Sayyid Ahmad Khoja Madrasah

Visit Guide to Sayyid Ahmad Khoja Madrasah

Built in the end of the 19th century, Said Ahmad-Khoja madrasah is one of the “youngest” monuments of Margilan, which is a little over 200 years old. The madrasah is characterized by a harmonious composition, proportionality of building elements and rational designs. The core of the complex is formed by the madrasah itself and the mosque, which consists of a hall and ayvan with painted ceilings.

Getting There

Said Ahmad Khoja madrasah is located in the city of Margilan on Said Ahmad Khoja Eshon Street.

One can get by train from Tashkent to Margilan from the South Station in the direction of Tashkent-Andijan-Tashkent. The flight is carried out every day 2 times.

It is also convenient to move around the city by taxi, using services of Taxi Premier, Real taxi and so on.

What to Expect

Said Ahmad-Khodja Madrasah is distinguished by not quite traditional architecture: both oriental and European techniques were used in its construction. So, inside the square courtyard there is a mosque, and the courtyard itself with rows of pointed arches along the perimeter is surrounded by hujras, which is a typical layout for the eastern architecture of such buildings.

The building was built of baked bricks, but, taking into account the local seismic conditions, the masters strengthened the walls of the mosque, in a European style, with a two-row wooden frame, which made it possible to visually expand the interior space of the room.

The ceiling of the hall is painted with wide red and green stripes, on which flowers and voluble plants stand out. The internal walls are divided by an elegant geometric ganch ornament on rectangular panels, in the plane of which the niche of the mihrab is highlighted.

History

In 2007, the building of the Said Ahmad-Khoja madrasah was reconstructed, a wide road was brought up to the monument, and a garden was planted around it. Old plane trees with spreading crowns and a wide irrigation ditch flowing through the inner courtyard of the madrasah create shade and coolness on hot days.

The madrasah of Said Ahmad-Khoja is active and believers study the Koran and Hadith here, and in 26 khujras, where madrasah students lived two centuries ago, there are now workshops of local artisans engaged in weaving, gold embroidery, woodcarving and embossing.

Facilities Available

Artisans of different area of focus work on the territory of the object (silkworms, making atlas and adras, ganch). There is a public toilet, information corner, and shopping possibilities within the Madrasah.