Chor-Minor — Asia Travel

mavz4minorChor-Minor (XIX c)
Interesting monument of architecture, Chor-Minor («Four minarets») is located in the northeastern part of Bukhara. It was built in 1807 on money of rich Turkmenistan trader and traveler Khalif Niyaz-Kula, who visited India and was very impressed by the famous Taj Mahal. Upon arrival to his hometown, he desired to build something like that in Bukhara. Making his own sketches, he called an architects and astronomers, and ordered to make preliminary calculation that would have constructed a building to proper two requirements. First — it should include the star map of the Silk Road that all trading and travelling Turkmens came in and stopped in it at least once in their life. And the second condition was the architect of the job. They were required to tell future generations by architectural forms that parts of the world are equal as all people that there is one sky above their heads, one earth under the feet and one God above all.

The idea is was successful: building stands on the Silk Road and its «chartak” consists of equally beautiful minarets. From first sight it looks like twins but with unique shape & ornament and there is a huge dome of blue sky and one God above all this magnificence.

The whole complex of buildings is not survived till present time, but in accordance with descriptions there was a courtyard with stables and a huge garden, Guzar Mosque, Hauz and summer mosque.