Khiva - Abdal Bobo Mausoleum

The Abdal Bobo Mausoleum, built between the eighth and eighteenth centuries in Khiva, is located in the eastern part of Dishan Qala (Outer City), south of the Abdullah Nasfurush Madrasah and east of the Palvon Qori Madrasah. This mausoleum was built in honour of Abdal Bobo, whose real name was Polvon Ahmad Zamchiy.

After the Arab invasion, Abdal Bobo became one of the proponents of the Islamic religion in Khiva. After his death, a winter and summer mosque, a minaret and a pond were built around his burial place. The Abdal Bobo Mausoleum in Khiva was built in the style of Bukhara.

Ahmad Zamchiy is a descendant of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) on the part of Hazrat Ali. Ahmad Zamchiy was a contemporary of Abu Muslim Qutayba – there is information about their joint battles in various sources. He rendered great services to the spread of Islam in such historical cities of present-day Uzbekistan as Karshi, Bukhara, Miyankol and Samarkand.

According to legends, it is known that he (Ahmad Zamchiy) descended to the Shahi Zinda cave in Samarqand and participated in the “Loy” battles in Bukhara. After his death, many rulers of cities dreamed of burying him in their city.

According to Ahmad Zamchiy’s will, seven tobutes (coffins) were prepared and these tobutes were sent to seven cities. The interesting thing is that when these tobutes were opened, there was a corpse in each of them.