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Seieed Ahmad Hajji Madrassah

Ferghana Valley

One of the most peculiar ancient structures in Marghilan is Seieed Ahamad Hajji Madrassah. Its design is quite traditional for the Ferghana Valley architecture: a blind facade with an entrance leading into a square yard enclosed by rows of hudjra cells. A number of lancet archways partitioned by pillars, which form a certain architectural rhythm, lead to the northwest corner of the yard where a dissymmetric brick mosque with an ayvan terrace stands. Old sycamores with large branchy tops and a wide irrigation ditch in the yard provide shade and freshness on hot days.

Curiously enough the local architects showed obvious awareness of European building technologies while building the roof of the mosque. Whereas the traditional coffering of the ayvan rests on four carved pillars, standing in two rows, the large 7-meter-wide praying hall is covered with wooden trusses on which the hanging ceiling is mounted. This design, untypical of Oriental architecture, allowed avoiding pillars inside the mosque thus making the main hall more spacious.

The mosque is one of the few Ferghana Valley constructions with ayvan and main hall ceilings being completely covered with decorative patterns. There are fine floral patterns on the ayvan ceiling beams and small vassa wooden plates between them. The ceiling of the hall is covered with wide lengthwise red and green stripes that serve a background for exquisite patterns - floral ornaments enclosed by intricate design of winding sprouts.

The interior walls have rectangular decorative panels in delicate gunch stucco carving frames; the praying niche mikhrab is especially richly decorated. The tops of the walls have two-color embossed traditional borders of kyrma style: white elements of the pattern against an ultramarine background.

Today, in Seieed Ahmad Madrassah young Marghelan’s people study the Koran and Hadiths, and its mosque is open for all the faithful.

Sightseeing Places in Ferghana Valley

Kokand: Marghilan:
Khudayar-Khan Palace Chakar Mosque
Dakhma-i-shakhan Royal Cemetery Seieed Ahmad Hajji Madrassah
Jami Mosque 'Yodgorlik' Silk-weaving Mil
Narbuta-bey Madrassah Pir-Siddik Architectural Complex
Modari-khan Mausoleum  
Rishtan: Kuva:
Rishtan Ceramics Center Buddhist Complex of Kuba Site
Andijan: Chust:
Jami Madrassah Chust Knives Manufacturing Workshop
Jami Mosque Namangan:
Zakhiriddin Babur architectural Complex Ancient Settlement of Aksikent