Things to see and do Karchi

The spire of the monument to the dead of the Second World War and to the victims of fascism, erected in 1987, is impossible to miss. There are austere exterior frescoes and imposing interior stained glass windows, where a flame burns under the 120 t and 134 m metal spire. Uzbekistan boasts the third largest war memorial in the world, after those of Russia (in Volgograd) and Canada. Small museum with photographs of all veterans.

This small mosque dates from the end of the 16th century. It has two iwans supported by 7 posts, flanking a prayer room. The woodwork of the iwans is well damaged, but this is an opportunity to see paintings in their original state. The courtyard is pierced by a vast basin, and a minaret of 11 m, entirely rebuilt, dominates the whole. Under the basin would be buried Juma Masjit, a native of Samarkand, who preached Islam and came to Karchi to die. Next to it, two 16th-century tombs engraved with Arabic motifs add to the dilapidation of the site.

Close to the bazaar and the main square, and built on the same model as the other two madrasas in the neighborhood, the Bekmir Kozok madrasa was founded in 1906 and financed by a wealthy sheep breeder. Since 1991, it has housed a library for blind and visually impaired people, who learn to read Braille. In general, these blind people have suffered from chemical fertilizers and pesticides during the cotton harvest, which was done without protection. One can enter for a visit and a short discussion with the director.

Built at the beginning of the 20th century around an octagonal courtyard with a square basin, the small madrasah now serves as the premises of the Karchi Association for the Protection of Historic Monuments. Under the basin passes one of the secret passages built in the 18th century so that the population can take shelter in the basement in case of a nomadic raid. The passage connected the palace to the outside of the city, beyond the second line of walls. It has never been consolidated for the time being and therefore cannot be visited.

The Kok Kumbaz Mosque, built at the end of the 16th century outside the present-day city of Karchi by Abdullah Khan II, was used for the great services: Ramadan, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The 32 m high dome and the original 28 m high portal were destroyed by the Russians in 1886, and the mosque was closed by the Soviets between 1922 and 1933, during which time it was used as a warehouse. In 1968, the dome and portal were rebuilt and in 1982 Samarkand workers took over the decoration.