Toqi Telpak Furushon

History

The dome went up during the nominal reign of Iskander Khan, when his son Abdullah Khan II actually ran the state. Telpak furushon means 'hat-sellers': men's and women's skullcaps, heavy woollen telpak hats and other headgear were sold here. Over time it was also known as the book-sellers' dome (Toqi Kitobfurushon), the ironmongers' crossing (Chorsu-i Ohanin) and Khoja Muhammad Parron.

It was an ordinary bazaar until the mid-20th century; today its stalls sell clothing, skullcaps, jewellery and souvenirs.

Architecture

Built of stone, timber, clay and fired brick, the dome gathers five arched passages beneath a central dome with a multi-tiered drum, ringed by smaller domes. It lies about 300 m south of Toqi Zargaron, next to the Magok-i-Kurpa Mosque.

Head south for the Magok-i-Attari Mosque and Toqi Sarrafon, or north for the Tim of Abdullah Khan and Toqi Zargaron — the domes all line up along a single market axis.

Did you know?

The five-street crossing beneath the dome was one of the busiest spots in the city. That is why the dome traded in different goods over the centuries and kept changing its name — books, ironware, hats.