Hazrat Khizr Mosque

About this attraction

Hazrat Khizr Mosque sits on a hill near the Afrasiyab site, opposite the Shah-i-Zinda complex. Its name honors Khizr, a figure in Islamic tradition said to appear and help people. Accounts place a first mosque here in the early 8th century, though that origin is tied to legend, and it was destroyed in the Mongol invasion of 1220.

The present building dates mainly to 1854, rebuilt on older foundations, with a wooden-columned veranda added in 1899 and the carved-brick minaret and domed portal completed in 1919. Visitors see a tiled, ribbed dome, painted and carved interiors, and views over the old city. Uzbekistan's first president, Islam Karimov, was buried on the grounds in 2016, and a mausoleum opened there in 2018, so the site draws many Uzbek visitors.

Where to pray

It is a mosque, but the sources read do not say how regular prayer is arranged. Visitors usually dress modestly and behave quietly, as at any religious site.

Must see

The carved wooden veranda, the 1919 portal and minaret, and the view over Samarkand from the hill. The Karimov mausoleum is on the same grounds.

Location

Near Shah-i-Zinda and Afrasiyab hill, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Nearby

Within 5 km, nearest first.