TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN: HAST IMAM SQUARE AND A MAUSOLEUM, A MOSQUE, A MUSEUM, AND MORE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE LOCALS

Our next stop was Hast Imam Square, the religious center of Tashkent.

We stopped first at the Mausoleum of Abu Bakr Kaffal Shoshi, the first imam of Tashkent who lived in the 10th century. He was an expert on the Quran, a polyglot, a scientist, a poet, a craftsman and a teacher.   

I love this shade of what I would call either cyan or robin egg blue. The dome rises from a band of intricate mosaic patterns:

Looking at the dome from another angle reveals the thin, vertical slab that surrounds the front door, a Western Asia architectural style we would see again and again.  I read a description that said the mausoleum "acquired its modern shape in 1541." They have a very different definition of "modern" than I do.

Here is a straight-on shot of the entrance. Most mausoleum portals face Mecca (southwest of Tashkent), but for some reason this one faces north:

Abu Bakr Kaffal Shoshi died in 976. His tomb is 32 feet underground, and the spot is marked by an emerald green vault:

Arched windows let in light and help the air circulate, an excellent design feature:

I assume these tubular structures are crypts. We noted that items were often left on top of them. Gifts for the dead? Pleas for blessings?

An explanation of what we were seeing was written out for us. It wasn't too helpful:

Here is the interior of the dome, shot from the floor. The engineering absolutely boggles my mind.

This pieced wooden ceiling in another part of the mausolem reminds me of similar ceilings we have seen in China:

The mausoleum is part of a large complex. This large building is the Hazrat (also spelled "Hast" and "Ghast") Imam Mosque, built over a period of only four months in 2007:

There are two free-standing minarets:

A sign over the door gives the next prayer time:

Another sign shows all five prayer times for the day:

Tashkent is known for its wood carvers, and the front door is an excellent example of their skill:

The mosque itself wraps around an interior courtyard behind the main entrance:

More exquisite wood carving on the posts:

We were fortunate to be allowed to go briefly inside. The floor was covered with rich green carpet with lines creating rows for supplicants:

I was impressed by this shoehorn tree near the door, very practical for getting one's shoes back on:

This next building is the Madrasa of Barak-Khan and was built in the 16th century:

Look at this spectacular entrance:

Another very important building near the mausoleum and the mosque is the Hast Imam Museum:

One of the oldest Qurans in the world--the Quran of Caliph Uthman, written in the mid-7th century about 100 years after Muhammad's death--is housed in this museum. A manuscript of 353 very large parchment sheets, it was the source of many subsequent copies of the Quran. It was originally held by the Caliphs, but since the time of Tamerlane (14th century), it has been in Uzbekistan. In the 19th century it was sent to St. Petersburg, where Russian scientists proved its authenticity.

We were asked to remove our shoes before going inside, a sign that it is considered a holy place.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos inside. Luckily, the internet had a photo here. Note how large the script is:

As we walked around the mausoleum-mosque-museum complex, our big group of American tourists drew a lot of attention, especially because we seemed to be the only non-natives there. As we traveled through the Stans, we were impressed by how friendly everyone always was. These boys were anxious for us to take their picture:

These four men sitting outside the mosque were happy to pose for us too:

When traveling in a place where no one speaks English, there are always things that need an explanation when the guide is not nearby.

This man walking across the courtyard carrying a boat with blue silk sails must have had a great story . . .

. . . but I have no idea what it is. However, like the others, he seemed please to have his picture taken:

These two women were with the boat man. They are an interesting pair--one in traditional dress, and one in Western-style clothing:

And finally, on our way out we passed a bridal party:

Wedding parties in Western Asia like to visit historical sites for photos. Coming to a religious site makes more sense to me than posing in front of war memorials (another place where we often saw bridal parties):