Cor Minor

Speaking about the unusual monuments of Bukhara, it is necessary, first of all, to tell about the Chor Minor madrasah. It is located directly behind the Labi House in an open square. "Chor minor" means "four minarets". This name is quite justified: four small minarets topped with blue domes, the decor of which does not repeat each other, are really attached to the corners of the square-rectangular building of the madrasah.

Each of the four minarets has a different shape. It is believed that the elements of the decoration of these towers reflect the religious and philosophical understanding of the four world religions. At least, you can easily see in some elements something resembling a cross, a Christian fish, and Buddhist prayer wheels.

There is a courtyard in front of the madrasah building, in the middle of which there is a house lined with stone blocks, a small pond, and several hujras are attached to the sides of the madrasah.

This is a well-preserved building, built with the money of the rich Turkmen Khalifa Niyazkul. The dating of the construction of the madrasah, attributed to 1807, needs to be clarified, since the madrasah of Khalifa Niyazkul, as follows from archival documents, existed already at the end of the 17th century.