have the telegraph installed in Khiva, but was assassinated when he tried to reform the education system. The madrasa now houses the Museum of Applied Arts where woodwork, carpets, hangings, etc. are on display

Turning right after the minaret leads to a street parallel to the main street, leading to the Pakhlavan Makhmoud Mausoleum.

Pakhlavan Makhmoud (1247-1325) is the patron saint of the city. He was an outstanding character: a furrier of his state, he was also an outstanding wrestler, a great warrior and a poet. Coming from the Kungrad tribe, he is considered the spiritual founder of the dynasty. His tomb was built on the site of his furrier's workshop, and in 1810 he was included in the dynastic mausoleum of the khans kungrad. While the first mausoleum was modest in appearance, it was not until the 19th century that it acquired its present appearance. A high portal leads to an inner courtyard overlooked by the khanaka topped by a drum and a turquoise-blue dome, a summer mosque and annex buildings housing the tombs of the mother and son of Isfandiar Khan. In the courtyard there is also a well where newlyweds wishing to have a child come to drink. The majolica that decorates the interior of the khanaka is breathtakingly beautiful. The walls and the dome are entirely covered with blue and white vegetal arabesques in which are inserted poems by Pakhlavan Makhmoud. These majolica were made by the famous Abdullah Djinn. The tomb of Pakhlavan Makhmud is located in an adjoining room to the left of the main hall. Pilgrims come to gather in front of the openwork gate that protects his tomb. The tombs of Khans Abdul Gazi (1663), Anucha (1681) and Muhammad Rakhim are placed in the khanaka.

East of the jewelers' bazaar. "Kosh madrasa" means "two madrasas". This term refers to all buildings facing each other or belonging to the same complex. Thus, southwest of the Bolo Khaouz Mosque, the two madrasas Modar-i-Khan and Abdullah Khan are also known as "kosh madrasas". The Ulugh Begh Madrasa dates from 1417, it is the oldest of the two. It was built by Ulugh Begh, the astronomical prince of Samarkand, Tamerlan's successor. The inscription on the front door recalls the wisdom and open-mindedness of its builder: "To aspire to knowledge is the duty of every Muslim. "Open-mindedness that few of his contemporaries and successors shared, since the building, like all madrasas, remained closed to women. This was the first of three madrasas built by Ulugh Begh, the other two being in Samarkand and Gidjuvan, 45 km from Bukhara in the direction of Samarkand. The Madrasa of Bukhara is smaller in size than its sister Madrasa of the Registan of Samarkand, but its harmonious proportions and the skilful sobriety of its decoration make it a fine example of Bukhara's medieval architecture and a precious legacy of the Timurid architecture in Bukhara, which was much neglected in this period compared to Samarkand. After independence, students were able to return to study in the madrasah cells, but the government finally preferred to restore it and open it to tourism.

The city's Restoration Museum is housed in the old mosque on the right, and souvenir and craft shops have invaded the cells. A spiral staircase leads to the vaulted roof above the entrance. Much less sober than its neighbour, the madrasa of Abdul Aziz Khan was built two hundred years later, in 1654, when Bukhara had become the capital of the khanate. The architecture and decoration of the imposing madrasa built under the Chaybanids were carried out by the best master craftsmen of the time.

The mosaic of the pishtak, or entrance portal, as well as that of the portals leading to the inner courtyard, is a bright yellow tangle of vegetation with simorgh birds and even a dragon. These decorations, like those on the façade of the Nadir-Divanbeg Madrasa, are a departure from the Islamic rule forbidding figurative art. But the decorator of the madrasah, Abdul Aziz Khan, seems to have ventured to the limits of tolerance: from the darskhana, looking at the back of the mosque when the lights are off, and letting the eyes get used to the darkness, one can see the faded silhouette of a man in a turban, which disappears as one walks towards the entrance and the eyes get used to the light again. Many different techniques were used to decorate the madrasa: relief majolica, painted gantch casts, engraved marble, chiselled mosaic... The decoration of the interior domes of the winter and summer mosques is particularly remarkable. The darskhana to the right of the entrance, transformed into an antique shop, is worth seeing for two reasons: its unrestored decoration is sublime and there are beautiful carpets and suzani. The madrasa also has fireplaces, a great innovation for the time. The decoration of the façade and part of the courtyard has remained unfinished. Indeed, Abdul Aziz Khan was dethroned and his successor put an end to the work.

Before the Arab conquest there was a market and a Buddhist temple on this site, then a Zoroastrian temple dedicated to the moon. The first mosque was built in the 9th century - making it the oldest in Central Asia - on the ruins of the temple, as was customary at that time, building on the existing foundations. It was completely rebuilt in the 12th century and remodelled in the 16th century. But following the destruction of Genghis Khan, it was found below ground level and was only discovered in 1839 by Shishkin, the same archaeologist who had unearthed the Samani mausoleum in the cemetery, which was buried under the ground for the same reasons. Excavations have also brought to light the south portal of the 12th century mosque. Shishkin also discovered traces of the Zoroastrian temple dating back to the ^5th century, and the even older Buddhist temple. Over the centuries, the ground level had risen several meters and the Magok Mosque had been half buried underground. Already for the construction of the east portal, which dates from the 16th century, the entrance had to be adapted to the change in street level, and a staircase with wide steps leads down to the entrance of the mosque. The mosque has a very colourful name that reflects its history: "agok" means "underground" and "attor" means "merchant". The mosque now serves as a carpet exhibition hall. To the east, the wells go down into the earth to where the Buddhist temple used to be.

The mazar, in fact a chapel, is a place as revered as the Ismail Samani mausoleum. Chachma Ayoub means "source of Job". Legend has it that Job, the Old Testament prophet, brought a spring of pure water by planting his pilgrim's staff there. It is not the only mausoleum in the Muslim world dedicated to Job, and his tomb will be found more than once where a spring of pure water springs in Syria, Iraq or the Sultanate of Oman. Recent archaeological research has established that a mazar was built here as early as the 9th century, but the present building dates from the 14th and 16th centuries. It consists of four main rooms in which the gurkhana, the holy water spring, and the rooms for pilgrims are located. Near the entrance to the gurkhana, an inscription attributes the construction of the mazar to Amir Hadjaj and thanks Tamerlan for his benevolence. On the wooden plank, another inscription records the arrival of the Prophet Ayub and his death in Bukhara. It is the only building in Bukhara that dates back to the time of Tamerlan. The cone-shaped dome, built in the 14th century, is typical of Khorezm architecture and was executed by craftsmen from Kounia Ourgench whom Tamerlan had brought back from his military campaigns. The round lantern dome was added in the 16th century. The spring, reputed for its healing properties, is supposed to cure skin diseases. The mazar now houses a museum dedicated to the history and different techniques of water supply in Bukhara.

This madrasa was transformed into a museum devoted to Timur's history. Educative, but not particularly interesting. Avoid unless you know nothing about the conqueror.

Built at the beginning of the 19th century, this miniature madrasa behind the Kalian minaret often goes unnoticed, eclipsed as it is by its huge neighbours. It nevertheless presents an interesting unusual architecture. Indeed, it has three interior courtyards, intended for classrooms and living quarters. It is now a children's library but it is possible to go there to take a few steps and enjoy the timeless atmosphere that floats there, contrasting with the tourist crowd outside.

The mausoleum of Mirsaid Bakhrom is located in the park behind the market. The portal of the domed mausoleum dates from the end of the 10th century. Its decoration, made with an arrangement of bare bricks, is reminiscent of that of the Samanides' mausoleum. Today the monument is endangered by the saline rises. Look at the bricks, you can see a large deposit of salt. The mausoleum is still an important place of pilgrimage, and the faithful can come there very early in the morning.

The khanaka Kasym-Sheikh is an architectural ensemble of the 16th century, consisting of a mosque with a small blue dome and a khanaka. Kasym Sheikh's grave is behind the mosque. The khanaka for pilgrim dervishes was built by Abdullah khan, a native of Karmana. There are several tombs of saints in the inner courtyard, as was customary in the khanaka. The place is quiet and rarely frequented, you will have to charter a taxi to get there and pay for the round trip plus the waiting time of the driver.