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Djuma (Friday) mosque, Khiva, Uzbekistan, Central Asia Travel
Djuma (Friday) mosque, Khiva
 Djuma (Friday) mosque is located
in the center of Ichan-kala. It was built at the
end of the eighteenth century over the ruins of previous
construction. This is an original building without
portals and cupolas, without galleries and yards.
It is 55x46 m. One can enter the mosque from four
sides. From the northern facade, facing the one of
the main streets of the city the mosque faces a minaret,
52 m. high. The building is fenced with brick walls.
The interior space is a single hall, the flat ceiling
of which is supported by 215 wooden pillars. This
type of single-hall mosque is found throughout the
world and throughout the ages; witness the magnificent
mosque in Afrasiab (tenth century), an Iranian mosque
in Plain (tenth century), the Morocco mosque of Khas-an
in Rabat (twelfth century) and others. But the constructive
plan and decor of the Khiva Djuma mosque express originally.
Small openings were made in the ceiling for light
and ventilation of the hall. The finish of fagade
is open brick. The interior is simply plastered. Spaces
between the windows are painted in black and red colors;
trees, bushes, and irises are realistically represented,
symbolizing the wish of peace and tranquil in the
monumental and decorative art of Central Asia. Irises
were also used in the painting of the Ferghana mosques,
in the Mamangan Khodja Amin Kabri, and other memorials.
The carved doors and mosque pillars are of special
interest. They were built in different periods. The
deep and raised carving with a Kufi inscription decorate
the boles of the pillars of the tenth — eleventh
centuries. Flatter ornament and smaller painting with
flourishing Kufi are seen on the pillars of the eleventh
— twelfth centuries. The text on them reminds
the worshippers that «this possession belongs
to Allah». The combination of geometric and
plant ornaments and Arabic script is peculiar to the
pillars of the fifteenth century. The majority of
the pillars were erected in the eighteenth century
and some of them are of late origin. One can read
these dates on the doors and pillars: 1316, 1510,
1788, 1 789, probably, showing the stages of building
the mosque. The forest of pillars standing in the
semi-darkness of the hall, adorned with the best patterns
of Khorezm carving is expressive of the inimitable
art of the local masters.
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