The mausoleum of Sayfiddin Baharzi

At the beginning of the XIII century, the territory of Transoxiana was under the rule of the Mongols and came under the control of the second son of Genghis Khan – Chagatai. So the Chagatai ulus was formed, which was ruled for a long time by the descendants of Chagatai. For almost a century and a half of their rule in the state there was stagnation in architecture, creativity and art, since the Chagatai ulus was the place of constant military invasions. Only with the coming to power of the Temurids, at the end of the XIV century, urban planning and art flourished in Transoxiana. It is for these reasons that historical monuments of the pre-Temurids era are considered unique objects of history and architecture. There are two such unique monuments on the territory of Bukhara: The Mausoleum of Buyan Kuli Khan and the Mausoleum of Sayf ad Din Boharzi, which are located close to each other and form a single ensemble.

The village of Fatkhabad, located in Bukhara, is famous for the fact that here is the grave of the Sufi sheikh, poet and theologian Sayf ad Din Boharzi, known throughout the Muslim world, who was popularly called the “Sheikh of the World”. Nearby is the grave of the khan of the Chagatai ulus, the Buyan Kuli Khan. Once, the entire Rabad district (the outskirts of the city), where these graves are located, was occupied only by numerous khanakas (Sufi monastery) of the Kubravi Order.

Sayf ad Din Boharzi, was born in 1190, in the village of Boharz near Bukhara. He received an excellent religious and legal education, after which he left Bukhara and went to Khorezm, where he became a murid (disciple) of the founder of the Sufi order Kubraviya, a Persian mystic and theologian - Najm ad Din Kubro. One of his most talented students, Sayf ad Din Boharzi, Najmiddin Kubro sent to his homeland to spread the tarikat (teaching) of the order among the local population. 

Sayfiddin Boharzi was the head of the khanaka of the Kubraviya Order in Bukhara for 40 years. It is his merit that the Mongols converted to Islam. During the Mongol invasion, Sayfiddin Boharzi defended the independence of the local population, and the Mongols who converted to Islam went to him for a blessing. According to legends, one of the khans of the Golden Horde, Berke Khan, after a long conversation with Sayfiddin Boharzi, became one of those who converted to Islam. 

Sayfidin Boharzi was a talented writer and the foundations of his teachings were reflected in his works. Seven of his books have survived to the present day, the most famous of which are “Rubayat” and “Sharkh”, written in Arabic and Persian about mystical love. 

In 1262, the path of Sayfiddin Boharzi was completed, he was buried by his followers near the khanaka, where he worked all his life. A tomb was later built over the grave, which became the main shrine of the area and always gathered pilgrims around it. In 1358, his disciple Buyan Kuli Khan was buried opposite the grave of Sayfiddin Boharzi.

A mausoleum was erected over the tomb of the Sufi sheikh at the end of the XIV century, which to this day is the haven of the Kubravian Order. The mausoleum, consisting of two rooms, is built in a complex and unusual architecture for that time. The first room is ziraatkhana, a room for pilgrims' prayers, the second is gurkhana, the burial place of Sayfiddin Boharzi. There is a dome above each of the rooms, however, unlike most structures of that time, the dome is not sky-blue in color, but is built of the same burnt brick as the building of the mausoleum itself. 

Unusual brickwork prevails in the interior of the mausoleum, there is no majolica or mosaic decor, but the building material itself is decorated with carvings. The ornately carved wooden tombstone is all in floral designs. 

In 1980, a large-scale restoration of the cultural monument was carried out, as a result of which an arch with pillars on the sides was added to the mausoleum and the surface of the building was updated.

Today, the architectural ensemble of the two oldest mausoleums on the territory of Uzbekistan attracts visitors from all over Uzbekistan and from all over the world.