Al-Bukhari Memorial Complex

The Imam Al-Bukhari Cult and Memorial Complex is located in the village of Khartang in the Payaryk district of the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan, 15 km away. from the city of Samarkand. The complex was built in 1998 on the ancient burial site of the famous Islamic religious figure Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari in commemoration of the 1225th anniversary of his birth. The best craftsmen from Samarkand, Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz, Andijan, Kokand and Namangan took part in its construction, which was completed by October 1998. As a result, the new complex has absorbed the best traditions of several architectural schools in Uzbekistan and has rightfully become one of the most striking examples of modern Central Asian art.

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari is a famous theologian, Hadith scholar (Hadith studies is the science of hadith, reports on the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad) and the author of the second most important Muslim book after the Quran, Al-Jomiy as-Sahih ("Reliable Collection").Imam Al-Bukhari was born in 810 in Bukhara. His father was one of the storytellers of sacred legends. Muhammad was astute, quick-witted, and possessed an extraordinary memory for his age. At the age of 7, he studied the entire Quran, and by the age of 10, he knew several thousand hadiths by heart. In 825, when he was 16 years old, al-Bukhari, with his mother and older brother Ahmed, went on Hajj to Mecca and Medina. After making the pilgrimage, al-Bukhari traveled for many years to various Muslim countries, where he studied with famous theologians of that time. According to legend, he collected hundreds of thousands of hadiths, many of which he knew by heart. He spent 42 years of his life in these studies. It took another 16 years to write the book itself. His book includes 7275 of the most reliable hadiths from 1080 experts who were direct witnesses of the prophet's deed. Muhammad al-Bukhari died in 870 in the village of Khartang near Samarkand. His grave has become the most revered and sacred place for pilgrimage. In the 16th century, a small mosque was built next to the mausoleum of Imam al-Bukhari and plane trees were planted.

During the Soviet period, this holy place for Muslims was forgotten, and no services were held here. Gradually, the mosque deteriorated, but in 1954 it was destined to come back to life thanks to the visit of Indonesian President Sukarno, who asked the authorities to worship the remains of holy Imam al Bukhari. Since that time, the mausoleum and the mosque of Ismail al-Bukhari have been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, and since then the mosque has been visited by worshippers again.

The modern complex is spread over an area of 10 hectares and consists of a mausoleum, a mosque, an administrative building, an aivan and other structures. The entrance to the complex is through an entrance portal equipped with a carved gate. On the central axis of the complex stands the mausoleum of Ismail al-Bukhari in the form of a rectangular prism, square at the base, with an area of 9x9 meters and a height of 17 meters. The dome of the mausoleum is double, ribbed, decorated with blue tiles. The walls are decorated with mosaics, majolica, gancha, onyx and granite with floral and geometric ornaments. In the center is a tombstone made of light green onyx.

On the left side of the courtyard there is a mosque, a honaka and a gallery with an area of 786 square meters.m. where 1,500 believers can pray at the same time. On the right side there is a library and a museum with rare copies of handwritten and lithographed books on Islamic theology, gifts from statesmen of various states, including part of the "kiswa" - a veil from the Kaaba in Mecca, which was presented to the memorial by the King of Saudi Arabia.

There is a Hadith study center at the back of the courtyard. In the center of the courtyard there is a pond – "house" with ancient plane trees, next to which there is a spring with healing water. Today, the Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex is a place of Muslim worship and pilgrimage. Visiting this place is considered by Muslims to be a small hajj.