Chashma Holy Spring Complex
Chashma majmuasi
The pilgrimage center of ancient Nurata, where the sacred spring pool is full of holy trout. Nearby are a forty-pillar mosque and a bathhouse, with the ruins of an Alexander's fortress behind them.
The Chashma complex is built around a spring whose water stays at about 19°C all year. Legend says the spring gushed forth when Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, struck the ground with his staff. It remains a pilgrimage site for Muslims across Uzbekistan. Schools of trout swim in the spring pool and channels, and they are considered sacred and must not be caught. The complex includes the 16th-century Forty Pillars (Chil Ustun) congregational mosque, the Panjivak Minaret Mosque dating from the 10th century, and the ruins of an ancient bathhouse. Beneath its stone domes is a deep well that is said to cure illness. Admission is free. Dress modestly to enter the mosques, and women should cover their heads. From here you can climb the Nur Fortress behind the complex for a view over the whole town. It is usually a lunch stop on the way to the yurt camp, and a visit takes about an hour.
Opening hours
Open daytime; please do not disturb during services