Qutlugmurod Inoq Madrasa

History and architecture

The madrasa was founded by Qutlugmurod Inoq, uncle of Allakuli Khan, who at his own request was buried beneath the vestibule floor. Measuring 57 by 44 metres, it was the first madrasa in Khiva with two storeys and an open arcaded façade. A domed sardoba, a water cistern about 7 metres across, sits in the middle of the courtyard. It is also the only monument in Khiva decorated with unglazed stamped relief, while the portal and vestibule carry painted carved plaster. In 1858 it had 95 students; alumni include the Karakalpak poet Berdakh and the reformist poet Avaz Otar. Craftsmen now show their work in the courtyard.