DJARKURGAN MINARET

A little out of the way, overlooking a district on the southern outskirts of Djarkurgan, this minaret, which dates from 1109-1110, is ten years older than the Kalon minaret of Bukhara, making it one of the oldest in Central Asia. But more than its age, it is its architecture that makes it special. The present minaret is 22 m long, whereas according to archaeologists it originally reached 50 m, which made it equal to the minarets of the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand. Its mud-brick structure arranged in 16 semi-columns is unique and gives it a surprising grace, despite its truncated proportions. The arrangement of the bricks creates patterns such as undulations, and from below, the perspective is accentuated by the narrowing of the semi-columns towards what was the head of the minaret.

The minaret has been enhanced with the creation of a small garden at its feet, and above all the opening of a small regional museum, which has been built right next to the minaret, and is worth a visit. Realistic works by the contemporary painter Mansurov are on display and illustrate particularly interesting scenes of Uzbek social life. The custodian of the keys is at the school next door: if he is not at the museum, don't hesitate to pick him up at the school. It will also open up the minaret which can be climbed to give you a dominant view of the region. Caution: the spiral staircase is very narrow, steep and dark. Ask the guard to lend you a flashlight.