Mausoleum of Shah-Fazil

Mausoleum of Shah-Fazil is one of the most significant architectural monuments of the XI-XII centuries. The mausoleum is located in the Ala-Buka district, in the ancient village of Safed-Bulan, the name of which unites two great cultures - Arab and Turkic.

These places were strategically important for conducting campaigns to Bukhara and Samarkand. The famous Arab historian of the Middle Ages, Ibn al-Asir, was captivated by the beauty of these places and reflected this in his works. Later, according to legends, terrible events occurred here: a treacherous attack during prayer on defenseless people, resulting in the beheading of 2,700 Arab warriors. A local girl named Bulan washed the severed heads to find her beloved's head among them and buried them here. In memory of this, a mausoleum was built. The majestic building rises above the outskirts of the ancient kishlak of Safed-Bulan (safed means holy and white), offering a picturesque view of the snowy peaks of the Fergana Range.

At the entrance to the mausoleum, near the irrigation canal, lies a huge stone. According to legend, it was there that Bulan washed the heads of the fallen warriors. To the left of the stone is a place called Kyrgyn-machet, where the heads of the 2,700 Arab warriors who were praying were cut off, and where a low mazar of Safed-Bulan now stands.

Only women can enter the mazar of Safed-Bulan, read the Quran, and ask for blessings from the saint. There, in the courtyard, there is a fertility stone, where women touch the stone with their hands to ask for the prosperity of their families, and childless women ask for children.



The archaeologist and scholar, Professor Valentina Dmitrievna Goryachena from KRSU, provided credible facts that the mausoleum is the burial site of the Fergana ruler Mahmud ibn Nasir, known by the nickname Shah-Fazil, which means just king. This is mentioned on the gravestones - qayraks, which also narrate that the shah died a martyr's death. In memory of the beloved shah, the mausoleum was built.

The Mausoleum of Shah-Fazil is a dome-centered structure oriented with its corners to the cardinal directions. The total height of the monument from the ancient floor level to the top of the dome is 15.5 m, and the external perimeter at the base is 11.7 m.

The carved ganch plaster has preserved traces of once abundant coloring in blue, azure, yellow, and red.

In the late 19th - early 20th centuries, as in the distant Middle Ages, religious festivals with animal sacrifices were held here. Pilgrims from all around flocked here.
Shah-Fazil has been included in the Tentative List of World Cultural Heritage. In the near future, this unique historical monument is expected to undergo significant changes: Shah-Fazil will present itself to tourists in all its glory.