The mausoleum Khoja Mahmud Fagnavi

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “People sleep, but when they die they wake up”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Ali ibn Abu Talib.

Bukhara is one of the cradles of Sufism in the territory of modern Uzbekistan, the birthplace of the seven pirs (teachers of Sufism) and the founding place of the famous Order of Khajagan in the Islamic world. One of these feasts was a disciple of the great Khoja Arif Ar Revgary – Khoja Mahmud Fagnavi. The third of the seven Bukhara pirs.

Khoja Mahmud was born in the village of Fagnavi, 20 km from Bukhara. The exact date of his birth is not known for certain, however, many researchers agree that it was 1227. Contemporaries described him as a man of average height, always smiling and open to helping people. A thick black beard set off his light, almost white skin, and the invariable attribute without which he did not appear in public was a white turban. His character was calm and not at all hot-tempered, and not angry. The most famous Sufi of his time, pious and righteous, a recognized authority of Transoxiana, the most perfect of the followers of Arif Ar Rivgari. 

He skillfully owned carpentry, and earned his living with it until the end of his days. Like all the names of great pirs, the name of Mahmud Faganavi is shrouded in many legends. According to one of them, Mahmoud Fagnavi was carrying not only in construction work, but also planted gardens, and he had a huge number of fruit trees in his house. So, one winter day a prominent guest came to the Bukhara Khan and the khan, knowing that Mahmud Fagnavi was cultivating gardens, sent a messenger with the message: “If you are a miracle worker, create a miracle”, to his house for fruit. Winters in Bukhara are cold and it is almost impossible to find fresh fruit, and gardeners, protecting trees from the cold, dug them with mug, thereby saving them from freezing. However, Khoja Mahmud took the messenger to his garden and put his hand into the hillock where the fig tree grew, and to the great surprise of the messenger pulled out fresh figs. 

Khoja Mahmud Fagnavi, even before he became the head of the order, Khadjagan spent a lot of time alone in the mosque. He was a supporter of loud dhikr and justified it like this: “I would like to wake up a sleeper immersed in worldly life, call on the careless to turn to God, follow the path of truth – tarikat (the way of the believer), and sincerely repent before God. After all, only repentance is the key to forgiveness and bliss, a sign of happiness.” 

The third of the seven pirs of Bukhara was headed by Khajagan after Muhammad Arif Ar Revgary. His students were the famous Sufis Khoja Ali Romitani, who later became the fourth pir to head the Khajagan and Amir Khurd Vabkadiya, the younger brother of the famous Amir Kulal. 

Different sources give different names for the year of Mahmud Fagnavi's death, from 1286 to 1317. He was buried by his disciples in his native village, which today is called Anzhirbog. 

The ensemble of Mahmoud Fagnavi includes a mausoleum, a mosque, a well and a water reservoir.

The memorial complex begins with a three-arched arch, the central entrance of which leads to a path around which the gardens are spread out. After walking along this path, the visitor comes to the mausoleum, which is made of burnt brick in a rather modest style. Steps lead to the entrance to the mausoleum. The interior of the mausoleum is also distinguished by its asceticism, however, as are the burials of many other famous Sufis. The walls of the mausoleum inside are white with window openings, which are made in the traditional Panjara style. A tombstone stands in the center of the mausoleum. Next to the mausoleum there is a mosque, which is also made in a simple style with ordinary white walls and aivans on three sides. In the center of the complex there is a water reservoir, and not far from it there is a well where, according to beliefs, holy water flows. There are dense gardens of fig trees around the memorial complex. There is a cemetery behind the complex. 

The memorial complex has been attracting tourists from all over the Islamic world for many centuries, who come to worship the recognized authority of the Sufi world and receive his blessing. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      “Our science is not the science of this world, it is the science of the worlds.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Khoja Mahmoud Anjir Fagnavi.