Mizdakhan - the sacred city of tombs

After a stop for lunch - desperately needed after the marathon in the museum - we drive about 40 min outside of Nukus, just 8km from the border with Turkmenistan to the remains of the ancient Mizdakhan Necropolis, once the largest city in this region. The city was founded in the 4th century BC and inhabited right up to the 14th century when it was destroyed by Tamerlane, the Turko- Mongol leader who conquered most of Central Asia.

It's one of the oldest and most visited pilgrimage sites of the region. Even after its destruction, it remained a sacred place, although as a 'city of the dead' and it's still used today as an active burial site.

There are a few interesting burial sites we had a look at in more detail
☝️Mazlumkhan Sulu Mausoleum, one of
the best-preserved architectural gems within the ancient Mizdakhan.
Built during the Golden Horde period (13th–14th), it is a unique underground palace-like tomb, richly decorated with glazed turquoise and dark-blue tiles.
The story goes, that a poor architect fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the local ruler. The father of the girl declared that he would only win her hand if he could create an architectural miracle: a palace that is cool in summer and warm in winter. Having built this beautiful palace, the ruler still didn't approve of the marriage - so the young girl and her lover together jumped to their deaths from the roof of the dome. In the end, the grieving father buried the young lovers side-by-side in the palace which became the underground resting place for them for eternity.

☝️Mausoleum of Khalifa Erejep, an 11th century ruin believed to be the resting place of a spiritual teacher who taught wisdom to his followers. But it's far more famous for its mythological connection:
👉 Local legend says that it's the burial place of Adam, the first man. Historians trace this legend back to ancient Zoroastrian traditions
👉 The crumbling structure of Khalifa Erejep serves as an allegorical hourglass of the Apocalypse. According to the legend, one brick falls from the walls of the mausoleum each year. When the final brick dislodges and strikes the ground, the clock runs out, triggering the end of the world.
Interestingly, out of respect for the myth and a symbolic desire to postpone the apocalypse, pilgrims who visit the ruin stack the fallen bricks into small, balanced pillars and in 2024, the government with support from the US embassy in UZ decided to partly reconstruct the mausoleum 🤷

☝️Shamun Nabi Mausoleum
Unlike typical single-domed Central Asian mausoleums, the building features an elongated rectangular hall crowned with seven domes. Inside rests an unusually long cenotaph measuring over 25 metres in length.
And the story goes ... Shamun Nabi was remembered not just as a prophet and mystic healer, but as a legendary warrior of supernatural stature, strength and size, battling infidel rulers and wild beasts.
In fact, when Soviet archaeologists excavated beneath the 25-metre cenotaph, they found no giant skeleton—in fact, there were no human remains inside the giant mound at all.

☝️Jumart Kassab Mound is believed to be the only Zoroastrian grave in Mizdakhan.
The mound is about 5m high and is linked to the Islamic legend of Jumart the Butcher. According to the story, Jumart was a prosperous and generous butcher who lived during severe famine and drought. Instead of hoarding or selling his stock at exorbitant prices, he gave away meat free of charge to the poor and hungry. When he was dying and as he didn't have any children himself, the community asked him what they could do for him. So he asked for a handful of soil on his grave whenever someone came there. One needs a lot of handfuls to get to 5m.

Even on a very hot afternoon it had a certain eerie atmosphere in the peace and quiet.Read more