On the new spaces and design of mosques in Bishkek, Tashkent and Almaty
Post-Secular Cities of Central Asia
Emil Nasritdinov
Research was conducted with the students of Applied Research in Sustainability course at AUCA: Nurzhan Beken kyzy, Olga Potashova, Айдин Turganbekov, Saltanat Namazbekova and Jypara Kadyrakunova
Research was conducted with the students of Applied Research in Sustainability course at AUCA: Nurzhan Beken kyzy, Olga Potashova, Айдин Turganbekov, Saltanat Namazbekova and Jypara Kadyrakunova
The study was supported by the Faculty Research Grant (FRG) and Tian Shan Policy Analysis Center (TAC) of the American University of Central Asia and by the Open Society Institute University Network.
Five o'clock in the morning and the 9th microdistrict of Bishkek, built in Soviet times, is still asleep; the autumn air is already cooling down after the hot summer, but the windows in the 4-storey 104-series Soviet apartment buildings are still open. Suddenly, this pristine night silence is broken by the sharp and slightly creaking sound of a microphone coming from Ata-Turk Park (formerly Friendship Park): "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar!" These are the first lines of the azaan, the call to prayer, flying from a loudspeaker atop the minaret of the Toyiba Mosque, built in the early 2000s with funds from an Arab foundation. Dogs in the neighborhood begin to howl following the microphone. The azaan is read by Abdukadir Sheikh, a former internationalist paratrooper who fought for the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s and has 167 parachute jumps under his belt. In his youth he may have shot at the Afghan mujahideen, but now he himself is no different from them in appearance: in long Muslim clothes and with a beard, he is proud of the way he recites azaan: loudly, chanting, with shimmers. Tynybek Baike, an elderly man in his well-deserved 60s, wakes up in his bed trying to figure out what's going on, then swears profusely, gets up to close the window and lies back down, covering his head with a blanket so he doesn't hear the end of the azaan. His neighbor, newlywed Kairat, is not so easy to wake up. His wife, Aisha, shakes him by the shoulder: "Get up, it's azaan, it's time for you to go to the mosque." They sleep on the floor, following Muslim and Kyrgyz traditions. Kairat turns over on his toshok, sits up, rubs his eyes and raising his hands, addresses Allah with dua. He then gets out of bed, makes ablution, dresses up and goes to the mosque for morning prayer. Aisha gets up immediately after Kairat and performs her morning namaz in the house.
This mise-en-scene introduces four random characters in our story about the new role of mosques in the cities of three Central Asian republics: Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan; Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan; and Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan.
Of the three cities, only Tashkent has a pre-Soviet Islamic history. Bishkek and Almaty, on the other hand, were founded as colonial Russian cities and all three were later developed as typical capitals of the Soviet socialist republics. Bishkek and Almaty had only one mosque each in the late Soviet period, while Tashkent had more mosques, but not all of them were used for their intended purpose at the time.
In the three decades since the Central Asian states gained independence, the number of mosques in the three capitals has increased drastically. Islam has become an important part of the new urban environment: the minarets and domes of new mosques, azaan, hijabs, beards, Muslim clothes, Muslim goods stores and Halal signs on cafes and eateries have become an integral part of contemporary urban landscape in Central Asia. The trajectories of this kind of change in the three capitals are heterogeneous, both geographically and temporally, and the presence of Islam on the streets of Bishkek, Tashkent, and Almaty varies widely. This article aims to explore both the general trends in the changing urban images of the three cities and the differences between them. The main focus of the article is on the architecture, design and layout of new (and in the case of Tashkent, old) mosques and their role in shaping contemporary urban culture and public life.
In the three decades since the Central Asian states gained independence, the number of mosques in the three capitals has increased drastically. Islam has become an important part of the new urban environment: the minarets and domes of new mosques, azaan, hijabs, beards, Muslim clothes, Muslim goods stores and Halal signs on cafes and eateries have become an integral part of contemporary urban landscape in Central Asia. The trajectories of this kind of change in the three capitals are heterogeneous, both geographically and temporally, and the presence of Islam on the streets of Bishkek, Tashkent, and Almaty varies widely. This article aims to explore both the general trends in the changing urban images of the three cities and the differences between them. The main focus of the article is on the architecture, design and layout of new (and in the case of Tashkent, old) mosques and their role in shaping contemporary urban culture and public life.
This paper is based on the results of a study conducted jointly with students of the American University of Central Asia in 2023. The main field for research was Bishkek, where we visited mosques with students and conducted interviews with imams or worshippers 2-3 times a month for one semester. Research in Tashkent and Almaty was conducted during intensive short-term 4-day trips, where we actively visited mosques and also conducted interviews with imams. During the research process, a large number of photos and stories were collected.
One of the main research interests within the visual analysis was the question of style. We were interested in what style new mosques were built in, what external geographical influences can be identified and whether there were any new unique Central Asian or specific Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Kazakh styles of architecture and interior design of mosques. In addition, it was important for us to understand how mosques are perceived by the residents of these cities and what impact they have on the social and cultural environment of the city. A brief sketch of the morning azaan in Bishkek shows a rather ambiguous and complex picture of the perception of mosques in a city with a still very strong influence of the Soviet atheist past.
The article is structured as follows: readers are presented with individual descriptions of mosques in the three cities, followed by a discussion based on a comparative analysis between the three cities. The focus on style implies a great deal of visual material; accordingly, the article includes many photographs as well as several drawings made by Olga Potashova and Emil Nasritdinov
Три столицы
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The city with the highest number of mosques per capita
Tashkent
Centuries of Islamic history and tradition of mosque construction
Almaty
The most secular of the three cities
Comparative analysis, findings and conclusions
Having compared mosques in three Central Asian cities, Bishkek, Tashkent and Almaty, one can draw conclusions on several major themes...
Bishkek
The city with the highest number of mosques per capita
The city of Bishkek is located in the Chui Valley at the northern foot of Tien Shan mountains, between the two rivers: Alamedin and Ala-Archa. Many centuries ago, there was an ancient settlement of Zhul and in 1820s, the Kokand fortress Pishpek was built here. The fortress served as a fort-post for representatives of the Kokand Khanate administration, who collected taxes from local nomadic Kyrgyz tribes. In 1865 the fortress was destroyed by the Russian tsarist army, and in its place a new town with the same name was founded, which soon became the center of the tsarist administration. The main population of the city were Russian colonial settlers, but there were also many representatives of other ethnicities. There were three churches and one mosque in the city. The mosque was built by a rich Tatar merchant. In Soviet times, the town was renamed into Frunze and most of the century it s main population remained ethnic Russians. The old mosque was demolished and the modern Opera and Ballet Theater was built in its place. Later another mosque was built at the intersection of Gogol and Moskovskaya Streets. It was a small room, where even for Friday prayer only 10-15 people, mostly elderly, gathered.
Old Central Mosque
Gogol Street 55
Старая центральная мечеть города Бишкек
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Frunze became the capital of independent Kyrgyzstan and was renamed into Bishkek. The only mosque was transformed. The author of new project was the restoration architect Jumamedel Imankulov. The new building had a rectangular plan, high central dome, minaret and large open courtyard with adjoining additional building for prayers. The façade design features decorative elements of white brick and concrete in fairly crude form and aesthetics, reflecting an attempt at some new stylization. The mosque was built in the mid-90s, got to be known as the Central Mosque and became the main point of attraction for Muslims in Bishkek. Nearby buildings were transformed into the Kyrgyz Islamic University and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan. The mosque was built with the support of a local patron. Today there is great interest and financial resources available from Arab foundations to demolish the existing mosque and build a new larger and more beautiful mosque at this location. However, the philanthropist who built the mosque does not give permission for it, because he built it in honor of his mother. The opinions of residents and worshipers are divided: some want a new mosque with better conditions, while others have many memories of the mosque and do not want changes. The central room of the mosque has been restored and looks very presentable, but the women's room remains in a deplorable condition and is not even heated in winter. Female students who participated in the project were very unpleasantly surprised by the difference in the way the mosque administration treats men's and women's rooms and considered it unfair. Today this mosque is no longer the central mosque, as a new central mosque has been built, but nevertheless it remains very important for practicing Muslims in the city.
New Central Mosque of Imam Muhammad al-Sarakhsi
Zhibek Zholu Prospect 264
View of the central mosque from the side of the Kuznechnaya Fortress, drawing on a tablet, Emil Nasritdinov
The new central mosque has an interesting history. It was built on the territory of former Issyk-Kul movie theater, which in turn was built on the territory of the cemetery in 1959. This reveals an interesting dynamic: if in Soviet times, the first mosque was demolished to build an opera and ballet theater, then in the post-Soviet period, the cinema was demolished to build a mosque, which says a lot about the change of values. The demolition of movie theater did not cause much resistance from residents as at the time of demolition it was already in a deplorable condition and was not popular. An architectural competition was announced for the construction of a new mosque and a large number of architects and architectural companies participated. The competition was won by a local architectural project with an interesting design and a mosque plan that resembled the shape of a crescent moon. However, when it came to construction, it turned out that the city and the muftiate did not have the funds to carry out the project. The Turkish government agreed to build the mosque, but with one condition: that they would build it in the traditional Turkish style. The City Hall agreed, and now the central mosque of Bishkek looks like a typical Turkish mosque of the Ottoman period: there is a tall central dome supported by a series of smaller half-domes, there are four tall graceful minarets and a courtyard framed by two-story rooms and canopies with arches. The interior is also decorated in traditional Turkish style. The mosque is named after the revered 11-th century Central Asian scholar Imam Muhammad al-Sarakhsi.
Central Mosque of Imam Muhammad as-Sarakhsi, Bishkek
4K Timelapse Video
Abdulkerim Satuk Bugra-Khan Mosque
Manas University, 38, Tynalieva Street, Dzhal
Рассвет, мечеть Абдулкерим Сатук Бугра-Хан, цифровая графика Эмиля Насритдинова
Another mosque built by the Turkish government in Bishkek in a similar style, but smaller in size and with only two minarets, is located on the territory of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. Together, these two mosques represent a very interesting urban phenomenon, when architectural forms alien to Kyrgyzstan become part of the urban landscape, because the city lacks its own resources and geopolitical interests come into play: the Turkish government wants to increase its influence in the region and architecture becomes a convenient tool as the Turkish architectural style of mosque construction is easily recognizable. Interestingly, Bishkek Muslims often use the term "Turkish mosques" in reference to them, but without any negative connotations in tone. On the contrary, being large-scale and beautiful, they cause admiration among worshipers.
Mosque on the territory of Manas University
Abu Bakr al-Sydyk Mosque
Kurenkeeva Street 37/1
More "local" for Kyrgyzstan is the Abu Bakr as-Sydyk mosque, built in the territory of the area informally called "makhalla". Makhalla is derived from the Arabic word "makhol" (environment) and refers to urban areas with defined boundaries and residential community with its own unique identity. Makhallas are more common among the Uzbek population in southern Kyrgyzstan. In Bishkek, this area also received the informal name "mahalla", precisely because many ethnic Uzbeks lived here. They built a mosque in the traditional Uzbek style, with the active use of wooden elements, gazebo and a veranda where aksakals can sit after namaz, drink tea and socialize. The mosque was built on the territory of a private house and was also squeezed on two sides by private houses. In the 2010s, local sponsors helped to buy one of the neighboring plots and build a new two-story mosque on its territory, which differs significantly from the first one in architecture and design. The new mosque is finished in stone and has a large number of decorative elements in the facade, made in the traditional Uzbek style of the Timurid period. The interior is also richly decorated with paintings and moldings in warm beige and brown colors. Carved wooden staircases lead to the second floor. Uzbeks in Central Asia are known not only for their architectural and design skills, but also for their ability to take care of their homes and mosques. The Abu Bakr as-Sydyk mosque is always perfectly clean and it is the only mosque where the daaratkana even has towels: separately for hands and feet. The towels are used only once and then thrown into a basket for washing and drying.
The building of the old mosque is now used as a madrasa, where students live and study. Since the mosque was built, a new religious community has been forming around it as the area was becoming very popular among Muslims. Nowadays, many representatives of other Muslim ethnic groups are buying houses and settling here: Kyrgyz, Uighurs, Dungans, Turks, Dagestanis, etc., in connection with which the mosque has acquired the informal status of a Russian-speaking mosque. Property values have increased significantly; old houses are bought by wealthier Muslims, who often build new houses in place of dilapidated ones. This changes the architectural appearance and general vibe of the entire area, and after City Hall replaced the asphalt of the roads and sidewalks, the neighborhood looks very upscale. This story clearly illustrates how the mosque has changed the physical, cultural and social appearance of the urban area.
Mosques near Madina market
Uyghur mosques: in Madina market and Tokoldosh mahalla
Interior of the mosque in the Madina market area
Another ethnic group with a unique Muslim culture is the Uyghurs. The Uyghur diaspora has been forming in Kyrgyzstan since the mid-19th century, following the migration of ethnic Uyghurs and other groups from the territory of Xin-Jian province as a following repression by the Chinese government. On the territory of Bishkek, Uyghurs settled in compact settlements, also informally called mahallas. The two most prominent Uyghur Soviet mahallas were Karpinka and Tokoldosh in the eastern part of the city. This is also where the Madina market is located, where most of the traders are ethnic Uyghurs selling fabrics from China. A unique mosque has been built here in the market: it is located on the second floor, on top of the main market trading rows. The building has no dome, but it has a rather complex ceiling structure of eight transverse spans held on the side walls and two rows of inner columns. The ceiling in each individual span is arch-shaped and decorated with rectangular recesses, and the walls in the spans are draped with curtains. The main visitors of the mosque are traders working in the market.
Not far from the Madina market is another Uyghur mosque - Tliwai. It is smaller in size than the mosque in the market, decorated with stone and has a beautiful gilded dome and one minaret. The dome is decorative in nature, as inside the room, the ceiling is flat. The windows and mihrabs in the mosque are made in the form of pointed arches. The amount of decoration is not as large as in the Uzbek mosque, but the ornaments are tastefully designed in a monochromatic beige and brown color scheme. The space for women in both mosques is separated by light movable screens.
Dungan Ikhlas Mosque
Samarsky lane 10a
Старая резная дверь мечети Ихлас
The third "ethnic" mosque in Bishkek is the Dungan Ikhlas Mosque, located in a private development on the northern bank of the Bolshoi Chui Canal (BChK). The history of Dungan migration to Kyrgyzstan is in many ways similar to that of the Uyghurs. The Dungans consider themselves to be descendants of the Sahabis (companions of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)) - Arabs who married Chinese women as early as the 7th century AD. The Dungan language is close to Chinese and the Chinese government's repression of them was not as severe as that of the Uighurs, but nevertheless serious enough to cause several waves of migration to Central Asia in the 18-th and 19-th centuries. The Dungan developed their own style of mosque construction and decoration. Dungan craftsmen, like Uzbeks, use a lot of wood [1], but the interiors are generally much simpler and less ornate. One of the most interesting elements of the Ikhlas Mosque is the main entrance, made of white and red brick with three entrances, a balcony and three towers. Upon entering the mosque, the visitor sees a cozy courtyard framed by ablution facilities and rooms for madrasa students, a wooden canopy with communion chairs and iftar tables, and the wooden porch of the mosque building itself. A vineyard stretches upwards along the light metal structures in the middle of the courtyard, providing not only fruit but also shade on a hot day. The wooden elements in the courtyard and the now aged carved doors to the mosque are painted blue and white. The interior of mosque is simple, with almost no decoration, there are two rooms, only one of which (smaller) is used in winter to save on heating. The ceiling in the main room, although without any decoration, nevertheless has an inner dome vault. In an additional room, the ceiling is more elaborate - made of wood and sheets of plywood. If Dungan mosques are inferior to Uzbek and Uighur mosques in decoration, they quite compensate for this with a very active social life. The mosque is a very important center of socialization of the male population. Dungan mosques rarely have facilities for women, but men spend a lot of time there in joint worship, tea parties, conversations and sometimes even sports [2]. Mosques become especially active during the month of Ramadan, when every day one Dungan family takes over cooking for iftar and almost all neighbors come to worship and eat at the mosque.
[1] One of the most significant architectural monuments of Kyrgyzstan is the wooden Dungan mosque in the town of Kara-Kol, built without a single nail.
[2] One of the Dungan mosques in the village of Aleksandrovka near Bishkek even has an indoor sports complex.
[1] One of the most significant architectural monuments of Kyrgyzstan is the wooden Dungan mosque in the town of Kara-Kol, built without a single nail.
[2] One of the Dungan mosques in the village of Aleksandrovka near Bishkek even has an indoor sports complex.
We considered mosques located in areas with a compact population of Uzbeks, Uighurs and Dungan, representing ethnic minorities in the city. In addition, Bishkek has many areas that are populated almost homogeneously by ethnic Kyrgyz and are more located closer to the urban periphery. These are called "novostroikas"; they were formed in the post-Soviet period, when fields around the city were transformed into residential areas and sold to internal migrants who came to Bishkek from other regions of Kyrgyzstan. It was easier and cheaper to find a territory for religious buildings in the newly built residential neighborhoods and therefore a very large number of mosques were built there.
Khulifa al-Rashidin Mosque
Аk-Nur 3/651, Ak-Ordo konush
Купол и минарет мечети Хулифа аль-Рашидин
The Khulifa al-Rashidin Mosque is located in the recently built Ak-Ordo neighborhood in the western part of the city. It is a one-story building on a high foundation with a main hall for prayers and two rooms on opposite sides of the lobby: one of them is for the imam. There are practically no decorations in the interior, except for a band of Kyrgyz ornamentation around the inscriptions "Allah" and "Muhammad" written in Arabic letters on both sides of the mihrab. The walls are painted in simple white color and only on the lower edge of the wall, along its entire perimeter there is a green strip 80 cm high and the same color painted mihrab itself. The mosque has a decorative dome and a small minaret, welded from metal sheets, which probably were not repainted since construction. Similarly, the dome, minaret and the roof itself look dilapidated and unkept, so is the courtyard. This situation is common in many mosques in novostroikas: they do not have such a caring attitude towards the building and the territory as Uzbeks, Uighurs and Dungans do. However, this does not mean that mosques are not visited. Often on the contrary, the local jamaat in the mosque is even more active and mosques fulfill their main function as places of worship very well. Due to the fact that the city administration, which sold land in new buildings, tried to earn as much as possible, there is almost no free land left on their territories for public spaces, parks, playgrounds, and children often simply have nowhere to play. Under such circumstances, it is the mosques that partially take on this role. For example, at the Khulifa al-Rashidin mosque, children come to the mosque every day to play soccer under a canopy. It seemed to us that mosques have good potential as alternative urban public spaces.
Many mosques in Bishkek (such as Khulifa al-Rashidin) are similar to each other in terms of architecture and design. This is partly due to the fact that most of them are being built with funds from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. While the Turks see the construction of mosques as an opportunity to strengthen the geopolitical project of pan-Turkism and therefore build in the Turkish style, the Arabs have no such ambitions. Arab foundations, since the 90s, have tried to build as many mosques as possible throughout Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, many mosques were built as identical copies from existing architectural projects and with minimal spending on decoration. For three decades, more than 4 thousand mosques have been built all over the country and now, Arab funds also spend a lot of money on building schools, clinics and towns for the poor. And after all these objects (including mosques) are put into operation, donors are withdrawn and do not interfere in any way in their further activities. Often, nothing but a small plaque on the wall reminds us of who built this typical building. One mosque, however, stands out very much against the background of other mosques in the city. It is called the Shahid Mosque of the 7th of April and is located in the 7th micro-district.
7th of April Shahids Mosque
7-th micro-district 16Б/3
The 7th micro-district is one of the 12 micro-districts located in the southern part of the city and built up with typical Soviet housing developments of different periods. This mosque is known as a project of the former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev. Atambayev came to power in 2011, a year after the April 7, 2010 revolution that overthrew President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and killed 83 people who fought on the side of the protesters. After becoming president, Atambayev did much to glorify the revolution: he named all the dead shahids (martyrs), built a monument to them in the city's central square, inscribed their names on plaques attached to the government house and finally built a new mosque and named it after them. The mosque was built on the territory owned personally by Atambaev, with the already existing (not so long ago built) typical Bishkek mosque, the building of which was demolished completely. The money for the construction was provided by the president himself and the Presidential Yiman Fund. This foundation was created by Atambaev to consolidate funds coming into Kyrgyzstan from Muslim countries and use them more strategically. For example, money from this fund was used to pay the salaries of imams in mosques. Atambayev's own relationship with Islam has been ambiguous. On the one hand, his speeches were always filled with religious terms and invocations of Allah, and he was not afraid to stand up for religious groups that were banned in other Central Asian countries. On the other hand, he himself was not known for a religious lifestyle and often criticized certain Muslim canons, such as the hijab and long robes for women and men. Atambayev was always an advocate of a more modern interpretation of Islam and in his version, Muslims were expected to dress modernly. This is probably why his approach to the construction of the mosque was also not entirely traditional. He chose a design that was very different from the usual images associated with mosques in Central Asia. Externally, the design of the mosque follows modernist canons - with large, regular geometric shapes and no details. The main building of the mosque is erected in three floors in the form of a regular cube in the image of the Kaaba in Mecca. On three sides, the facades are decorated with large arches with stained glass on all three floors. The building stands in a courtyard framed by ancillary rooms. An important and no less modernist element is the 34.5 meter high minaret, square in cross-section, with an open area at the top. This is a very unusual and interesting choice of style for Kyrgyzstan, but there is a mismatch between the exterior and interior of the mosque: the interior is richly decorated, but much more traditional than its facade and does not fit the modernist style at all.
The mosque is located in the heart of the city's dormitory neighborhoods, with a large population, and near one of the city's main markets, the Ortosay Bazaar. Accordingly, the mosque is very well attended, both during daily and Friday prayers. There is a large Russian-speaking population living in the neighborhoods and the mosque also has a reputation as one of the few Russian-speaking mosques in the city. The daily taalim (lesson) here is conducted in two languages: Kyrgyz and Russian.
"Аkhunbaev 11" prayer room
Akhunbaeva Street 11
Аяты из Священного Корана на стене намазканы
And in conclusion, I will present one more mosque, or rather not a mosque, but a namazkana (prayer room), located 2 kilometers from the mosque of April 7. It has no official name, and informally it is called "Akhunbaeva 11" - after the name of the address where it is located. It is one of the very first prayer rooms built in Bishkek back in the 90-s on the territory of a private house, whose owner simply gave part of his premises for namazkana. At one time it was one of only three or four mosques where namaz was performed. The room consists of two very small rooms, accessed through a very narrow passageway that also leads to one toilet and a small narrow daaratkana with two water taps. The namazkana is located in a private residential area of the neighborhood with the informal name of "residential". The jamaat in this namazkana is small but active and is also known to be Russian-speaking.
A worshiper, who has been performing namaz in this mosque almost since its foundation, tells how at a time when there were no other large mosques nearby, they used to do gasht (going around the area to invite Muslims to the mosque) in neighboring areas and asked Allah to build new mosques here. According to his story, Allah accepted their prayers and today two large mosques have been built: one is the mosque of April 7 and the other is the mosque of Korgonbek uulu Sayid moldo on the ring of Akhunbaeva and Almaatinskaya streets. Despite the fact that these big mosques are not so far away, the jamaat in namazkana remains faithful to it and every day there are daily prayers, taalim (lesson) is read and mashwara (council) is held.
In this section we have examined nine mosques in Bishkek, which show that the modern Islamic architecture of the city is very diverse and eclectic. The diversity is due to external influences (e.g. Turkish), to local ethnic cultures (Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Dungan, Uyghur, etc.), and to the individual vision of leaders such as former President Almazbek Atambayev, In the next section we will look at how mosques are built in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
Tashkent
Centuries of Islamic history and tradition of mosque construction
The first time I went to Tashkent was in 1980, when I was 6 years old and my father took me there on a business trip, where I tried Pepsi-Cola for the first time. Later, in the post-Soviet period, I always associated Tashkent with Islam Karimov and repression of Muslims. My second and third visits in 2022 and 2023 changed this perception significantly. The city left a pleasant impression. Together with students, we visited a large number of mosques and were surprised at how much the situation regarding religion had changed under the presidency of Shavkat Mirzoyayev. Even during the daily five-time prayers, the large Juma mosques were almost half full, and many women and girls in hijab could be seen on the streets. Our visit to Tashkent lasted only four days and we did not have the opportunity to delve deeply into the field as we did in Bishkek, but nevertheless we gathered a lot of interesting material that we want to share in this section.
Медресе Кукельдош, Ташкент
Unlike Bishkek and Almaty, Tashkent has its own unique Islamic architectural heritage, as the city is more than three thousand years old. Although most of the mosques and madrassas were destroyed during the Soviet era, many have survived. The historical center of the city since the 9-th century and for almost a millennium was considered to be Chorsu Square and roads from all gates of the city led there. The main city bazaar, craftsmen's shops and residential quarters of mahallas are located nearby. In the 16th century a brick two-storied Kukeldosh madrasa was built on the square and it has survived to this day. The main elements of the symmetrical facade of the madrasa are sharp-angled arches and towers with domes. The facade is decorated with colored bricks and mosaics with ayats from the Qoran and ornaments with geometric and floral motifs. The madrasa has a beautiful courtyard framed by rooms with the same sharp-angled arches.
Khoja Akhror Walia Mosque
Samarqand Darvoza Street1/1
Dome of the Khoja Akhror Walia Mosque
Next to the madrasa is the oldest mosque in the city - it is named after Khoja Akhror Waliy, famous Sufi sheikh of the 15th century, whose homeland was Tashkent. Its main building used to have the shape of a cube (in the image of the holy Kaaba), but was demolished during the restoration in the 1990-s and replaced by a rectangular structure with three blocks crowned with three high domes. The domes form the symmetrical facade of the mosque and are clearly visible in its interior. It is the domes that are the most important and most interesting architectural and decorative elements. They have four bases: a rectangular base, on it an octagonal base, then another octagonal base shifted by 22.5 degrees, and finally a round base with an upper circle smaller than the lower one. On bases - walls with 20 windows and then the dome itself, painted with a lot of details. In the courtyard of the mosque there are green strips with trees. We visited this mosque during Friday prayer and saw how many worshippers had laid their mats on the grass under the trees.
Moy Mubarak Ukkosha Mosque
Chorsu micro-district, 13Б/1
Interior of Moy Mubarak mosque
Next to Chorsu Square, there is another unique historical mosque, Moy Mubarak Ukkosha. The name of the mosque consists of two important parts: Moy Mubarak refers to the hair of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which was kept in the mosque until the early 20-th century, and Ukkosha, the name of Ukkosha ibn Ihsan, a Sahaba (companion of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)) whose body is believed to be buried on the mosque grounds next to a sacred spring. The mosque also originally consisted of two separate buildings separated by a courtyard, which was later covered by a roof (held on carved columns with a continuous band of windows under the ceiling giving a pleasant light to this connecting space) and became part of the interior of the mosque. The size of this mosque is much smaller than the previous one, it served the needs of the mahalla, but also received a large number of pilgrims eager to see the hair of the Prophet (SAW), visit the tomb of Ukkosha and drink water from the sacred spring. The walls of the original mosque are very thick, about one meter wide. Fine columns carved from wood serve as internal supports for the ancient wooden ceiling. The interior space is divided by walls with arched passageways into three prayer rooms. The feeling of antiquity and authenticity is slightly spoiled by the new painting of the interior with glossy oil paint in a combination of beige, white and gold colors.
It is necessary to choose a visual aid that is appropriate for the topic and audience.
Now the building of the mosque is being expanded by the construction of a two-story addition. Interestingly, while the mosque was located on the street of an ancient mahalla, during the Soviet years the mahalla was demolished and a typical Soviet micro-district called Chorsu was built in its place; and suddenly the mosque building found itself in the center of a Soviet residential courtyard. This creates a certain dissonance, but at the same time reinforces the sense of uniqueness of Tashkent, where the old contrasts with the new, the Asian with the European, and the religious with the Soviet.
Архитектурный комплекс Сузук-Ота
Сузук-Ота, 12б, Шайхантахурский район, Ташкент
Вход в комплекс Сузук-Ота
Меньше чем в километре от Мойи Мубарак Уккоша находится еще одна уникальная мечеть, пространство вокруг которой было превращено в целый ландшафтно-архитектурный комплекс – это мечеть Сузук-Ота. Сузук-Ота был внуком суфия Махмуда Ясави и очень умелым ремесленником, мастером резьбы по дереву. Он жил в этом районе Ташкента в 12-м веке, где помогал основывать и развивать различные виды ремесел. В конце 14-го века здесь была построена мечеть и мавзолей над могилой Сузук-Оты. Оба здания были сохранены в советское время, правда пользовались не по назначению. В 2017-м году Президент Мирзояеа инициировал проект реконструкции мечети, мавзолея и прилежащей территории и уже в 2019-м году было проведено открытие.
Комплекс представляет из себя большое открытое симметричное пространство с осью, к которой привязаны несколько основных зданий: здании администрации махалли, мавзолей, музей, четыре беседки и в завершении оси – сама мечеть. Путь от входа к мечети открывает интересные перспективы, где более дальние объекты обрамляются арками или колонными галереями ближних. Интересным также является само решение реставрации мечети. Она была сохранена в изначальном виде, но вокруг нее было построено новое помещение с изящными резными деревянными колоннами, так, что старая мечеть стала интересной частью нового интерьера. Вход и два окна по бокам стали открытыми арочными проходами, а купол богато украшен лепниной и росписью. За счет того, что в помещение попадает только рассеянный свет, внутри мечети создается особое ощущение таинственности. У мечети также есть открытый внутренний двор с арочными галереями дополнительных помещений.
Мечеть Хазрати-Имам
Ул. Карасарйская 107/1, Алмазарский район
Угловой вид на мечеть и минарет
В учебниках по градостроительству Ташкент описывается как город с двойной структурой: многовековой традиционной среднеазиатской и более поздней колониальной и советской. В самом сердце старого города, посреди традиционных махаллей, находится архитектурный комплекс Хаст Имам, объединяющий мечеть, музей-библиотека, мавзолей, Духовное управление мусульман Узбекистана, и бывшее медресе сейчас служащее как место для продажи сувениров. Комплекс сформирован вокруг большой площади, на которой читаются праздничный айт-намазы. Рядом также находятся Ташкентский Исламский институт и строящийся Центр исламской цивилизации. Во время визита мы краем уха услышали гида, который рассказывал туристам об этом центре:
«Со времен развала Османской империи, ислам на протяжении долгого времени оставался без лидера и вот теперь, почти сто лет спустя, Узбекистан решил взять на себя эту ответственность и стать лидером мусульманского мира. Этот центр исламской цивилизации как раз и станет местом, которое объединит всех мусульман мира под флагом Узбекистана.»
Выражал ли этот гид амбиции правительства страны или же предлагал свою интерпретацию, остается вопросом. Печальным для нас было то, что для строительства центра, правительство снесло бульдозером большую территорию старинной махалли.
Вид на строящийся Центр исламской цивилизации
Главным зданием комплекса Хаст Имам является мечеть Хазрати-Имам, построенная в 2007-м году по инициативе Президента Ислама Каримова. Мечеть имеет форму буквы «П» с главным корпусом и двумя боковыми зданиями формирующий красивый внутренний двор, куда попадает посетитель при входе через главную входную арку. Главный фасад усилен двумя изящными минаретами высотой в 53 метра, стоящими отдельно от мечети. Дворик формируется галереей из 18-ти высоких деревянных резных колонн с очень сложной формой капители, поддерживающий деревянный потолок, также имеющий большое количество резных деталей. Колонны и навес обрамляют высокие окна витражи с остро-арочным завершением. Фасад выложен узким жженным кирпичом и не контрастирует сильно с деревом колонн. Внешне, почти весь комплекс, включая его мощение выдержан почти в одном тоне и цвете и представляет из себя монохромное архитектурное пространство, которое при ярком солнечном свете, создает большое количество интересных теней и делает его очень скульптурным.
Однако, картина полностью меняется, когда посетитель попадает внутрь мечети. В интерьере преобладают зеленые, голубые, бежевые и коричневые тона, а количество и разнообразие орнаментации просто шокирует, особенно в дизайне потолка и внутреннего свода двух куполов. Главные люстры сделаны в форме восьмиугольных звезд и также очень сильно декорированы. Разнообразие стилей, в которых выполнены декорации заставляет задуматься о том, насколько гармонично они сочетаются друг с другом и насколько перегруженным становится пространство, особенно учитывая, что это место, куда люди приходят, чтобы связаться с богом и забыть о мирском. Однако, учитывая, что комплекс посещается огромным количеством туристов, которые смотрят на интерьер как на форму исламского искусства, возможно, цель оправдывает средства. Левое крыло мечети зарезервировано для женщин.
К западу от здания мечети находится большая вымощенная площадь, служащая местом для праздничных молитв, на другом конце которой находится здание медресе Барахон, построенного в 16-м веке. Сейчас медресе используется как базарчик художественных товаров и сувениров. Мастера работают над своими произведениями в маленьких комнатах, обрамляющих внутренний двор. К сожалению, главное здание мечети на территории медресе, где до сих пор есть михраб с арабской надписью «Ля иллаха иляллах, мухаммадур-расулуллах» над ним, сейчас также используется как магазин. Такая десакрализация пространства чем-то напоминает советские времена, когда культовые религиозные сооружения использовались для других целей.
Мечеть Кох-Ота
Кох-Ота 98, Шайхантахурский район
Мавзолей Куктулли Ота на берегу канала в махалле Намуна, акварель Эмиль Насритдинов
Наш путь к следующей мечети лежал через махаллю Намуна. Извиваясь гибкой лентой, по махалле протекает канал, освежающий улицы в жаркий день. Прямо над водой нависли топчаны чайханы, где продают самсы, а в тени старых чинар, стволы которых можно охватить только вдвоем, находится мавзолей Куктулли Ота, за которым с нежностью и заботой следит его хранитель – житель соседнего дома, чей отец, а еще раньше дед, оба были хранителями. Улицы также гибки, как и канал. Они выводят нас на большую магистраль и к еще одной махалле и мечети под одним названием Кох-Ота в честь известного шейха 14-го века. Мечеть Кох-Ота – типичный пример строительства новых мечетей с более изящными формами – высокими потолками, длинными узкими окнами, высоким и узким минаретом, а также высокими и более легкими куполами.
Новые строительные технологии позволяют отойти от более массивных традиционных форм, экспериментировать с новой более свободной геометрией и принести больше света через высокие витражи окон, как в несущих стенах, так и на стенах купола. В процессе возведения и завершения современных мечетей участвуют несколько групп специалистов. Архитектор работает только над разработкой общего видения. В процессе строительства, главный прораб часто либо по своему усмотрению, либо по просьбе жителей или спонсора мечети может что-то поменять в проекте. После того как возведен каркас, подключаются усталар (мастера), каждый из которых специалист в своей области: резчик по дереву, резчик по ганчу, художник и каждый вносит свое видение, поэтому форма мечети не всегда соответствует стилистике интерьера.
Мечеть Минор
Минор, 41, Юнусабадский район
Одна мечеть, которая сильно выделяется на фоне других – мечеть Минор. Мы вышли на нее со стороны Анхор – главной реки города и были поражены белизной ее фасада, контрастирующего с синью неба и с синью самой реки, на которой соревновались спортсмены в байдарках. Мечеть была необычна не только белым цветом украшающего её мрамора, но и восьмиугольной формой плана её главного здания, увенчанного круглым голубым куполом. В интерьере этот купол становится центральным элементом, притягивая внимание тем, что он почти буквально висит в воздухе, ведь во всем пространстве диаметром 47 метров нет ни единой колонны. Также удивителен и внутренний двор мечети, обрамленный помещениями с галереей из деревянных колонн, которые сильно контрастируют с белым мрамором стен мечети. В пространстве двора посажены четыре дерева, постриженных в форме неправильных шаров. Будучи довольно необычными для центрально-азиатских мечетей, они делают уже необычную картину еще более сюрреалистичной и по-японски минималистичной.
Мечеть Ракат
Абдуллы Авлони, 17
Ракат ж/м, Яккасарайский район
Ракат ж/м, Яккасарайский район
Полная противоположность такой минималистичности – мечеть в махалле Ракат в южной части города. Мечеть была построена в советское время еще в 1954-м году. В 2019-м году, здание старой мечети было снесено и на ее месте была построена новая, одна из самых грандиозных мечетей города. Её украшают целых восемь куполов из метала розового цвета и два минарета высотой в 70 метров. Однако самое поразительное в этой мечети это ее интерьер: он просто изобилует формами и деталями. Все восемь куполов служат источниками освещения и их присутствие усиливается круглыми элементами потолочных декораций. Основной огромный купол мечети с 24-мью окнами и колоннами держится на четырех колоннах, подобное коим мы не видели нигде. Они сконструированы вручную из стекловолокна и имеют растительную форму с основанием и верхом в виде лотоса и стволами. Ствол расписан вручную под мрамор и имеет декорации в середине, выполненные в технике ганча. Колонны, обрамляющие купол, также имеют сложные растительные элементы. Основные элементы колонн, также как и все остальные обрамления декораций на стенах и потолке и аяты из Корана покрашены в золото, которое придает интерьеру помпезность и важность. Купол украшен огромным поясом люстры, изготовленной из чистой латуни и привезенной специально для этой цели из Египта. Дизайн всех частей интерьера – максимально сложный, нет ничего плоского, все декорации имеют 3-д форму. Потолок обрамлен карнизом, изогнутым в виде арки по которому мастер, использую технику ганча, вырезал суру Ясин; она считается сердцем Корана.
Мечеть Рахимжон Ходжи Ота
Саади Сиражиддинова 1-й тупик, 48, Яккасарайский район
Интерьер мечети
Но самое теплое впечатление у нас осталось от маленькой мечети Рахимжон Ходжи Ота в махалле Мукимий также на юге города. Главным входом она выходит в махаллю, а ее балконы на противоположной стороне смотрят на реку. Мечеть спускается к реке террасами, на которых высажены сады и цветы. Имам мечети рассказал нам, что террасы задуманы как сады ж
анната (рая) и следуя лучшим традициям узбекского гостеприимства, он угостил нас плодами тутовника, растущего в этом саду на террасах. Он сам лично насбивал его для нас палочкой в коврик для молитвы, который мы держали под деревом и потом кушали сидя на диванчике на балконе пока он рассказывал нам о мечети. На этом диване, до и после намаза обычно сидят аксакалы – старейшины махалли Мукимий, обсуждая последние новости. С большими стеклянными дверьми и витражами, интерьер мечети становится полупрозрачным переходным пространством, символически соединяющим этот мир со следующим, также как оно соединяет махаллю с «райскими садами» у реки.
анната (рая) и следуя лучшим традициям узбекского гостеприимства, он угостил нас плодами тутовника, растущего в этом саду на террасах. Он сам лично насбивал его для нас палочкой в коврик для молитвы, который мы держали под деревом и потом кушали сидя на диванчике на балконе пока он рассказывал нам о мечети. На этом диване, до и после намаза обычно сидят аксакалы – старейшины махалли Мукимий, обсуждая последние новости. С большими стеклянными дверьми и витражами, интерьер мечети становится полупрозрачным переходным пространством, символически соединяющим этот мир со следующим, также как оно соединяет махаллю с «райскими садами» у реки.
Семь ташкентских мечетей, описанных в этой секции, показывают, что в отличие от Бишкека, в Ташкенте трудно найти «этнические» (турецкие, уйгурские, дунганские и т.д.) мечети. Мечети отличаются только своей историчностью. Многие, которые были построены еще в досоветский период, были восстановлены и обрели новую жизнь, сохранив свою историческую ценность. В новых мечетях, строящихся сейчас, архитекторы и усталар (мастера) опираются на традиционные формы, но также экспериментируют и создают новые геометрии, так как современные строительные технологии позволяют им это сделать. Как старые, так и новые мечети очень хорошо посещаются; они хорошо иллюстрируют, что ислам остается очень важной частью жизни ташкентского населения.
