Category Archive: Hisor

New Madrassah

Both Madrassah is built of brick and topped with domes. Inside is a wide area with cells built along the inner walls. At the beginning of XX, century madrassahs host about 150 students and were closed by 1921. In Old Madrassah still remain the library premises. New Madrassah building is known has only two store facades that still overlook the square while the rest of the building was destroyed.

Sangin Mosque

One of the most interesting monuments of the Hisor historical and cultural reserve is the domed Mosque of Sangin. This monument of architecture is not only one of the most interesting, but also one of the oldest. It is also found not far from the Hissar Fortress.

The construction of the Sangin Mosque started in the XII century and lasted until the XVI century. The mosque’s name is translated as “Made of stone”. Its name is connected with one of the unique features of the building. The mosque’s lower masonry is laid with stone blocks to half of its height.

The mosque is a square building with an entrance portal. Inside the mosque, there is a traditional courtyard. The mosque itself is located opposite to the portal. The entrance portal is skillfully decorated with inscriptions and paroemias from the Koran.
A unique feature of the mosque is four bottomless jugs, immured under the mosque’s dome. The jugs act as resonating holes, designed to improve the acoustic features of the hall for prayers and sermons. A local legend is connected with the Sangin Mosque. The Sangin Mosque is believed to be built in the VII century by the order of holy caliph Umar.

Caravanserai

Caravanserai, Hisor
The medieval Hisor was one of the trade junctions located in Central Asia. It was crossed by numerous trade routes with waving seas of caravans passing it. Tired travelers arriving to Hisor, stayed in the famous Khishtin caravanserai.

The caravanserai Khishtin is one of the extant monuments of the Hisor historical and cultural complex. This medieval guest house was built in 1808 next to the Kukhna madrasah. “Khishtin” is translated as “made of brick”, since the fragments of the buildings foundation extant up to date as well as the ruins of the walls were completely laid of burnt brick. This is rather unusual, since burnt brick was more often used in construction of rulers’ palaces, madrasahs and mosques.
The caravanserai’s building did not fully survive up to date. Its initial state was captured in 1913 on the only photo based on which the architectures-renovators are restoring the monuments. Fragments of walls with height not more than a meter are only left from the original building. Up to date the renovators managed to restore the walls of the caravanserai almost fully.

In its sizes the guest house follows the Kukhna madrasah located next to it. The entrance portal was presumably of rectangular shape. The rooms were located along the perimeter. Inside the guest house there was a courtyard with a well in its center. The caravanserai’s rooms were different in sizes and comfort level. Common camel drivers and rich merchants could stay there. Though the caravanserai was remarkable for its comfortability, it was built without windows; however there were fire-places in some rooms while some other rooms came with fixtures for heating chauffers.

Mausoleum of Makhdumi Azam

Mausoleum of Makhdumi Azam, Hisor

In the territory of Hisor historical and cultural reserve not far from the Kukhna madrasah there is the Makhdumi A’zam Mausoleum. Makhdumi A’zam is not a name but a title in a way, which is translated as “Supreme Lord”. There are several mausoleums under this name in the Central Asian territory. One of these mausoleums is located in Samarkand and is a burial place of Said Jalal ad-din Akhmad al-Kasani ad-Dakhbedi, the founder of “Dakhbedia” Sufi school of nakshbandia’s teachings.

Who was buried there is not known for certain, most probably, it was khoja Muhammad Khayvoki. No reliable information оn the identity of this man preserved, but according to some sources he was a statesman and religious public figure, respected by the people.
The construction of the mausoleum started at the end of the XV century and completed at the beginning of the XVI century. The mausoleum’s total area is 609 m2. Traditionally the building was constructed from burnt brick. The mausoleum’s entrance portal is not large and of square shape, behind it, there is a gurkhana and ziyaratkhana (hall for praying). Later on the building was added with a domed hall with a separate portal entrance. The architecture of the building is rather unusual, since there are no elements of décor there.