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Poi-Kalyan Ensemble
It is the main
ensemble in Bukhara center, situated
on the way to trade crossing of
"four bazars" and Poi-Kalyan means
“the pedestal of the Great” (it
means “the pedestal of Kalyan
minaret”). Ensemble consists of 4
monuments: Kalyan mosque and
Mini-Arab Madrassah – faced to each
other with main fronts; between them
is Kalyan minaret; to the south of
Mini-Arab there is small
Amir-Allimkhan Madrassah.
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Kalyan
Minaret – it is a great vertical
pillar, rising above the city.
To proclaim the appeal to the
pray – azal, it was enough to
rise mosque roof, as it was in
first centuries after Islam
establishment. The word
“minaret” descends from “minor”
– it is a place, where something
is on fire, the fire was set in
leading light like this, between
them in ancient world there were
vast many-storey towers, like
Phaross light-house of 143
meters height, dating to 283 BC.
Minarets played an exceptional
role in architectual ensembles
creating the city peculiarity.
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In the beginning
of 12 century – Arslan-khan ordered
to transfer the minaret of old
cathedral mosque far from fortress.
When this work had been finished
“someone overlooked the building”,
minaret fell on the cathedral mosque
and destroyed its 2/3. For the
second time Arslan-khan ordered to
built minaret. By inscription in
turquoise majolica, under light
cornice of Kalyan minaret, it was
determined that it was finished in
1127. You can read “the name of
Arslan-khan” on the half weight of
stem. And it was found the name of
master – Bano, whose burial place,
local inhabitants pointed out
between the next blockhouses. Kalyan
minaret represents characteristic
Maveranahr style of roundtrunk brick
tower, decorated by the arch light.
Its lower diameter – 9 meters, up
diameter – 6 meters, total height is
45,6 meters. There is a
brink-winding staircase inside
trunk. Sixteen-arch light rotunda
hangs over minaret trunk leaning on
running out laying rows, decorated
as stalactite cornice. Kalyan
Madrassah is dated to architecture
masterpiece; it is a monument of 5
century, raised from the ruins
during the years of Soviet power. In
the beginning of 16 century, the
mosque was partly reconstructed. The
shapes of amazing arches and portal
décor have already carried the
features of new style, developed in
Bukharan oasis in 16-17 centuries.
The inscription under arch portal
dates time of reconstruction. This
is a poem from Koran, at the end of
which we can see the date 1514-1515.
In 1541 at the entrance of main
portal was fixed a marble board with
cut text of Abdullaziz I, this order
runs that Bukharan inhabitants were
free of some taxes payment.
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