Minor Mosque, Tashkent

The Minor mosque was built in 2013–2014 and opened in time for the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. It stands in a green area beside the Ankhor canal, one of the old irrigation canals that cross Tashkent, north of the city centre. Its name comes from the surrounding neighbourhood. It quickly became one of the city’s favourite places for photographs and a symbol of the revival of religious life in Uzbekistan since independence.

The mosque can hold several thousand worshippers in its prayer hall and courtyard. On Fridays and religious holidays, especially at the end of Ramadan and on Eid al-Adha, the surrounding streets fill with worshippers.

The design combines the traditional elements of Central Asian Islamic architecture with modern materials. The facades are clad in white marble, which gives the mosque its luminous appearance, especially in sunshine. A large dome covered in sky-blue tiles rises over the prayer hall, and a single tall minaret stands beside it. The entrance portal is framed by a pointed arch, and a courtyard surrounded by arcades with carved columns lies in front of the prayer hall.

Inside, the prayer hall is decorated with blue and gold ornament, calligraphy from the Quran, carved details and a large chandelier. The mihrab, the niche that shows the direction of Mecca, is richly decorated with gilded calligraphy.

The mosque is an active place of worship, and visitors are welcome outside prayer times. Dress modestly: long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders for everyone, and a headscarf for women. Remove your shoes before entering the prayer hall. Avoid visiting at Friday midday or during the five daily prayers, when the mosque is busy; ask the staff if you are unsure. Photography of the exterior is fine; inside, ask first and do not photograph worshippers.

The white marble and blue dome look best in the morning or late afternoon sun, and the mosque is reflected in the canal from the opposite bank. In the evening it is illuminated, and the contrast between the glowing white walls and the darkening sky is beautiful. A pleasant walkway runs along the canal, making it easy to find the best angle.

During the Soviet period, religious practice was restricted, and most mosques and madrasahs were closed or turned into warehouses and museums. Since independence, religious life has revived: many old mosques have reopened, and new ones like the Minor mosque have been built. Uzbekistan is a secular state, and its Muslims mostly follow the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, with a long tradition of Sufi spirituality. Visitors will find people generally relaxed and welcoming towards respectful guests.

The Minor mosque is a good place to observe this new chapter. Compare it with the 16th-century buildings of the Khast Imam complex, where the large Hazrati Imam mosque was also built in the 2000s, and with the historic mosques of Bukhara and Samarkand.

The Ankhor is one of the canals that have watered Tashkent for centuries, drawing water from the Chirchik river. Its banks have been landscaped into a long green promenade with paths, bridges and benches, popular with walkers and cyclists in the evening. A walk along the canal from the Minor mosque towards the city centre is a pleasant way to see a calmer side of Tashkent.

Location: on the Ankhor canal, north of central Tashkent, near the TV tower.

Getting there: by taxi, or about 10–15 minutes’ walk from Minor metro station on the Yunusobod line. See the Tashkent metro.

Tickets: free.

Time needed: about 30 minutes.

Combine with: the Khast Imam complex, the religious centre of the old town, a short taxi ride west, and Independence Square to the south along the canal.