Kutlug Murad Inak Madrasah
Khiva is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, whose rich architectural heritage is exhibited in the form of an open–air exposition. Within the fortress wall of Ichan Kala, which translates as “inner city", there are beautiful mosques, madrassas and minarets built in the best traditions of the Middle Ages.
One of such architectural masterpieces is the Kutlug Murad Inak Madrasah, which was built during the reign of one of the representatives of the Kungrat dynasty, Muhammad Rahim Khan I. The madrasah was built by order of the ruler's brother, a military commander, the head of the Kungrat region, whose name was Kutlug Murad.
The madrasah, which became the first two-storey educational institution in Khiva, was built at the beginning of the XIX century, in the period from 1804 to 1812. During the construction, the architects took as a basis the madrasah of Abdulaziz Khan, located in Bukhara. Architects in the course of their work tried to preserve and transmit the centuries-old architectural traditions of their predecessors, however, despite this, the facade of the building was decorated much richer than it was previously accepted. The main entrance to the madrasah building is decorated with a majestic peshtak (a rectangular portal typical of many monuments of Central Asia, which far exceeds the height of the building itself, has a pointed arch). On the sides of the main entrance there are rows of hujras (cells for students) in two floors, which on each side end with towers called guldasta. The facade of the building is decorated with plaster, which imitates brickwork, above the entrance there is a mukarnas (stalactites) made of alabaster. The guldasta towers are richly decorated with glazed bricks and terracotta tiles with stamped patterns. The drawing on the towers is made in the style typical of Bukhara architecture, and in Khiva, the Kutlug Murad Inaka madrasah is the only building with such a design on its towers. The wooden doors leading to the building are decorated with wood carvings in the form of plant and geometric patterns. In addition, patterned Khorezm masonry, tiled decor and artistic carving are used in the design of the madrasah.
However, despite such a rich decoration of facades, there is practically no decor in the premises of the madrasah. There are no summer aivans typical of the architecture of that time in the madrasah. In addition to 81 hujras for madrasa students, there is also a summer mosque and there was an underground reservoir (sardoba), which was used for the needs of the population.
A legend is connected with the Kutlug Murad Inak madrasah, as well as with many buildings in Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. It says that Kutlug Murad bequeathed to bury himself in the walls of his madrasah. However, he died within the walls of Dishan Kala (the outer walls of the city), and it was forbidden to carry the deceased through the walls of Ichan Kala. Then the elders of the city, in order to fulfill the will of the respected deceased, decided to dismantle part of the walls of Ichan Kala, and the madrasah began to be located as if within the walls of Dishan Kala. After the funeral, the wall at the madrasah was reconstructed again.
The madrasah, built in the best traditions of the XVIII – XIX century, was one of the largest and one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Khiva. Among its graduates are such famous personalities as the Uzbek poet Avaz Utar and the Karakalpak poet Berdakh.
To date, exhibitions of famous Khiva artists are held in the madrasah building, and the hujras are occupied by skilled craftsmen.
The Kutlug Murad Inak Madrasah, like the entire Ichan Kala ensemble, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.