Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, Istaravshan

Eurasia.Travel > Tajikistan > Istaravshan > Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, Istaravshan

Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, Istaravshan

Istaravshan

When you view the city from above, the light-blue dome of the Kok-Gumbaz mosque-madrasa immediately catches your eye, seemingly floating above the landscape. Located in the western part of the city, this building is named for its distinct light-blue dome, as «Kok-Gumbaz» translates to «the Light-Blue Dome.» This 16th-century structure was commissioned by Abdulatif Sultan, the son of the renowned scientist, astronomer, and philosopher Ulugbek, who was also the grandson of Tamerlane. It is one of the few remaining examples of Timurid architecture in Tajikistan, representing the last great era of Central Asian architectural brilliance.

According to local legend, Abdulatif, after a disagreement with his father, left home and took on a job digging an irrigation canal for an elderly farmer who needed water for his land. For this work, he was promised a payment of 100 tenges. When his father discovered this, he took the money from the farmer and added it to his own funds to construct the madrasa. However, Abdulatif ruled for only a year and was unlikely to have been involved in the mosque’s construction in a provincial town. The actual figure referred to in the legend is the local ruler Abdulatif Sultan, who in 1530-31, added a quadrangular madrasa to the mosque.

Even three centuries later, at the end of the 19th century, the madrasa continued to educate students. The main building of Kok-Gumbaz is constructed from square bricks, with a large central square hall extended by deep niches on all sides. The niche housing the mihrab is richly adorned with intricate molding, and the walls are elegantly painted. The entrance portal and the dome are decorated with majolica tiles in an inlaid pattern.

The mosque suffered significant damage during a Russian army assault on Ura-Tyube but was restored a decade later, in 1876. In 1897 and 1902, it was again damaged—this time by earthquakes—and underwent reconstruction in the early 20th century. Its current appearance was finalized after restoration work in the 1950s. Despite Tajikistan’s religious culture, the mosque appears neglected both inside and out.

Typically, the exteriors of Muslim schools feature tiered arches and ornate facades that engage with the outside world. However, the Kok-Gumbaz mosque presents only solid walls on the outside. The true beauty and elegance of the structure are revealed within the courtyard walls.