Mausoleum of Hoja Alambardor in Tashkent
The Mausoleum of Hoja Alambardor, also called Alandar-buva, was constructed in the 19th century in Kamalan cemetery atop the grave of a revered figure whose former home was unearthed by archaeologists. The merchant Azimbay initiated the construction. Once located in the Shahrisabz district on Kozirobod Street 19A, this area once housed the city gates. Despite the structure's relative youth and modest architectural design, it attracts visitors due to the history of the individual who found his final resting place there.
Sayed Abdul Aziz earned an addition to his name due to his profession. "Alambardor" means "standard-bearer," an honorary title from ancient times. The revered status, maintained through the centuries, owes much to its patron and teacher, Sheikh Abu Bakr Muhammad Kaffal Al-Shashi, Hast Imam, a scholar, Islamic theologian-jurist, saint, and spreader of Islam in the region, protecting the capital by beliefs. Their glorious deeds date back to the 10th century.
Architects added an underground "chillakhona" prayer cell, nine meters from the mausoleum, accessible by a gently sloping eastern staircase. Natural ventilation and light enter through a latticed lantern.
The burial structure consists of a single room, "gurkhona," with niches and arched vaults housing the tombstone. The building is crowned with a pointed dome. This architectural monument was traditionally built of burnt brick in a rectangular shape, with a low entrance portal to the north. Its height, including the dome, reaches 10 meters. Located in the cemetery's centre, it rises above other structures due to an artificially created hill.
The original mosque reopened after restoration in 1945.
After gaining independence in 1993, Uzbekistan embarked on a 12-year comprehensive reconstruction of the complex. As a result, two Friday "Juma" mosques appeared on the site. One in the western courtyard is a cathedral mosque with balconies on the sides and columns of grey marble adorned with ganch carving at the top. Its vestibule and part of the building are enclosed in glass, creating an "airy" impression of the structure. The other mosque features a long facade with an adjoining ayvan, large windows, exquisite chandeliers, a wooden ceiling, and a gilded mihrab indicating the direction of the Kaaba.
Guests are greeted by a darvazakhana with a dome faced with blue majolica, walls with "chortak" recesses forming small pavilions, and triangular tympanums adorned with vegetative ornaments. The frieze features Quranic inscriptions, panels with the names of the Almighty and the Prophet, and horizontal beams with caliphal epigraphy.