Hazrat Khizr Mosque

The mosque stands on a hill at the southern edge of the Afrasiab settlement site, on one of the oldest places of worship in Samarkand: the first mosque was put up here as early as the 8th century, was destroyed by the Mongols in 1220, and the hill stood empty for a long time afterwards. In popular belief Khizr is the patron of wanderers and travellers, so people would call in here before setting off on a journey. The present building was erected in 1854 and added to in the early 20th century: an iwan on carved wooden columns, painted ceilings, a dome with a lantern, an entrance portal with majolica. From the terrace you can see the park and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and next to it stands the mausoleum of Islam Karimov, the first president of Uzbekistan, buried here in 2016, which has given the mosque a flow of visitors of its own. The mosque is in use; visitors are let into the courtyard and onto the terrace in covering clothes, and shoes are left at the entrance. The terrace offers the best view of Bibi-Khanym in the city. The mausoleum of the country's first president is next door, so the mosque has a flow of visitors of its own — it is calmer in the morning. In the evening the sunset over the old city is clearly seen from the hill above the Afrasiab site.

On the map