Nodir Devonbegi (Uzbek: Nodir devonbegi xonaqohi) is a historical memorial in

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 ...

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 ...

. It was established by Nodir Devonbegi (Nodir Mirzo Togay ibn Sultan), the vizier and brother of the ruler of

, Imamquli Khan, in 1620–1621. The

khanqah A Sufi lodge is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood or ''tariqa'' and is a place for spiritual practice and religious education. They include structures also known as ''khānaqāh'', ''zāwiya'', ''ribāṭ'' ...

has been included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage objects of

. It is a type of building that served as a place of residence and worship for

Sufi mystics Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

History

The Nodir Devonbegi Khanaka was constructed in 1620, along with a pond that is part of the

Lyab-i Hauz Lab-i Hauz (, , , meaning in Persian "by the pool"), sometimes also known as Lyab-i Khauz, a Russian approximation, is the name of the area surrounding one of the few remaining '' hauz'' pools that have survived in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekist ...

ensemble, a complex of historical buildings in the center of

. The Khanaka primarily served as a residence for

dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from ) in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage is found particularly in Persi ...

es, with the Labi Hovuz located nearby, which was dug in 1620. The Khanaka is a multi-roomed structure with two large minaret-like towers forming its entrance. It has 28 small domes on the roof. The central dome hall of the Nodir Devonbegi Khanaka has doors on three sides and a

mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

(prayer niche) on the west side. The corners of the Khanaka have cells. For a certain period, the Khanaka served as a

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

and a shelter and

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

for those coming from distant regions. The Nodir Devonbegi Khanaka, located in Mulla Shamsiddin Guzar, has 14 cells.
According to the endowment documents, to the west of the Khanaka is the house of Mirzo Aboqi Arbob Mirzo Husayn, to the east and north is a road, and to the south is a pool. The endowment document is titled "The Endowment of Nodir Devonbegi

Madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

, Pool, and Khanaka."
Researcher Abdusattor Jumanazarov suggests that initially, the memorial served as a Friday

and was later transformed into a Khanaka. Currently, the building houses the Ancient Varakhsha and Applied Arts History Museum of

State Museum-Preserve. This museum was established in 1991 and was renamed in 2017 as the History Museum of Ancient Varakhsha and Applied Arts, with modifications made to its exhibits.

Architecture

Nodir Devonbegi Khanqah was built in the style of

Central Asian architecture Architecture of Central Asia refers to the architectural styles of the numerous societies that have occupied Central Asia throughout history. These styles include a regional tradition of Islamic and Iranian architecture, including Timurid archit ...

, which is characterized by the use of bricks, domes, arches, and geometric and floral patterns. It is part of the Labi Hovuz ensemble and was constructed simultaneously with a pool. The entrance portal is adorned with a majestic main entrance, and the height of the portal's dome is quite significant, with fragments of the tiles of the

qashani ''Qashani'' or ''Kashani'' is a Persian decorative art which had been popular in Iran in the 16th to 18th century, and then moved to Turkey in the time of the Ottomans with the transfer of many Persians artists to Turkey, becoming the basis for d ...

preserved in some places. Two diagonally fluted minaret-like towers on both sides enhance its grand appearance. The Khanaka has entrance doors on both sides leading to cells.
The walls have been repaired several times, with the last major restoration carried out by Sayyid Olimkhon, the last ruler of Bukhara, between 1914 and 1916. This has led to a change in the original appearance of the walls. The Nodir Devonbegi Khanaka has a symmetrical layout (27.5 x 25 meters) with an

Iwan An iwan (, , also as ''ivan'' or ''ivān''/''īvān'', , ) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...

in the center, surrounded by a hall (11.2 x 11.2 meters), and two-story cells for dervishes on its sides. The dome is crowned with a building top adorned with a spiral ornament. The Khanaka has a large dome, and the walls are decorated with

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

tiles. The upper part of the walls lacks preserved inscriptions. The

iwan An iwan (, , also as ''ivan'' or ''ivān''/''īvān'', , ) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...

's facade has three hanchkori fence windows with carved grilles. The present appearance of the Nodir Devonbegi Khanaka has been altered to be more elegant, sophisticated, and reminiscent of ancient architecture.Oʻzbekiston Milliy Ensiklopediyasi. Birinchi jild. Toshkent, 2000-yil In 1978, under the initiative and leadership of the cultural figure Abdug'affor Haqqulov, it underwent another renovation in Uzbekistan.

References

Bibliography

* * {{cite book, author= Abdusattor Jumanazarov, title=Buxoro ta'lim tizimi tarixi, date=2017, publisher=Akademnashr, location=Tashkent, pages=592, isbn=978-9943-4728-2-2, language=uz Buildings and structures in Bukhara Religious buildings and structures completed in 1620