Hazrati Imam Complex, Tashkent

Is the Hazrati Imam Complex worth visiting?

Yes, if you have a day in Tashkent. It is the best place in the capital to see historic Islamic architecture without travelling on, it is free, and it sits a 20-minute walk from Chorsu Bazaar, so the two fill a morning together.

Set your expectations, though. Only a few buildings are old — the Barakhan madrasa from 1531–1532 and the Kaffal Shashi mausoleum from 1541–1542. The largest building, the Friday Mosque, went up in 2007, and the square around it is paved, landscaped and very new. If you are heading to Samarkand or Bukhara, think of this as a preview rather than the main event.

What makes it different is that it is a working religious centre: the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan has its seat here, students attend the Imam al-Bukhari Institute, and on Fridays the square fills for midday prayers.

Entry fee and opening hours

The square, the courtyards and the mosques from outside are free. There are no official hours: unofficially the grounds are open from morning until about 18:00, and some guides say 21:00. Each building keeps its own schedule, and the mosque closes to visitors during prayers.

The museum in the Muyi Muborak madrasa charges a small fee — unofficially the equivalent of USD 2–4, paid in Uzbek som. Bring cash: local Uzcard and Humo cards work almost everywhere, but foreign Visa and Mastercard are not accepted at every desk or craft stall.

Weekday mornings are the calmest. Avoid Friday around noon unless you want to see the main prayer of the week — you won’t get inside the mosque then. After dark the minarets are lit, which makes for a quick evening photo.

What to see at Hazrati Imam

• Hazrati Imam Friday Mosque — the twin minarets, about 52–53 m tall, and a tiled portal. Guidebooks say the porch columns are carved Indian sandalwood and the domes are gilded inside.
• Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum — a small 16th-century domed tomb in fired brick with blue majolica and carved ganch screens. The whole ensemble grew up around this grave.
• Barakhan Madrasa — a courtyard ringed with two tiers of cells, now workshops selling woodcarving, embroidery, miniatures and ceramics.
• Muyi Muborak Madrasa — the name means “sacred hair”: it keeps a relic associated with the Prophet Muhammad and Qurans in many languages. Dated to the 16th century, rebuilt in 1856–1857.
• Tilla Sheikh Mosque — an older neighbourhood mosque with a wooden porch; sources date it to the mid or late 19th century.
• Center for Islamic Civilization across the road — the vast new museum with the original Uthman Quran; it needs its own ticket and its own time slot.

Hazrati Imam, Chorsu Bazaar or the Museum of Applied Arts?

Chorsu Bazaar is a 20-minute walk away — do them in one morning. The Museum of Applied Arts shows Uzbek crafts indoors; Hazrati Imam is architecture and living religious life in the open air.

Nearby — add to your day

39

Chorsu Bazaar

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

1 h · Free · 22 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Chorsu Bazaar

41

Tashkent City Park

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

1 h · Free · 41 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Tashkent City Park

How to do it right

• Pair it with Chorsu Bazaar: it’s a 20-minute walk, and lunch at the bazaar follows naturally.
• Want the real Uthman Quran? Head to the Center for Islamic Civilization across the road — the madrasa now has a copy.
• Women should bring their own scarf rather than wait for a loaner at the door.
• On Fridays the square fills with worshippers around noon — choose another day for a relaxed visit.
• Kids have room to roam: a big car-free square with fountains and pigeons. Just remind them to keep quiet inside the mosque.
• The craft stalls in the Barakhan madrasa are run by the makers — ask if you can watch them work.

Questions