Karakhan Mausoleum

Karakhan Mausoleum – a monument of architecture from the 11th century included in the state list of republican significance historical and cultural monuments of Kazakhstan.

Construction, description

The mausoleum was placed at the head of the Karakhan tomb of the well‑known khan Sha‑Mahmud Bugra from the Karakhan dynasty. Only the dome collapsed; the four walls of the mausoleum and the two towers decorated with glossy bricks were preserved until the 1890s. In 1905 its collapsed part was completely demolished, and in 1906 a new mausoleum was built in its place. The new construction was financed by the then Tashkent merchant Said Bakhkhanov. The later built mausoleum does not resemble the original. Although the façade is similar to the Aisha Bibi mausoleum, the brick ornamentation shows imitation of the medieval Ismail dome in Bukhara. The Karakhan mausoleum is quadrangular, consisting of a central large room and three smaller sections. The ceiling of the central room is covered to resemble a yurt. There are two towers at the rear. The façade of the mausoleum faces south, while its interior tomb is oriented from south to north. The entrance portal is decorated with an arched niche. The inner side of the walls retains the original bricks of the mausoleum, while new bricks were used for the outer side.