MAGOK-I-ATTARI MOSQUE
Before the Arab conquest there was a market and a Buddhist temple on this site, then a Zoroastrian temple dedicated to the moon. The first mosque was built in the 9th century - making it the oldest in Central Asia - on the ruins of the temple, as was customary at that time, building on the existing foundations. It was completely rebuilt in the 12th century and remodelled in the 16th century. But following the destruction of Genghis Khan, it was found below ground level and was only discovered in 1839 by Shishkin, the same archaeologist who had unearthed the Samani mausoleum in the cemetery, which was buried under the ground for the same reasons. Excavations have also brought to light the south portal of the 12th century mosque. Shishkin also discovered traces of the Zoroastrian temple dating back to the 5th century, and the even older Buddhist temple. Over the centuries, the ground level had risen several meters and the Magok Mosque had been half buried underground. Already for the construction of the east portal, which dates from the 16th century, the entrance had to be adapted to the change in street level, and a staircase with wide steps leads down to the entrance of the mosque. The mosque has a very colourful name that reflects its history: "agok" means "underground" and "attor" means "merchant". The mosque now serves as a carpet exhibition hall. To the east, the wells go down into the earth to where the Buddhist temple used to be.
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