| Djuma
(Friday) mosque
There is a Djuma
(Friday) mosque in the center of
Ichan-kala. It was erected at the
end of the eighteenth century over
the ruins of previous construction.
This is an original building without
portals and cupolas, without
galleries and yards. It is 55x46 m.
One can enter the mosque from four
sides. From the northern facade,
facing the one of the main streets
of the city the mosque faces a
minaret, 52 m. high. The building is
fenced with brick walls. The
interior space is a single hall, the
flat ceiling of which is supported
by 215 wooden pillars. This type of
single-hall mosque is found
throughout the world and throughout
the ages; witness the magnificent
mosque in Afrasiab (tenth century),
an Iranian mosque in Plain (tenth
century), the Morocco mosque of
Khas-an in Rabat (twelfth century)
and others. But the constructive
plan and decor of the Khiva Djuma
mosque express originally. Small
openings were made in the ceiling
for light and ventilation of the
hall. The finish of fagade is open
brick. The interior is simply
plastered. Spaces between the
windows are painted in black and red
colors; trees, bushes, and irises
are realistically represented,
symbolizing the wish of peace and
tranquil in the monumental and
decorative art of Central Asia.
Irises were also used in the
painting of the Ferghana mosques, in
the Mamangan Khodja Amin Kabri, and
other memorials. The carved doors
and mosque pillars are of special
interest. They were built in
different periods. The deep and
raised carving with a Kufi
inscription decorate the boles of
the pillars of the tenth — eleventh
centuries. Flatter ornament and
smaller painting with flourishing
Kufi are seen on the pillars of the
eleventh — twelfth centuries. The
text on them reminds the worshippers
that «this possession belongs to
Allah». The combination of geometric
and plant ornaments and Arabic
script is peculiar to the pillars of
the fifteenth century. The majority
of the pillars were erected in the
eighteenth century and some of them
are of late origin. One can read
these dates on the doors and
pillars: 1316, 1510, 1788, 1789,
probably, showing the stages of
building the mosque. The forest of
pillars standing in the
semi-darkness of the hall, adorned
with the best patterns of Khorezm
carving is expressive of the
inimitable art of the local masters.
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