Kok Gumbaz Mosque

In 1435, the largest Friday cathedral mosque in Shakhrisabz, Kok-Gumbaz, was built in the Dorut-Tillavat architectural complex opposite the mausoleum of Shamsiddin Kulol. The inscription on its portal says that it was built by Ulugbek on behalf of his father Shahrukh.

The Kok-Gumbaz mosque was built on the foundation of a pre-Mongol building, and the architects followed the layout of the ancient building during its construction. The mosque was once bordered by summer galleries, from which the bases of square pylons supporting arches, which were covered with numerous domes, have been preserved. The powerful pylons of its eastern portal were decorated with ornaments, and the tympanum was decorated with a mosaic star girih, so characteristic of the era of Ulugbek. An Arabic inscription has been preserved on the portal: "This cathedral mosque on a high place is beautiful ... it has a large dome. This dome in Shakhrisabz stands out like the blue sky above a green city." Spiral staircases leading to the roof are arranged in the pylons of the main portal. Adjacent to the abutments of the pylons is a guldasta tower, resembling a small minaret. In the lower part, it is lined with marble, and ends with a majolica capital. The northern and southern facades are decorated with open passages that lead inside the mosque.

The mosque is crowned by a magnificent huge dome covered with blue ceramic tiles. He gave the name of the mosque – Kok-Gumbaz, which literally means "Blue Dome". Around the cylindrical drum of the dome there is a Kufic inscription containing verses from the surah of the Quran "Victory". Above it, along a blue stripe with terracotta ornaments, the words are laid out in white glazed tiles: "Dominion belongs to Allah, wealth belongs to Allah."

The interior of the Kok Gumbaz mosque is almost square in plan and has four deep niches oriented to the cardinal directions. There is a mihrab in the western niche filled with gancha stalactites. The entire surface of the mosque's walls was plastered with white gancha and painted with the finest blue-blue ornaments.

Kok Gumbaz has been the main mosque of Shakhrisabz for several centuries. To the east of it, during the reign of Ulugbek, a mazar was formed, where the graves of the nobility and clergy from the Barlas clan, to which the Temurids belonged, were preserved. The names of military leaders who participated in the campaigns of Shah Rukh and Ulugbek are found on marble tombstones.

The Dorut Tillawat architectural complex leaves an indelible impression, reminding of the brilliant historical past of Shakhrisabz.