KOK KUMBAZ MOSQUE

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.