Tashkent Travel
Halal Travel Guide: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History
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Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s. view all
Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.
Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.
Halal Travel Guide: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History
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Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s. view all
Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s. view all
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Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.
Summary: Tashkent — Old City, Mosques and Central Asian History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. The account keeps its focus on Tashkent Travel, Central Asia, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, it was the capital of the state of Shi, one of the Nine Zhaowu States. In the early 8th century, Arabs conquered Tashkent. It later became part of the Samanid Empire and the Kara-Khanid Khanate, before being destroyed by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1219.
During the Timurid Empire and the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate between the 14th and 16th centuries, Tashkent's population and size recovered, making it a commercial and cultural hub along the Silk Road. Most of the historical buildings still standing in Tashkent today were built during this period. During the unrest of the late Timurid period, Tashkent briefly served as the capital of the Moghulistan Khanate. The tomb of Yunus Khan is still preserved here today.
Tashkent was incorporated into the Kazakh Khanate during the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming its capital in the 18th century. The tomb of a Kazakh hero is still preserved in Tashkent today.
The famous Imam Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum: 1541.
Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi was a famous imam and scholar during the Samanid period. He was born in 903 to a locksmith's family in Tashkent. He traveled to Khorasan for his studies when he was young, then went to Baghdad, the center of the Islamic world at the time, for further education. He became a brilliant jurist, linguist, and poet, and people honored him as the Great Imam (Hazrat Imam). After traveling the world, Kaffal Shashi returned to his hometown of Tashkent. He passed away in 976 and was buried in a garden on the outskirts of the city.
The current Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum was rebuilt in 1541 during the Shaybanid dynasty. It features the design of a Sufi lodge (khanaqah), including a tall arched gate (iwan) and a dome. Besides Kaffal Shashi, his students, including his three main disciples, are also buried inside. The mausoleum was once covered in beautiful tiles, but only parts remain today and have been restored. Additionally, the window lattices on the mausoleum gate are 500 years old.
According to Tashkent legend, rubbing dust from this tomb on one's face can help a woman conceive, which attracts many women who are struggling to get pregnant.
Tombstones outside the mausoleum.
Barak Khan Madrasa: 1550s.
Barak Khan (reigned 1552-1556), whose real name was Nawruz Ahmad, was a khan of the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate and served as the governor of the Tashkent region for a long time. The madrasa is located just south of the Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum. The original structure was a tomb and lodge (khanqah) built by Barak Khan's father, Suyunich Khan, in the 1530s. In the 1550s, Barak Khan built the current madrasa and combined it with the tomb. Because of its blue dome, it is also called the Blue Dome (Kuk Gumbaz/gongbei).
The blue dome was damaged during the 1868 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasa was forced to close during the Soviet era, but it was restored between 1955 and 1963 under the direction of Usto Shirin Muradov. The existing tiles still bear verses dedicated to Tashkent by the madrasa's first principal, the famous poet Zayn ad-Din Vasifi (1485-1556). One line reads, 'Perhaps it is better to die in Tashkent than to live a miserable life elsewhere.' ”
Today, this place has become a spot for selling tourist souvenirs.
Muyi Muborak Library.
The Muyi Muborak Library was built in the 16th century and is named for housing a hair of the Prophet. The library now holds the famous Uthman Quran, also known as the Samarkand Kufic Quran, along with dozens of other medieval handwritten religious texts. It is now open to tourists as a museum, though photography is not allowed inside.
The Uthman Quran is said to have belonged to the third Caliph, Uthman. Based on the symbols used and carbon-14 dating, it likely dates back to the 8th century. One theory is that when Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, one of his generals obtained this Quran from Basra, Iraq, and brought it to the Timurid capital of Samarkand. Another theory is that the Sufi master Khoja Ahrar of the Timurid era brought the Quran to Samarkand, as it was kept in the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand for a long time and displayed during major holidays.
In 1868, Tsarist Russia invaded the Emirate of Bukhara and occupied Samarkand. In 1869, they took the Quran to the Imperial Library in Saint Petersburg. In December 1917, with Lenin's approval, the Uthman Quran was returned to the Muslims. In early 1918, the Quran was officially handed over to the All-Russian Muslim Council and transported to Ufa, where many Bashkir Muslims lived. In 1923, at the request of the Turkestan ASSR, the Soviet Union returned the Quran to the Khoja Ahrar Mosque in Samarkand. In 1941, it was moved to the People's History Museum in Tashkent, and it was only placed in the current Muyi Muborak Library after the 1990s.
A single page of the Uthman Quran held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sufi Master Sheihantaur Mausoleum: 1355.
The Islamic University of Tashkent once had a Sheihantaur complex consisting of sixteen mausoleums, but most were destroyed during the Soviet era, and only three remain today. The full name of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur is Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur. He was born in the late 13th century and was the 18th-generation descendant of Caliph Umar. His father traveled to the Transoxiana region of Central Asia to preach. He was born in the ancient city of Turkistan, joined the Sufi Yasaviyya order in his youth, and preached in Tashkent until he passed away there in 1355. People say his tomb was built by the personal order of Timur.
Inside the tomb of Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur, there is a conifer tree trunk called Saur Iskander. Legend says Alexander the Great once rested under this tree. Many such trees once grew by the pond next to the tomb, but they disappeared after the 15th century. Now, only this petrified trunk remains inside the tomb.
The tomb was restored between 1910 and 1920, and the dome was covered with sheet metal.
Tomb of Yunus Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate: 1487.
The largest structure in the Sheikh Hovendi at-Tahur complex is the tomb of Yunus Khan (reigned 1462-1487), the Great Khan of the Moghulistan Khanate.
In the History of Ming, Yunus Khan is referred to as Sultan Ali or Haji Ali. He was the maternal grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, and the grandfather of Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkand Khanate. Yunus Khan was one of the few khans of the Moghulistan Khanate known for his wisdom and intelligence. The Tarikh-i-Rashidi contains a long tribute to him.
Yunus Khan grew up in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia and received a systematic education in Iran under the famous Iranian scholar Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi. Later, he relied on the support of the Timurid dynasty to secure the throne of the Moghulistan Khanate. After taking the throne, Yunus Khan longed for city life and wanted to move the khan's court from the Moghul grasslands in the north to Aksu in the south. This caused dissatisfaction among the traditional Chagatai Mongol nobles and sparked civil unrest within the khanate.
In 1484, because he could not find peace on the Moghul grasslands due to his subordinates, Yunus Khan marched west into Transoxiana and occupied Tashkent. After conquering Tashkent, the nearly 70-year-old Yunus Khan was finally able to enjoy the city life he had craved for years. He lived in Tashkent until his death in 1487.
Tomb of the Kazakh hero Tole Biy: 1756.
Tole Biy (1663-1756) was a chief justice and poet of the Kazakh Khanate. Tole Biy once governed the Senior Juz, helped promote the unification of the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, and participated in the drafting of the important Seven Codes (Zheti Zhargy) of the Kazakh Khanate.
Legend says that when the Dzungar army invaded Central Asia, Tole Biy refused to flee and stayed in his felt tent (yurt). The Dzungar commander asked Tole Biy why he did not leave. Tole Biy said that a swallow had built a nest on his tent, and he could not bear to destroy the nest and the chicks. He said the swallow is a sacred animal and a friend to humans, and he would not destroy the swallow's nest just because the enemy had arrived. The Dzungar commander spared Tole Biy because of this. After this, the people of Tashkent called Tole Biy the Sacred Swallow (Kaldyrgach-biy).
Afterward, Tole Biy led the Kazakhs in a struggle against the Dzungar Khanate until the Dzungars finally left Tashkent in 1745, and Tole Biy became the governor of Tashkent.
After Tole Biy died in 1756, he was buried in Tashkent. His tomb has a pyramidal dome, which is very rare in Uzbekistan. One theory is that it was built to resemble a felt tent. During the Soviet era, the tomb of Tole Biy became a souvenir factory until architect V. M. Filimonov restored the tomb in 1970.
Kukeldash Madrasa: 1570.
Kukeldash Madrasa is next to Chorsu Bazaar. It was built in 1570 by Dervish Khan, who ruled Tashkent for the Shaybanid dynasty of the Bukhara Khanate. The madrasa is built of yellow bricks, with a 20-meter-high gate in the center, surrounded by student rooms (hujras).
After the 18th century, the madrasa was converted into a caravan inn (caravanserai) and later into a fortress. The madrasa building was severely damaged in earthquakes in 1866 and 1886. It was rebuilt in 1902-1903, rebuilt again in the 1950s, and survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. During the Soviet era, it served as an atheism museum and a folk music museum, only returning to use as a madrasa after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s.