Kutlug Murad Inak Madrasah, Khiva

Inak was a title of the highest nobility in the khanate of Khiva, held by leading members of the Kungrad tribe, who in the late 18th century took power from the descendants of Genghis Khan and founded the dynasty that ruled until 1920. Kutlug Murad Inak belonged to this ruling family; he was a relative of the early Kungrad rulers, and he used his wealth to build one of the largest madrasahs of the early 19th century.

A local story tells that he wished to be buried in his madrasah, but custom forbade burials inside the city walls. To get around the rule, his body was carried around the city and brought in by a route that, it was argued, did not count as entering through the gates. True or not, his tomb is said to lie in the madrasah. The story reflects how much prestige the great families attached to their foundations.

The madrasah was built in 1804–1812, at the beginning of the great building boom of the Kungrad khans. It is a two-storey rectangle with some 80 cells around a large courtyard, with a tall portal facing the square and corner towers. The facade is decorated with glazed tiles and bands of blue and white majolica, simpler than the rich decoration of the later 1830s buildings across the square.

The building was influential: its plan, with two storeys of cells and an open courtyard, became a model for later madrasahs in Khiva, including the Allakuli Khan madrasah that faces it.

Water was precious in Khiva, which depended on canals from the Amu Darya. Under the courtyard of the madrasah lies a large underground cistern (sardoba), roofed with a brick dome, which collected water from a canal and stored it for the students and the people of the quarter. Steps lead down to the water level. It is a reminder that a madrasah was not only a school but also a public institution, often providing water, shelter and charity to the city. Until the mid-20th century, water carriers filled leather bags at cisterns like this one and sold the water from house to house, and the quality of a quarter’s water was a constant concern for its residents.

Elsewhere in Uzbekistan, large domed cisterns stood along the caravan roads in the desert; you can see one at Rabati Malik on the road between Bukhara and Samarkand.

The Kutlug Murad Inak madrasah and the Allakuli Khan madrasah face each other in a kosh arrangement near the Palvan Darvaza, framing one of the busiest corners of Ichan-Kala. Around them are the caravanserai and covered market built by Allakuli Khan, the Ak mosque with the Anusha Khan baths, and the entrance to the Tash-Hauli palace. Outside the gate is the bazaar, busy every morning, where locals buy bread, fruit and vegetables.

Location: near the Palvan Darvaza, the eastern gate of Ichan-Kala, facing the Allakuli Khan madrasah.

Tickets: usually included in the Ichan-Kala combined ticket, or free to look into.

Time needed: 15–20 minutes.

What you will find: the courtyard, the cistern, and cells used by craft workshops or exhibitions, which change over time.

Tips: combine with the eastern gate, the Ak mosque and Tash-Hauli in the morning, then step out to the bazaar. See the gates of Khiva and our Khiva itinerary.