The mahalla

A town within the town

Mahalla comes from an Arabic word meaning ‘place’; in different regions it was also called guzar, jamoa or elat. Historically, mahallas often grew up around a trade and were named after it — the jewellers’, coppersmiths’, cutlers’ or tanners’ quarter. At the heart of each was the guzar, with its mosque, teahouse, pool and shops.

Each mahalla was run by an oqsoqol, an elder chosen by the community, and weddings, funerals, canal clearing and street repairs were all shared work. Since independence the mahalla has been enshrined in law as a body of citizens’ self-government.

Walking a mahalla

To feel mahalla life, wander the narrow lanes of the old towns, past inward-looking courtyard houses and teahouses on the guzar — the old quarters of Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand and Kokand are ideal. When there is a wedding or a funeral, the whole mahalla turns out: someone hangs the cauldron, someone carries tables and chairs, while women bake bread and lay the table. Greeting strangers in the street is normal here, and a chat often ends with an invitation to tea.