Chorsu (, and ), also called Charsu, in

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

, is a domed, hexagonal shape building with a large central dome surrounded by six smaller domes. Chorsu is located at southeast of the

Registan The Registan () was the heart of the city of Samarkand of the Timurid Empire, now in Uzbekistan. The name ''Rēgistan'' () means "sandy place" or "desert" in Persian. The Registan was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal procla ...

at the intersection of the roads connecting

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

Bukhara Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...

, and

Shahrisabz Shahrisabz, lit. "Green City" in Persian, is a district-level city in Qashqadaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has selected Shakhrisabz as its tourism capital for 2024. It is located approximately 80& ...

. ''Chorsu'' is a word of Tajik origin meaning "crossroads," referring to this intersection. The building is old, with a rich centuries-old history. It is included in the

UNESCO World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

along with the rest of the historical part of the city.

History

Chorsu is located in the southern-eastern part of

, connecting the roads to

, and

. It is a historical building monument constructed with the funds of the

Emir Shohmurad. Initially, there was a market in the place of Chorsu, which was built in the 15th century. In the past, the market was located where the

Siyob Bazaar Siyob Bazaar (,Tajik language, Tajik: Бозори Сиёб), also called Siab Bazaar, is the largest bazaar in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The building is built in the shape of a dome, under which there are several pavilions with a large number of sh ...

is now, next to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Today, the building functions as a museum and gallery. Together with other historical and archaeological monuments of Samarkand, Chorsu has been included in the

UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...

List for Uzbekistan. The name Chorsu can be translated from Persian as "four roads". During the rule of Emir Shohmurad, in 1785, the current building was constructed, and it received the name Chorsu because it has four entrances. The walls of the building are in the form of a prism with 12 corners. The building features a large central dome and four smaller domes on top of the entrance section. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the building was used by merchants and traders to sell clothing, headgear, fabrics, medicines, books, and various other goods. Around the building, there were shops and smaller stalls. From the Soviet era onwards, the monument building was adapted for memorial purposes, and it was used for selling small items and souvenirs. In 2005, the ownership of "Chorsu" was transferred to the Uzbekistan Academy of Arts. In 2005, the trading dome was fully restored, and a three-meter layer of soil was removed to raise the building's height. Today, the Chorsu trading dome serves as a monument and houses a museum and an art gallery. Over the years, Chorsu has been visited by numerous famous Uzbek and foreign artists and sculptors who displayed their works.

References

Buildings and structures in Samarkand Retail markets in Uzbekistan History of Samarkand {{uzbekistan-struct-stub

History

See also

References