Mui Mubarak medrese (Hazrat Imom mosque complex)

The Mui Mubarak madrasa was built in 1856–1857 by the governor of Tashkent, Mirzo Ahmad Qushbegi, in the Hazrat Imam district of Tashkent, during the reign of the Ming dynasty. Currently, this building houses a Qur’an (Usman’s Mus’haf) written in a leather cover in the Hijri year of the caliph Usman (644–656), i.e., in the years 644–648. This Qur’an is considered one of the rarest manuscripts and was brought from Syria by Amir Timur in the 14th century.

History

The original structure built on the site of the architectural monument (16th century) fell into ruin and became unusable, so a new madrasa began to be constructed in its place. The most important thing is that it is believed that the hair (strand) of the Prophet Muhammad is preserved in this madrasa. The construction of the new madrasa also served to preserve this “Blessed hair”.

Architectural style

The madrasa embodies Eastern architectural traditions, built in the “Chor” style, with its doors in the khatamkari style. Both the façade and the architectural solution are unique, with its portal decorated with colorful, patterned flowers. The external decorations of the building are predominantly blue. The madrasa is rectangular, domed, and has 13 rooms. The upper part of the entrance doors of the architectural monument is adorned with various floral khatamkari patterns. On the two outer sides of the decorations, floral patterns are drawn, with motifs other than flowers spreading from them. The entrance part of the architectural monument also clearly reflects architectural traditions, and one enters the interior of the madrasa through intricately carved doors. Standing on the entrance is the world‑famous “Usman the Mus’haf” inscription. The dome’s interior decorations are mainly in green, blue, and gold colors. In other rooms of the madrasa are kept copies of the Qur’an of various sizes, transcribed in different periods and printed in other languages. The madrasa doors are a brilliant example of wooden carving. Initially, the building functioned as an educational institution.

Present day

The architectural monument was renovated after Uzbekistan gained independence. Among other things, on the occasion of the 2200th anniversary of Tashkent, the Moʻyi Muborak madrasa in the city was also restored. The surroundings of the architectural monument were landscaped. A new dome was installed on the roof of the madrasa. Decorative metalwork was done by masters such as Nodir Hoshimov, Sharofuddin Ziyovuddinov, Bahodir Ashirov. The building has also been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List.