Suzik-ata mausoleum

The Mausoleum of Suzik-Ata, dating back to the 13th century, is nestled in the Sayram District. Located on a hillside south of Sayram, the mausoleum was reconstructed several times between the 13th and 16th centuries using light, square-baked bricks. However, by the 19th century, time had taken its toll, and the structure began to deteriorate. In 1996, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and devotees, a near-complete reconstruction was undertaken, bringing the mausoleum to a height of 6.5 meters.

Suzik-Ata’s original name was Mustafakul. He was born in 1140 in the village of Karashyk in the Turkistan region and was the youngest son of Gaukhar Khushtaj, the daughter of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Affectionately, Yasawi referred to him as “Suzik,” derived from the phrase meaning “to gaze intently, to heed closely.” This nickname, symbolizing Yasawi’s desire to cultivate obedience and courtesy in his grandson, became the name by which he was known—Suzik, or Suzik-Ata. Recognized among the educated and wise figures of his era, Suzik-Ata became widely respected for his knowledge and character.

Suzik-Ata’s mausoleums can be found both in Tashkent and in Sayram. In 1392, Amir Timur commissioned a mausoleum and mosque over Suzik-Ata’s grave in Tashkent, known as the Hanaka, which could accommodate over 700 worshippers. Unfortunately, the mosque-madrasa was closed in 1930 and repurposed as a metallurgical workshop. The mosque’s dome, celebrated as one of the largest until 1985-1990, remains intact. After Suzik-Ata’s passing in 1217, the village that he resided in, later inhabited by blacksmiths who had migrated with him, came to bear his name. His mausoleum in Sayram, attributed to the 12th-14th centuries, was built on historical accounts of his residence there. Though the Sayram mausoleum was destroyed in the 18th century, it was restored in 1996. The village where it stands is named after his birth name, “Mustafakul Ata.”

Historians have noted references to Suzik-Ata in the works of Mawlana Oryn Koylakyn («Nasabnama»), Yshak bin Ismail Ata («Hadikat ul-Arifin»), Ali ibn Hussein («Rashahat min ayn ul-hayat»), and Muhammad Alim Sidiqi («Lamahat min nafaqat il-quds»). Suzik-Ata spent fifteen years in Otrar, serving under Sopy Danishpan Zarnuki, one of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s four caliphs, and eventually earned the title of caliph himself. He later mentored students in Sayram and Turkistan, including Ibrahim Ata and Malik uz-Zuhhad, whose followers disseminated Yasawi’s teachings across Central Asia in places like Khujand, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Taraz, Kashgar, and Kabul.

Today, Suzik-Ata’s mausoleum in Sayram attracts many pilgrims. According to historical sources, an underground pathway once connected this burial site with the town of Sayram.