Pir Siddiq Complex

History and legend

The complex is named after the holy man Pir Siddiq. Legend has it that while fleeing his pursuers he hid in a cave, and pigeons built nests across the entrance. Seeing the birds sitting calmly on their nests, the pursuers concluded that no one could be inside — or the pigeons would have taken fright — and moved on. Hence the complex's other name, Kaptarlik, 'of the pigeons'; local people revere the birds, and flocks still circle the dome.

According to the sources the mausoleum was built in the mid-18th century, and an ensemble of mosque, minaret, tomb courtyard, gatehouse and dovecote grew up around it over time. It is one of the few mausoleums in the valley to have survived the region's frequent earthquakes.

Did you know?

In local tradition Pir Siddiq is described as one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. The complex lies in the north-east of Margilan, about 2 km from the Khanaka Mosque, and remains an active place of pilgrimage for townspeople.

Architecture

At the back of the courtyard stands the north-facing mausoleum: behind a projecting portal lies a square chamber with pointed sagana tombstones. The composition's most distinctive feature is the portal itself, a decorated screen wall framed by slender corner columns that end in light domed lanterns rising above the portal. The columns are carved with geometric patterns in ganch.