MIZDAKHAN NECROPOLIS

This immense necropolis (200 ha), over two and a half thousand years old, is located on three hills near the town of Khojeyli, in the middle of the steppes. Most of the tombs are Muslim, but there are also Nestorian tombs, as crosses engraved on some of the buildings have been found. Most of the mausoleums are in ruins; some have been summarily renovated, such as those of Khalif Erdjep and Bugar Jumart Kassab; others are awaiting the government's budget to resume work. The Nazlimkhan mausoleum, built in the ^14th century, is half-buried underground.

Once the second-largest city in Khorezm, inhabited from the 4th century BC to the 14th century AD, Mizdakhan remained a sacred site even after its destruction by Tamerlane.

The site's name is linked to the Zoroastrian deity Ahuramazda - the supreme god, mentioned in the sacred book "Avesta". The first man created, a giant named Gayomard, is said to have been buried here. He represents the "beginning" and is accompanied by a unique ox. Their deaths give life to the plant and animal worlds, as well as to humanity. He is often associated with Adam.

Legend has it that this cemetery contains a "World Clock", known as the Apocalypse Clock, which counts down to the end of the world. Every year, a brick falls from the wall, and when the last brick falls, the world will end. That's why pilgrims who come here carefully pick up stones, arrange them neatly and recite a prayer.