Juma Mosque (Khiva)

History

Khiva’s Friday mosque stands at the very centre of Itchan Kala, on the main street linking the west and east gates. The 10th-century Arab geographer al-Muqaddasi mentions a congregational mosque in Khiva, so its history is usually traced back more than a thousand years. According to the court historian Munis, it was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century with funds from the vizier Abdurahman Mehtar; the present structure dates from 1788–1789.

A tall minaret rises at the mosque’s northeast corner, next to the Qozi Kalon Madrasa.

Architecture

The Juma Mosque is an unusual type for Central Asia: it has no portal, no dome and no inner courtyard. A single hall of about 55 by 46 metres is covered by a flat timber roof on 212–213 wooden columns — the sources disagree on the exact number. Light falls through two openings in the roof, and the cool half-light of the hall was designed for Khorezm’s scorching summers.

No two columns are alike: they were carved at different times, each with its own ornament. The oldest date from the 10th–12th centuries, some bearing Kufic inscriptions, and several scholars believe they were brought from Kath, Khorezm’s ancient capital. Columns with Khivan-style floral carving belong to the 18th–19th centuries. The carved doors date from 1316, 1517, 1788 and 1789.

How to see it

The mosque can be entered from three sides. Take your time among the columns, comparing their bases, shafts and capitals: some are slender and plain, others thick and covered in floral carving, a few still bearing old inscriptions. UNESCO singles out the hypostyle hall as a design adapted to Central Asia’s harsh climate.

Did you know?

The columns stand on stone bases that keep the wood from soaking up ground moisture and let the structure flex slightly during earthquakes. The south wall has niches with muqarnas decoration, and a marble plaque nearby lists the mosque’s endowed properties.

The minaret offers sweeping views over the rooftops of Itchan Kala, though its stairway is narrow and steep.