Blog 9

 Maghoki Attori 

Magoki-Attari Mosque ( Uzb. Magʻoki attori masjidi ) is a monument of medieval architecture; column-domed mosque of the 12th-16th centuries in the historical center of Bukhara ( Uzbekistan ). Located more than 4.5 meters below ground level, it is interesting for its carved decor.

The oldest monument of Bukhara that has survived to this day. Located in the city center, between Shahristan and the Shahrud canal , near the Toki Sarrofon trade dome , on the territory of the bazaars that functioned here from pre-Islamic times until the 1930s 

As part of the “Historic Center of Bukhara” it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993 and currently houses a carpet museum.

The mosque is a rectangular building measuring 13.35x17.6 meters, elongated from east to west. 6 massive rectangular pillars divide its space into 12 parts, covered with domes; in the middle of the western wall there is a simple mihrab niche. The foundation of the building lies more than 4.5 meters below the current ground level [3] [5] .

The mosque has two entrances. The southern one, shifted to the east, was discovered during research and restoration work in 1934-1935 [3] . It is a portal - a “ peshtak ” (with a main arch that has not survived), decorated with carved terracotta , with inserts of carved ganch and a blue majolica inscription along the archivolt of the internal arch of the entrance [7] . This decor, unique in its exquisite beauty, undoubtedly dates back to the 12th century, that is, the time of the Karakhanids