Sary Mazar is a remarkable complex of mosques and mausoleums, built around the graves of several revered Sufi figures, the most ancient being Mahdum Azam Dahbedi from Samarkand. At the heart of Sary Mazar stands a newly constructed, grand mosque that has replaced the original 17th-century Mosque of Muhammad Iqbal.
Adjacent to this, there remains a charming old mosque supported by tapering wooden columns. Beneath the shade of ancient plane trees, two modest but ornately decorated 17th-century tombs can be found. These tombs, known as chelkhona, consist of 18 tiny, windowless chambers. They were used by students of the Quran as places for quiet meditation and reflection.
At the entrance to the complex, a traditional teahouse sits on the banks of a small stream. Unlike the modern use of the term chaikhana, which now often refers to a restaurant or café in Central Asia, this teahouse retains its original purpose—a gathering spot for the local mahalla residents to meet, converse, and discuss daily matters over tea.
The old gates of Sary Mazar have since become secondary, following the construction of the new mosque.
Also within the complex is the Namazgoh mosque, designed for open-air prayers. Built between the 17th and 18th centuries, its ceiling, painted in calming blue hues, is unique compared to other mosques in Ura-Tyube.
Beyond the mosque and its gates stand a group of enormous plane trees, the oldest of which is believed to be around 800 years old.
This ancient tree predates two nearby mausoleums that were constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries, although their decorative elements have been restored over time.
One of these mausoleums is known as Ajinahona. It was originally the burial place of a wealthy woman, but over time, children began to use it as a playground. To deter them, adults created the name Ajinahona, meaning «house of the demon.» In local folklore, a jinn is not the wish-granting figure from tales of magic lamps but a more fearsome creature, and the name was used to scare children away. The second mausoleum houses the tomb of a Sufi, the nephew of the missionary Mir-Saidah Hamadani.
