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THE SACRED DUTY OF THE KHANS OF KHIVA
Ismailov Tokhirjon Khushnudbek ugli
Mamun University, teacher
E-mail: tohirjon_ismailov@mamunedu.uz
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8571-3653
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14917167
There are 64 madrasas in the city of Khiva, the largest and most beautiful of
which is the madrasa built by Khan of Khiva Muhammad Amin Khan. Madrasah
Ichan is located in the western part of the fort, and the main gate of the city is on
the right side when entering through the Ota Gate. This madrasa was
established in 1852-1855 with the funds and decree of Khiva ruler Muhammad
Amin Khan. Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasah is the largest and most tiled in
comparison to other Khiva madrasahs.
It is worth noting that building a madrasa was considered a sacred duty of
the Khans of Khiva. In 1851, Muhammad Amin Khan announced a competition
to build a madrasa. In the competition, the project drawn by the master Abdulla
Memor will be approved by the Khan.
In the fourth year of his rule, the ruler of Khorezm, Muhammad Aminkhan
(1846-1855), ordered the construction of a madrasa and a tower opposite the
western gate of the Inner Fortress. The construction of the madrasa was
completed in three years.
In 1852, the construction of a magnificent minaret began at the Madrasah of
Muhammad Amin Khan, according to the Khan's plan, it was supposed to be
taller than all the minarets in Central Asia. However, the construction of this
tower was not completed and now it is called "Kaltaminor".
Several famous personalities of the time, Laffasi, Mutrib Khonakharobi, Sufi
and others studied at the madrasa. Since 1979, the Madrasa of Muhammad
Amin Khan together with the Madrasa of Matniyoz Devanbegi has established
the Khiva tourist complex adapted to serve local and foreign tourists. There is a
hotel in the first building, and a restaurant in the second.
In 1990, the madrasa, along with other monuments of Ichan-Kala, was
included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The madrasah is built of baked
bricks, the walls are 1.5 meters thick. The madrasah has 2 floors, 130 rooms,
and according to historical data, 260 students studied in it at the same time.
The rooms on the first floor of the madrasa have a corridor, and those on
the second floor have a veranda. The rooms on the first floor serve as bedrooms
and utility rooms, and the arched porch on the second floor gives grace to the
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building. This style was used for the first time in the architecture of Khiva
madrasas in this building. The construction of the verandas is simple, suitable
for the general architecture of the yard. Opposite gables on two-story porches
are decorated with glazed rivets. The roof of the cells is covered with a balkhi
dome. The domes of the mosque in the eastern wing and the classroom in the
western wing are placed on a slope. The beautiful 6-sided arch of the peshtoki is
also decorated with lacquer rivets. The high dome of the mosque rises much
higher than the gable.
The high and decorative roof of the madrasa is divided into unique small
arches, and the mezana bouquets in the corners give the building strength and
beauty. The building uses the best examples of styles characteristic of the Khiva
school of architecture. The capital-style mion palace is divided into 2-roofed, 5-
domed sections. The wood-carved doors and railings are unique works of art.
The madrasa, which was a large educational institution and the city hall, was
renovated and converted into a hotel. The Madrasah is connected to
Kaltaminore by a small wooden bridge.
A. Vamberi, a tourist who came to Khiva in 1863, wrote about the madrasa
of Madaminkhan: "It was built in the style of a caravanserai, and the minaret
next to it was left unfinished due to the death of the khan. Madrasa taught
religious and secular knowledge, and at the same time entertainment games and
singing were prohibited. The term of study in a madrasa is not limited, and
some students studied in one course for 3-4 years. Education in the madrasa
was carried out at the 3rd stage.
At the elementary level, Arabic grammar, logic, Sharia laws, religious
traditions, Arabic and Persian literature were taught. During the remaining two
stages, students diligently studied "tahsib" (logic), theology, jurisprudence and
other subjects.
Every Muslim child who reached the age of fifteen was admitted to the
madrasa, taking into account his literacy and talent. They called them mullahs
or talib ul ilm. Among the students who graduated from the madrasa, there
were poets, historians, poets, scientists and intellectuals. The madrasa houses a
large library and the administration of the Muslim Supreme Court.
References:
1. Ismailov, T. (2022, November). THE FORT THAT SPEAKS FROM THE PAST. In
Международная конференция академических наук (Vol. 1, No. 31, pp. 18 22).
2. Ismailov, T. (2024). PALACE OF THE KHOREZMSHAKH. Models and methods
in modern science, 3(3), 5-7.
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3. Ismailov, T. (2024). KO’HNA VA HAMISHA NAVQIRON SHAHAR. Молодые
ученые, 2(2), 71-72.
4. Ismailov, T. (2023). EMBOSSED KHIVA PILLARS. Current approaches and new
research in modern sciences, 2(4), 63-66.
5. Ismailov, T. (2024). MONUMENTS OF ANCIENT KHOREZM. Current
approaches and new research in modern sciences, 3(4), 175-176.
6. Ismailov, T. (2025). ANCIENT ARK. В DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONS IN
SCIENCE (Т. 4, Выпуск 2, сс. 38–41).
7. Ismailov, T. . (2025). KOʻHNA ARK. Естественные науки в современном
мире: теоретические и практические исследования, 4(2), 61–63.
