The Djouma Mosque is one of the most distinctive monuments in Khiva. Behind a bare ochre façade, without a dome or visible arches, it shelters a hypostyle prayer hall where more than two hundred carved wooden columns tell a thousand years of Silk Road history.

Why visit the Djouma Mosque

Located in the heart of Ichan-Kala, the fortified old city inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990, the Djouma Mosque stands apart from all other Central Asian mosques. Its significance rests on three elements:

• A forest of wooden columns, some dating back to the 10th century, each with its own distinctive style and origin.
• A brick minaret adorned with seven turquoise bands, considered the oldest in Khiva.
• A very particular interior atmosphere, bathed in shadow and zenith light, which contrasts with the austerity of the exterior.

History of the Djouma Mosque

In the medieval Muslim world, the Djouma Mosque — or Friday Mosque — determined a city's status. Khiva's was founded in the 10th century on the present site. The building visited today is a replica constructed in the late 18th century, financed by donations from Abdurakhman Mukhtar, an official of the khan. The plans faithfully follow those of the original structure.

As Khiva was a major stop on the Silk Road, pilgrims and merchants frequented the mosque and sometimes offered a column carved in the style of their native city, replacing damaged pillars. This practice explains the incredible stylistic diversity of the columns. When Ichan-Kala was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1990, the mosque underwent a restoration campaign.

What to see inside

Entry is through a double wooden door finely carved. Inside, the hypostyle prayer hall is shrouded in shadow: light enters only through small openings in the ceiling, which also serve for ventilation. The silence and coolness contrast sharply with the heat of Ichan-Kala's narrow lanes.

The columns, the masterpiece

Most pillars were carved from tree trunks between the 13th and 19th centuries. Beyond the abstract patterns characteristic of Islamic architecture, certain columns display unexpected figurative elements, including Zoroastrian motifs and stylized representations reminiscent of Buddhism — a heritage of Central Asia's pre-Islamic faiths.

A few pillars deserve particular attention:

• The oldest is believed to come from the medieval city of Khoresm, engulfed by the waters of the Amou-Daria.
• One famous column was brought from India.
• Four precious pillars from the 10th and 11th centuries bear inscriptions in Kufic script recording charitable donations to the mosque.
• Four other columns display handwritten inscriptions in Naskhi script.
• The most recent columns are recognizable by their floral and vegetal motifs.

The mihrab, the niche indicating the direction of Mecca, is crowned by a half-dome.

The minaret

The minaret was erected at the same time as the present mosque. It is not the tallest in Khiva — the Islam Khodja far exceeds it — but it is considered the oldest minaret in the city. Its silhouette comprises a tapered brick trunk encircled by seven turquoise brick bands, topped by a stalactite frieze and crowned with a small blue dome. It serves as a convenient landmark for navigating the labyrinth of Ichan-Kala.

Practical information

• Location: in the heart of Ichan-Kala, Khiva's fortified old city. The minaret is visible from afar and serves as a landmark.
• Access: on foot only, as Ichan-Kala is closed to traffic.
• Ticket: entry is generally included in the combined pass for monuments in Ichan-Kala, sold at the city gates.
• Duration of visit: allow 20 to 40 minutes to explore the hypostyle hall and observe the columns in detail.
• Dress code: modest clothing recommended (shoulders and knees covered), as in any place of worship.

Nearby attractions

• The Matpana Baya Madrasah, founded in 1905, directly across from the mosque.
• The Mohammed Amin Inak Madrasah, built in 1785, which now serves as a local marriage registry office.
• The Chaikhana Square, a few steps away, for a rest in the shade.
• The Mohammed Amin Khan Madrasah and the Alla Kouli Khan Madrasah, two other major buildings in Ichan-Kala.

Frequently asked questions

Planning your visit

The Djouma Mosque naturally fits into a complete itinerary of Ichan-Kala and, more broadly, of Uzbekistan's museum cities. To incorporate this stop into a custom tour, consult our travels in Uzbekistan.