Barakhan Madrasah

Baroqxon madrasa — a madrasa built in Tashkent (1531/32 — second half of the 16th century). Around its courtyard are arcades and on the interior side a portal, with the western part of the madrasa projecting somewhat forward. Its foundation is stone, its thick walls are made of fired bricks of various sizes. Some parts are finely worked. At the site of Baroqxon madrasa there were originally two (large and small) tombs. The small tomb contains the grave of Baroqxon. Three of its four doors were later sealed (the remaining door was opened to the roof with a ladder). In 1904 the large tomb was converted into a mosque and contains the grave of Tashkent governor Suyunchkhodja. Baroqxon built a madrasa that incorporated the two tombs. On the eastern side of the madrasa a large portal is adorned with multicolored glazed bricks. It is decorated with arabesque and geometric patterns. The upper part of the portal has not been preserved. Behind the main portal there is another portal and a five‑sided railing. The inner portal on the western side is part of a blue dome. At the four corners of Baroqxon madrasa there are elongated rooms (kitchens). The building’s shape and decorations have remained intact. Its 22 m dome is decorated with blue glazed bricks (the dome collapsed during the 1868 earthquake). On the 4.5 m drum beneath the dome, various colored glazed bricks form arabesque and geometric patterns, and Quranic verses are inscribed. The interior decorations of the tomb were later removed. The upper part of the interior wall has plasterwork with gold paint, and the lower part has a wide frieze carved from hexagonal tiles (separated by green glazed and speckled bricks). During repairs in the early 20th century the remnants of the old decorations were removed and replastered with white plaster. The beauty of Baroqxon madrasa’s ornaments and its construction style approach the finest architectural monuments of Samarkand (the White Palace and Ishratkhona of the second half of the 15th century). Restoration work was carried out in 1946, 1949, 1951 and 1967. The Office of the Muslims of Uzbekistan is located in Baroqxon madrasa.