The mausoleum of the century (Kazakh: Arystanbab KESENESI) — the mausoleum on the grave of the teacher and spiritual mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi religious mystic and preacher century. The mausoleum is located 150 kilometers from the city of Shymkent, near the settlement of Otrar and the village of Shaulder Otyrar district. Monument of architecture. One of the main places of worship of Muslims in the region. Since 1982, the mausoleum of Arystan Baba has been under state protection.
The history of the construction edit
According to legend, Arystanbab died and was buried in the vicinity of Otrar in the XII century. Probably at the same time was built his mausoleum, which is not reliable information.
It is not known what happened to the mausoleum after the Otrar catastrophe, when the troops of Jochi after a seven-month siege completely destroyed the nearby large city of Otrar, along with all its population.
In the XIV century by order of Timur on the site of Daniyar Khan destroyed the building was built a new structure. But it has not reached our days.
The first known reconstruction of the mausoleum dates back to the XIV—XV centuries. Carved wooden columns of Ivan survived from this building.
In the XVIII century on the site of the ancient Mazar, destroyed by the earthquake, was built a two-domed building with aivan, based on two carved wooden columns.
The building of the XVIII century was destroyed and in 1909 was rebuilt, as the inscription on one of the cartouches of the frieze says.
In 1971, due to the high level of groundwater, which led to its emergency condition, the mosque was demolished and rebuilt at the expense of the local population.
Modern mausoleum edit
The mausoleum is a tomb and a memorial mosque and is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims.
Currently, over the grave of Arystanbab there is a mausoleum with an area of 35×12 m, built of burnt bricks on alabaster mortar in the front masonry of the walls. The long main facade is flanked by two minarets and decorated with figured brickwork. The preserved building was built in the first decade of the XX century, it is a multi-chamber complex of transverse-axial composition. The building consists of two parts — a two-chamber tomb (gurkhana) and a memorial mosque, United by a large vaulted corridor. Gurkhan is blocked by two identical high-conal domes. In its first room there is a huge tombstone of Arystanbab, in the second — the tombstones of his disciples and followers of Hermet-Azyr, Karga-Baba, Lashyn-Baba. Various elements of the structure were gradually attached to the original premises, later gurkhana and the memorial mosque were United by a common front wall of the main facade with a deep portal room in the center, covered with a pointed arch.
The portal is noted as the most expressive element of the architecture of the mausoleum, it is noteworthy that he doesn't look typical for Central Asia peshtak with arched niche in a rectangular frame and is made in a new for this area architectural form on the basis of decorative elements borrowed from European and Russian architecture of the XIX century.
Legends of Arystanbab edit
According to the legend, by order of Tamerlan, construction of the mosque (1338-1405) began over the grave of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. All attempts to build the walls failed, a strong storm demolished them, according to another version of the appearance of a green bull that destroyed everything. Grave of St. Timur, who appeared in a dream, said that first it is necessary to build a mausoleum over the grave of St. Arystan-Bab, and then over the grave of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Which Timur did. Therefore, pilgrims first visit the mausoleum of teacher Arystan-Baba, and then the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
Memorabilia edit
- A pair of carved wooden columns, which researchers refer to the second period of construction of this mausoleum (XIV—XV centuries), survived.
- The mausoleum presents the Koran under the glass — a magnificent example of medieval calligraphic art.
Studies of the mausoleum edit
Another place where there is the mausoleum of Arystan Bab is the Osh region, Kyrgyzstan. However, according to the researcher of religion of the Kyrgyz S. M. Arisona, local residents believe century, buried here, a warrior who fights against the Kalmyks. Osh Arystan-Bab is a man who lived in the XVIII-XVII century.
The building, built over the grave of Arystanbab, was first published in the scientific literature of 1898 in the article of I. T. Poslavsky "Ruins of Otrar city".
In 1903 the mausoleum was mentioned in the report of the member of Turkestan circle of Amateur archaeologists A. Cherkasov. He was surprised by the grave of Arystanbab in the corner of the mausoleum room: "the Tomb of Arstan-Bab is the same shape as the others, covered with a piece of white calico and amazes with its size. This increase in the catches of the Sheikh, reached the Holy...". Later historical information of A. Cherkasov was translated into Russian and French.
They are also mentioned in the writings of I. A. Castellana "Antiquities of the Kirghiz steppe and the Orenburg region". After a long period of time, the scientific description of the mausoleum of Arystanbab was published in the article of 1950 by V. Kostantinov "Some architectural monuments along the middle course of the Syrdarya river".
[[Category:South Kazakhstan Region]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:History of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Sufism]]