Cathedral Mosque Sheikh-ul Islam Sayfiddin Boharziy

The Cathedral Mosque of Sayfiddin Boharziy in Bukhara, in the region of Uzbekistan known by the same name, honours a thirteenth century Khorasanian scholar and mystic who settled in Bukhara during the Mongol era and became one of the revered figures of Central Asian Islamic learning. Sayf al Din al Bakharzi, known locally as Sayfiddin Boharziy, is buried in a mausoleum complex that has been a pilgrimage site for centuries, and the adjoining congregational mosque takes its name from him. Bukhara itself ranks among the most celebrated cities of the Islamic world, mentioned in the classical sources as a dome of Islam, a meeting point of scholars from Imam al Bukhari to Ibn Sina, and an imperial capital that at its height rivalled Baghdad for the breadth of its learning. The cathedral mosque stands in the older quarter close to the revered tombs and madrasas of the Kalyan complex, with pale brick walls, a grand pointed arch iwan at the entrance, and a turquoise tiled dome that catches the light of the high Central Asian sun during the long summer afternoons. The interior preserves the classical Bukharan vocabulary of carved plaster, glazed tile, and painted wood, with a mihrab set into a deep niche bordered by verses of Surah Ya Sin in kufic and thuluth scripts. A wide carpeted prayer hall accommodates hundreds of worshippers, with a raised women's section at the rear. The congregation is drawn from Bukhara's old city residents, the bazaars of Lyabi Hauz, and the scholars associated with the revived Islamic institutes of modern Uzbekistan. Daily prayers maintain a measured Central Asian cadence, with the imam often invoking blessings on the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, and his companions, may God be pleased with them. Ramadan brings long tarawih and community iftars of plov, samsa, and round non bread. Eid prayer draws visitors from across the region. Close by stand the Kalyan minaret which once guided caravans across the Kyzylkum desert, the Po i Kalyan complex with its madrasas and mosque, the Ark fortress where the emirs once ruled, the Chor Minor gate of the old town, the Samanid mausoleum in the western park, and the covered bazaars of old Bukhara with their silk, gold embroidery, and lacquered wood.