Modari Khan Mausoleum

History and architecture

The Modari Khan Mausoleum stands beside the Dakhma-i-Shakhon necropolis. Its name means 'mother of the khan': it was built in 1825 for the mother of the ruler of Kokand. It is the best-preserved building of the necropolis and, as a monument of national importance, is managed by the Kokand State Museum-Reserve. The compact portal-and-dome structure is fronted by a portal in coloured tiles; its modest size, compared with the khanate's grand palaces and madrasas, shows the more intimate, almost domestic scale of the period's architecture. Women could be patrons in the khanate too: Umar Khan's wife, the poet Nodira, took part in building madrasas, caravanserais and market arcades.