You are here

Home » Bukhara the ancient madrasahs. The most ancient city of Central Asia - Bukhara.

Goziyon madrasah in Bukhara.

Historical places of Bukhara.

"Fire - a monument to Prometheus"

 Alexander Seleznev.

Luxury travellers in Bukhara.

The madrasah bears the name of historical residential area - Goziyon ("faith defenders") - one of the most important centers of Muslim education in pre-Soviet Bukhara. Goziyon had several Madrasahs that functioned till Russian Revolution of 1917.
The largest of Goziyon - the madrasah of Mullo Mukhammad-Sharif - is lost. It was built in the early XIX century. The intact madrasah Goziyon-i Kalon (Great Goziyon) is one of two madrasahs of former so called "kosh" ensemble, which is typical of Bukhara.
The word "kosh" means "paired" because two structures of the ensemble face one another across a street or square. Number two of the pair was Goziyon-i Hurd Madrasah (Small Goziyon). Both of them served as dormitory only.
It was common practice that so-called madrasahs had no lecture rooms or, even if they had, no lectures had been given in them (for example the Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah).
The Chubin Madrasah, formerly adjoined from the east the madrasah of Mullo Mukhammad-Sharif, was made as framework building.
Therefore it was called "chubin", which means "wooden". Now it is also lost, as well as another little madrasah, which also belonged to Goziyon residential area. The sacred place of the Goziyon is a grave of Imom Gozi - Imam - faith defender (is not to be confused with Imam Al-Gazali), which was near to khanaka. 
Imom Gozi is honored in Bukhara as one of "forty four martyrs of faith", who, according to narrative, were buried in different places of Bukhara, at the area between Karshi and Karakul gates.

Authority and photos:
Dmitriy Page. The Guide to Bukhara. History and sights. http://www.buxara.org