Bukhara · Sights
Bolo-Hauz Mosque, Bukhara
The Bolo-Hauz mosque facing the Ark, the emir’s Friday mosque with its high porch of carved wooden columns reflected in a pool, its history and how to visit.
The Bolo-Hauz mosque stands opposite the Ark across the Registan square. Built in 1712, it served as the Friday mosque of the emirs of Bukhara. Its famous feature is the high porch (aivan) of twenty carved wooden columns, added in the early 20th century, which are reflected in the pool in front, which is why it is sometimes called the “mosque of forty pillars”. It is a working mosque; allow 15–20 minutes.
The emir’s mosque
Bolo-Hauz means “above the pool” or “by the upper pool”. The mosque was built in 1712, under the Ashtarkhanid dynasty, on the edge of the Registan square in front of the Ark. Because it stood directly opposite the gate of the citadel, it became the mosque where the ruler came for Friday prayers. A carpet was laid from the Ark gate to the mosque so that the emir could cross the square to worship, and the townspeople gathered to see him.
In 1917, shortly before the end of the emirate, the porch was greatly enlarged and the small minaret beside the pool was built, by local master builders under the direction of the well-known Bukharan architect Shirin Muradov. This gives the mosque its present appearance.
The columns and the ceiling
The aivan is the highlight. Twenty slender wooden columns, about 12 metres high, support a flat roof that projects far out over the terrace. Each column is carved from a single trunk, with a base, a fluted shaft and a capital formed of stalactite-like muqarnas carving, painted in muted colours. They give the facade a lightness unusual in Central Asian architecture, where heavy brick usually dominates.
Look up at the ceiling of the porch: it is divided into coffered panels painted in red, green, blue and gold with floral and geometric designs. The back wall of the aivan, with its carved and painted niches, and the doors to the winter prayer hall are equally fine.
In front of the mosque lies the pool from which it takes its name. On a calm day the twenty columns are reflected in the water, so that they appear to be forty, and the mosque is often compared with the Chehel Sotoun (“forty columns”) pavilion in Isfahan in Iran. The reflection is best in the morning, before the wind rises and before the square fills with visitors.
Summer and winter halls
Like many Central Asian mosques, Bolo-Hauz has two prayer spaces. In warm weather the faithful pray on the open aivan, in the shade of the roof; in winter they move into the enclosed prayer hall behind, with its own painted ceiling and mihrab. This combination of an open porch and a closed hall is typical of Bukharan neighbourhood mosques, but here it is on a monumental scale fitting the emir’s mosque.
Visiting
Location: on the Registan square opposite the Ark, at the north-western edge of the old city.
Tickets: free. It is an active mosque; visitors can usually admire the aivan and, outside prayer times, look into the prayer hall.
Etiquette: dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered; women should bring a scarf. Remove shoes before entering carpeted areas. Avoid Friday midday and prayer times, when the mosque is busy.
Time needed: 15–20 minutes.
Photos: stand on the far side of the pool for the classic reflected view. Early morning light is softest; the porch is also lit in the evening.
Nearby
The Zindan, the emir’s prison, is a few minutes’ walk behind the Ark. To the west lie Samanid Park with the Samanid mausoleum and Chashma-Ayub, and the Kolkhoz bazaar. A good half-day walk begins at the Ark in the morning, crosses to Bolo-Hauz, continues to the Samanid park, then returns via the Ark to Poi Kalyan.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bolo-Hauz called the mosque of forty pillars?
Its porch has twenty wooden columns; reflected in the pool in front, they appear to be forty.
When was the Bolo-Hauz mosque built?
In 1712. The great porch and the small minaret were added in 1917.
Can tourists enter the Bolo-Hauz mosque?
Yes, outside prayer times, dressed modestly. It is a working mosque, so avoid Friday midday.
Rules, timetables and prices change. We check this page regularly, but always confirm entry requirements with official sources before you travel.
