Sayid Alaouddine mausoleum

Said Aloviddin mausoleum — an architectural monument in Ichan Qala (14th century). It was built by Soʻfi Amir Kulol on the grave of his teacher Shaykh Aloviddin. The mausoleum is located near the western gate of Ichan Qala, on the eastern side of the Muhammad Niyoz divanbegi madrasa. The Said Aloviddin mausoleum consists of a vaulted, square-shaped two rooms — a shrine (shrine room) and a khilkhana. It is included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. The domed and uniquely carved tombstone tomb belongs to the first half of the 14th century, and a prayer hall was added in the 17th century. The architecture of these buildings is varied. By order of Olloqulixon, the monument was taken out of capital repair in 1825.

History

For many years, because graves multiplied next to the monument, the mausoleum remained below ground level. As a result of archaeological investigations, many data about the former appearance and past of the graves have been collected. The historian scholar Ahmad Roziy, who lived in the past, mentions Said Aloviddin in the list of famous Khwarezmian shaykhs and says he was a major shaykh after Shaykh Najmiddin Kubro.

Shaykh Alaviddin died on March 18, 1303. The tombs over the graves of famous scholars and shaykhs have over time become pilgrimage sites. The Khiva khan Olloquli (1825–1842) devoted himself to it, and during his reign built high structures over the shaykh’s tomb. A large endowment property was allocated. In 1825 the tomb was completely renovated, the wing of the illuminated portal in the pilgrimage complex was slightly shortened and rebuilt. The interior chambers were sealed. Brick was laid on the khan’s platform and the walls were plastered with gypsum. Fourteen verses of poetry are inscribed on the wall. According to these inscriptions, the reconstruction of the building was carried out by order of Olloqulixon, under the leadership of Hubbiqulixoja’s son Hamidxoja. In the 13th–14th centuries in Khwarezm the art of tilework reached its peak with its artistic decoration and quality. The tiles in Sayyid Alaviddin’s grave are unique in the city of Khiva; similar ones are found in the Shaykh Najmiddin Kubro tomb in Old Urgench, in the portal of the Turkan og‘o tomb, brother of A. Temur in Samarkand, and in the tomb of Qusam ibn Abbas in the Shohi Zinda complex.

Architecture

The tomb (13.0 × 10.4 m) consists of a portal, a prayer hall and a kitchen. In the first half of the 14th century a kitchen was built with its portal facing south. To the west of the kitchen, a prayer hall (18th century) was later added. The rooms have domed roofs, and light enters the prayer hall through a semi‑dome window. The interior is plastered with gypsum. The kitchen’s arches are decorated with intricate tile patterns. One of them bears the death date of Said Alaviddin in Arabic script (March 18, 1303). The arch is shaped like a bowl, with ornamental brackets at the corners, which have a engineering form called “rumiy” in the piramoni band. The bowl’s walls feature delicate, almost marble‑like workmanship. In 1825 the portal, which had collapsed, was rebuilt by architect Hubbiqulixoja’s son Hamidxoja, and the dome, arch, and prayer hall walls were repaired. On the prayer hall walls, in Persian (Arabic Nastaliq script), information about the building’s construction and architects is provided. In 1957 it was scientifically studied by I. Notkin and V. Bulatova. Restoration work was carried out in the tomb on the eve of the 2500th anniversary of the city of Khiva.