The Mausoleum in Memory of the Beautiful Zubeida

Located just two kilometers from the Alamberdar Mausoleum, in another part of the Astana-baba village, lies the Astana-baba architectural complex. This sacred site is a place of constant «ziyarat,» a pilgrimage ritual where worshippers come to pay their respects.

The origins of this holy site are steeped in legend. According to the most popular story, the ruler of Charvelayat—a medieval region in Khurasan—Hazrat Nur-ogly (or in another version, Ubayda) had a daughter named Zubeida. This beautiful young woman was married to the governor of Kerkinsky, but tragically, she died shortly after their wedding. Grieving deeply, her father summoned the finest craftsmen from Merv and Samarkand to build a magnificent mausoleum in her honor. However, each time the mausoleum was completed, it collapsed—this happened not once, but three times. In despair, Ubayda had a dream in which an old man named Astana-baba appeared and told him that the mausoleum would only stand firm if the clay and water used for its construction were brought from Mecca. Determined to fulfill this condition, the ruler sent a caravan to the holy city of Mecca. The clay they brought back was mixed with local clay to form the bricks, and the water was poured into a well used by the builders. The mausoleum was successfully completed, and Ubayda himself was later buried beside his daughter. This legend partly explains the sanctity of this site—the use of clay from Mecca endows it with a sacred aura.

The Astana-baba architectural ensemble is not a single structure, but a collection of buildings added over time, so closely connected that it is difficult to imagine their original form. After passing through a narrow open corridor, now bordered by a modern European-style balustrade, visitors arrive at a small courtyard in front of an arched entrance. This leads to a covered, vaulted gallery that opens into a series of small rooms. The next room is known as the mosque. This spacious hall, covered by a dome, features intricate brick patterns and remnants of carved terracotta, characteristic of the finest architectural works from the 11th and 12th centuries. Archaeological studies have confirmed that this «room» is the oldest part of the Astana-baba complex, built during the Ghaznavid era.