The Sanctuary of Hazor Nur

The tale of how a thousand of the first Muslims perished on the land of Sogdiana and how the angel Azrael punished their killers.

The vast territories of the sandy deserts of Central Asia continue to be spaces where ancient legends and folk traditions hold a significant place in the daily lives of people, even in the 21st century. Modern civilization has yet to fully conquer the wild nature of this region or fundamentally alter the centuries-old way of life of the nomads.

The unwatered depression of Ayakagytma, located in the southeastern part of the Kyzylkum Desert near the Kuldzhuktau mountain range, spans an area of approximately 600 square kilometers. It resembles an almost triangular basin with one gentle slope and two steep edges.

At the very center of the depression, where the minimum absolute height is just 133 meters above sea level, lies a salt lake covering about 150 square kilometers. The shoreline of this lake is not constant and varies significantly depending on the season. In ancient times, the lake was fed by the flow of the Zarafshan River, the dry riverbed of which can still be seen in satellite images of the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. With changes in climate, the water body transitioned to relying on groundwater and rainfall. The name of the lake and the basin itself—Ayakagytma—translates from Kazakh as “do not step.” This is because the clayey banks and salt flats during seasons dominated by cold and moisture are nearly impassable not only for vehicles but also for pack animals—camels and horses. Moreover, they can even pose a danger to the unwary traveler. However, in the 1980s, Soviet irrigators diverted a collector drain from the irrigated fields of the Bukhara oasis into the basin. As a result, the water body significantly increased in size and ceased to be dangerous, as its banks reached firmer ground. Nevertheless, during the autumn rains and spring snowmelt, much of the basin remains impassable.

Today, the population of the basin consists of a couple of dozen Kazakh families engaged in breeding camels, goats, and sheep. They also keep small herds of horses. There are few fish in the salty lake. Drinking water is delivered to the village in tanker trucks along the only road. During the Soviet era, attempts were made to introduce experimental agriculture using artesian wells, but these efforts were unsuccessful. With the arrival of spring, most residents leave the village to migrate with their herds across the sandy dunes of the Kyzylkum Desert, setting up traditional felt yurts at temporary campsites.

On the southwestern shore of the lake lies a cult mound known in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as the sanctuary of Hazor Nur (“Thousand Rays”). Folk traditions and legends connect this place with the early steps of Islam in Central Asia. At the very beginning of the 8th century, during the caliphate of Abd al-Malik, the troops of Emir Qutayba ibn Muslim, sent by the governor of Khurasan to the north, razed the Sogdian fortresses of Paykent and Vardanzhi. They established Numidjkent, which later became known as Bukhara, as a stronghold for their expansion. Unlike the Middle East, where Islam took hold relatively quickly, the Arab conquests and missionary efforts in the interfluve of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya continued for a whole century. The establishment of the new religion here was marked by variable success and considerable casualties on both sides, leading to a multitude of legends about brave warriors and selfless martyrs for faith surrounding the ultimately victorious Islam.

The sanctuary of Hazor Nur is situated atop a limestone plateau, which drops steeply to the lake below. In the early 2000s, a local elder named Abdukarim-bobo lived in a small adobe house at the edge of the cliff; at that time, he was the caretaker of the Muslim cemetery. His life story resembles a medieval legend. Born in 1929, Abdukarim became an orphan at the age of seven and began wandering through the sacred places of Uzbekistan. Initially, he survived on the charity of pilgrims and the very few members of the Muslim clergy during the Soviet era. Later, he began to receive gratitude from the faithful for conducting religious rites. One day, as a mature man, Abdukarim heard a voice in his dream commanding him to travel southeast from Khorezm across the Kyzylkum Desert, to find the holy site on the ancient hill of Hazor Nur and to pray there until the end of his days. Upon waking, he discovered that his boots were pointing in the indicated direction.

The story of the caretaker strikingly resembles the plots of many legends about Muslim hermits of the past. Although it occurred in the 1950s, it clearly indicates the unchanging nature of time in that special world of traditions where this man was born, grew up, and lived his entire life. In any case, Abdukarim arrived at Ayakagytma, replaced the previous caretaker, and eventually started a family. However, his family lived in the village, while he continued to reside on the hill of Hazor Nur. In his old age, he lost his sight, but his adult sons helped him greet pilgrims and share legends about the sacred site.

“Once in Jerusalem, there lived a wealthy nobleman and a giant of great strength and stature, known as Malik Azhdarkho—Prince-Dragon. He was a fierce enemy of Muslims, but upon meeting Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet, he immediately converted to Islam, abandoning his friends, wealth, and kin, wishing to become a mujahid—a warrior for faith. However, instead of engaging in battle, Hazrat Ali commanded him to travel to a distant land to preach the faith in Allah solely through his gentleness and persuasion. Yet, after many years of humbly fulfilling his vow, Malik Azhdarkho was forced to take up the sword again to defend the local Muslim community. At that time, Islam was just beginning to win the hearts of people in these lands, and on the high hill in the desert settled those who were the first to believe in the land of Sogdiana. One day, Hazrat Ali himself visited this community with his wife Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.

For many years, the hill in the wild desert repelled constant attacks from the infidels and remained impregnable. The enemies then decided to act cunningly. Among the Muslims, there were many who had relatives who had not yet accepted Islam. Sometimes they allowed them, especially women or the elderly, to join the community so that their loved ones could persuade them. Thus, an enemy spy—a treacherous old woman, who supposedly came to visit her niece—managed to infiltrate the camp. The guest questioned the young woman for a long time about the morals and customs of the faithful, and unsuspectingly, the young woman answered her aunt’s questions. She accidentally mentioned that during Friday prayers, all people, including Malik Azhdarkho himself and the armed guards usually patrolling the cliff’s edge, abandon their tasks to gather for prayer in the mosque. The enemies used this information and launched an assault on the hill on Friday during the hour of prayer. The unarmed Muslims put up a desperate resistance but perished to a man. Especially long and fiercely fought Prince-Dragon and five other warriors, but by the end of the second day of bloody slaughter, they too fell. Thus, a thousand graves, made of stone fragments, have since covered the summit of Hazor Nur, which means “Thousand Rays,” a thousand righteous souls soaring to the heavens.”

This legend does not entirely align with historical accounts of the spread of Islam in these regions, but that is the essence of legend. Locals recount many more interesting details. For instance, the round red mound on the opposite edge of the basin is called Gyaur Tepe—Hill of the Infidels. Having destroyed the Muslims, they themselves perished on their way back, as the Almighty sent the angel Azrael, who struck them with plague. The narrow ravine leading to the lake is called Kampyr Say and is considered the grave of the old woman spy. Passing by this place, all pilgrims must throw stones in her direction; otherwise, the curse may touch any of them. In this case, the evil spirit of the traitorous woman, restless in hell, will pursue the traveler with its tricks and bring upon him various misfortunes.