AZRAT KHUSSAN ATA COMPLEX

Set in the middle of a cemetery, this complex of mausoleums and mosques was built between the ^9th and ^16th centuries. At its origin lies the sage Azrat Khussan Ata, who died here. Born in the city of Turkestan (now in Kazakhstan), in the ^9th century (according to the mosque's imam), in the ^11th (according to Soviet researchers), he is said to have travelled as far as Mecca and returned here, in Poudina, to teach the Koran, near an old tree and a pond he built. It was also here, a few centuries later, that Baha Al-Din Naqchband, the founder of the Sufi order in Central Asia, whose mausoleum is located a few kilometers from Bukhara, is said to have come to learn.

Around Khussan Ata's tomb, votive cloths and a ponytail bear witness to his high degree of wisdom. The main mausoleum houses the remains of the holy man and his daughter. The other three, according to the imam, contain the remains of Khussan Ata's brother and his sons, then those of the second brother and his wife, and finally those of the first brother's daughters. Soviet researchers, on the other hand, believe that these are the tombs of local nobles. Whichever version you subscribe to, this site is captivating for its timelessness and the various aspects of its architecture, which spans some ten centuries. What's more, the drive through the village of Poudina and the welcome offered by the old turbaned imams are enough in themselves to justify the trip.