Ak Mosque in Khiva - Top Sights in Khiva

Ak Mosque, Khiva

Unlike the standard mosques Ak Mosque in Khiva has an original architecture. Ak Mosque was built in several stages. In 1647 under Seybanid Anush-khan the mosque foundation together with the Anush bath-house was established. But it was not earlier than1838-42 under the Kungrat dynasty regiment when the building itself was completed. This fact is certified by an inscription on the mosque door which also reads that the wood engraving was made by Khiva Masters Kalandar and Nur Mukhammad.

The building represents a domed hall to which three galleries adjoin. Since Ak Mosque is a quarter mosque for daily prayers, it was built and decorated without special ornamental excessiveness. The only decoration of the mosque is possibly doors and windows decorated with a first-rate wood engraving. The windows of Ak Mosque are decorated with ganj grids representing a polyfoil. The south wall of the mosque where a mikhrab is located oriented the believers to Mecca.

Ak Mosque in spite of its small size is one of the most beautiful monuments of medieval Khiva. Its simple but at the same time elaborated architecture distinguishes it in an advantageous way from other monuments of Ichan Kala

Top Sights of Khiva