Shakhimardon Minaret in Khiva

The minarets of Khiva have a unique and very important place in architecture. They create a clear system of spatial reference points in the perception of the city and mark the sites of large mosques, madrasas and complexes. It is hardly possible to consider their direct purpose – to provide a raised platform for the proclamation of the azan, the call to prayer – as the reason for their multiplicity. It is also doubtful that the tile-adorned minarets in Khiva were primarily intended to fulfil the function of a watchtower. The minaret symbolised the power and dignity of its builder – it marked the location of the main building from which it was created, as a vertical line visible from a distance. The Shakhimardon Minaret was transformed into a mausoleum in 1512-1535, built in honour of Elbarshahan in Khiva in the mid-18th century. The Shakhimardon Minaret is located in the settlement of Pakhlavan Makhmud in Khiva district of Khorezm region. According to the elders, Iranians who were killed during the capture of Khiva by Nodirshok in 1740 were buried in this cemetery. At that time, the minaret was restored. This minaret is one of the smallest minarets in Khiva, with a height of 5 metres and a diameter of 1.5 metres.