Po-i-Kalyan: Kalyan Minaret & Mosque

Poi Kalon

The 47-metre brick minaret built in 1127 was spared by Genghis Khan. At its base are the Kalyan Mosque, which holds up to 12,000 worshippers, and the Mir Arab Madrasa across the square.

Po-i-Kalyan (“at the feet of the great one”) is the heart of Bukhara and consists of three buildings around a square. The Kalyan Minaret was built in 1127, stands about 47 metres tall with a base diameter of 9 metres, and is decorated with 14 different brick bands. It is one of the oldest and tallest surviving minarets in Central Asia. It once served as a lighthouse for desert caravans and as a platform for executions. When Genghis Khan attacked the city in 1220, he was so impressed by its height that he ordered it preserved. Beside it, the Kalyan Mosque, built in 1514, covers one hectare. Around its courtyard are 288 small domes and a blue main dome, and it can hold 12,000 worshippers. It is still in use today. Across the square, the Mir Arab Madrasa (1535) remains a working Islamic school. Visitors can only look into its courtyard from the entrance. Mosque admission costs about 40,000 sum (about CNY 25), and it is open 08:00–18:00 (after 14:00 on Fridays). The minaret cannot be climbed, and the madrasa's interior is closed to visitors. Suggested itinerary: visit the mosque in the morning to see the courtyard and domes. In the late afternoon, from 17:00 to 18:00, watch the sunset turn the minaret golden from a teahouse or rooftop café on the square, such as the rooftop restaurant near Silk Road Tea House. Return in the evening to see it lit up. From the minaret, it's a 10-minute walk south through the Trading Domes to Lyabi-Hauz, and a 10-minute walk west to the Ark. Note that visitors must cover their shoulders and knees when entering the mosque, and women should wear a headscarf. Carpet and embroidery shops around the square tend to charge high prices, so check prices elsewhere before you buy.

Po-i-Kalyan: Kalyan Minaret & Mosque

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