Khoja Mashhad

Khoja Mashhad

The legends present another version. According to them the mausoleum «emerged» in one night and it was Allah’s miracle.

Khoja Mashhad Mausoleum located in Saed village (in the vicinity of Kurgan Tube) will strike your imagination with its monumentalism of forms and virtuosity of the brickwork. It is the only wooden carved mausoleum which has survived in Central Asia.

The area where the mausoleum is located has been known since the old days as «Kabodian» and draws the attention of travelers.

Khoja Mashhad is a real person known in the Islamic world; he came to Kabodian from the countries of the Near East approximately in the late 9th — early 10th centuries. He was a rich man preaching Islam. Most researchers believe that the Madrassah was built with his money and after his death, he was buried there.

The legends present anther version. According to them the mausoleum «emerged» in one night and it was Allah’s miracle.

The monument consists of two separate mausoleums standing next to each other connected by a vaulted passage. At first sight both mausoleums look like twins. In fact they differ by the time of construction (the eastern building is dated the 9th -10th century, and the western one — 11th-12th centuries).

Both buildings were built from burnt bricks. In the western building, the architects used the so-called «book matched» brickwork. In the eastern one, the brickwork consists of alternating «angles». Inside both mausoleums, there are sepulchral structures.

Behind the mausoleums, there is the big rectangular yard surrounded by the remains of mud-brick walls and demolished rooms. Nearly the whole territory of the yard is occupied by tombs. The earth floors of the domed gape with semi-destroyed tombstones.

There are a lot of arguments in relation to the purpose of these monuments. Since there are some cells-khudzhrs on the yard’s perimeter one might think that there used to stand a Madrassah alongside with the mausoleum and the mosque.

Other scientists believe Khoja Mashhad was a complex memorial site with khanaka functions. (Khanaka is a place for pilgrims, dervishes, Sufis and so forth). It used to have a hostel with khudzhrs, a refectory, drawing room, halls for praying and meetings, ceremonial ablutions, and a bath. In any event, it is clear that Khoja Mashhad architectural complex is a place of worshipped, sacred burial — the most interesting monument of architecture in Tajikistan.

Khoja Mashhad is a place of pilgrimage of many believers coming here from all over Central Asia.