Chopon-ota mausoleum in Tashkent

Chopan ota mausoleum, – architectural monument, a tomb in Tashkent, is a part of the architectural complex of Chopan ota in the cemetery of the same name. The tomb is dedicated to the legendary name Chopan ota, who was revered in Central Asia as the protector of shepherds and sheepfolds. The building should be considered not as a true cemetery but only as a shrine (“holy place”). According to legends, the order to build the mausoleum was given by Amir Timur or Ulugh Beg, but archaeological materials date it to the 18th centuries.

The tomb is notable for its silhouette, figurative and brick models. The shape of the building served as a model for Muin Khalfa Bobo and Khoja Bahriddin in Tashkent.

Location

Chopan ota mausoleum is a part of the religious complex of the same name in the Chopan ota cemetery. From the entrance building of the mausoleum one passes to the cemetery courtyard. The cemetery is located in the 13th district of the Chilanzar district of Tashkent city.

According to some information, this medieval cemetery occupied the western part of the archaeological monument Qozokmazortepa. The name of the archaeological monument is related to the entry of the Qozoks into Tashkent region during the rule of the Jungar (Kalmyks) in the 18th century. One legend says the mausoleum was originally called “Qozok mausoleum” and was built in the area inhabited by the Kalmyks, but these events date back to the era of Amir Timur.

Information about its construction

No precise historical sources reporting the construction of the mausoleum have been found and the collected survey data are also scarce. At the same time, several contradictory legends exist.

According to one legend, the building was constructed in a village where the Kalmyks lived by order of Amir Timur and was formerly called “Qozok mausoleum”.

According to the second legend, Ulugh Beg saw Chopon-ota in a dream. That person warned Ulugh Beg that his burial ceremony had not been performed, after which Ulugh Beg marked the site of the mausoleum and sent builders and materials from Samarkand to Tashkent. It should be noted that the mausoleum construction contains forms characteristic of the 15th century, but similarities can be seen with the tombs of Muin Khalfa Bobo and Khoja Bahriddin, which were built in the 19th century.

Architecture

The building is single‑roomed and domed. Its foundation is a rectangular prism measuring 4.6 × 5.6 m, and the height of the mausoleum is 7.2 m. The entrance door is located on the south side, with a lintel crafted in the shape of a flower bouquet. The upper part of the minaret is decorated with lamps and a spheroidal dome (internal diameter 2.6 m) is installed.

The interior of the dome has a cross‑shaped plan with openings. The western wall of the niche has a small door. The interior of the mausoleum is plastered. In the middle of the hall there is a single large tombstone.

The mausoleum is built of rectangular baked bricks measuring 24.5 × 24.5 × 4 cm, using clay (for walls), gypsum (for arches and domes) and lime. The dome’s drum, lintel, and brick walls are decorated vertically and horizontally in alternating order. The exterior of the drum and the base of the dome are covered with stone.

The shape of the building served as a model for the mausoleums of Muin Khalfa Bobo and Khoja Bahriddin in Tashkent.