JUMA MASJID - FRIDAY MOSQUE

From the outside, there's little or nothing to suggest the grandiose character of the Friday Mosque. A long blind wall is interrupted by an imposing double door in finely crafted wood, while a slender minaret 33 m high dominates the ensemble. The interior is nothing short of astonishing: a forest of carved wooden columns (213, 6 of them original) supports the mosque's ceiling. Built in the 10th century, it was burnt down in 1740 by the Iranians, then rebuilt identically.

If you take the time to study the various ornaments, you'll discover Zoroastrian symbols, representations of the Buddha, and more. Wealthy pilgrims or merchants coming to Khiva on business would sometimes give the mosque a column carved in the style of their city, to replace one that was too old. The oldest columns, some fifteen in all, date from the ^10th and ^11th centuries. In all, the mosque boasts 213 columns, all of different ages and motifs.

The architecture of the Juma Mosque corresponds to the style of early mosques, which were gathering places. The Qur'an was commented on here, but other matters relating to the organization of the social life of believers were also discussed. The mihrab is placed in the center of the immense hall, 55 m long and 45 m wide. Light enters through two octagonal openings in the ceiling.