Al-Hakim at-Termizi Mausoleum, Termez

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hakim at-Termizi lived in Termez in the 9th century and died around the end of that century. He was a theologian, a scholar of hadith and one of the earliest great Sufi thinkers, author of dozens of works on mysticism, ethics and the spiritual path. His ideas about the “friends of God” (awliya) influenced later Sufi masters across the Islamic world. Al-Hakim means “the wise”.

In Termez he is revered as Termiz Ota, the “father of Termez”, and his tomb has been a pilgrimage site for over a thousand years. Several other great scholars came from Termez, including Abu Isa at-Termizi, compiler of one of the six canonical collections of hadith, whose tomb is north of the city.

The complex grew over many centuries. The core is the mausoleum over the saint’s tomb, built in the 11th–12th centuries and enlarged in the Timurid period. Later additions include a mosque and a khanaka (Sufi lodge) around a courtyard.

The treasure of the mausoleum is the tombstone, carved in white marble in the 15th century, in the Timurid era, with intricate relief patterns of plant scrolls, geometric designs and inscriptions. It is a masterpiece of stone carving. The interiors also preserve fragments of carved terracotta and painted decoration from earlier periods.

The complex was restored in the 2000s, when it became again a major pilgrimage site after decades of Soviet restrictions.

The shrine stands among old trees at the edge of the site of ancient Termez, close to the Amu Darya. From the complex you can look across the river to Afghanistan. The setting, with its gardens, pools and mulberry trees, is peaceful, especially in the early morning. The area is close to the border zone; follow the paths and instructions of guards.

Pilgrims come from all over Uzbekistan, especially on Fridays and religious holidays, to pray, recite the Quran and ask for blessings. Families often bring food to share and sit in the courtyard. An imam may recite prayers for visitors. As at other shrines, visitors should dress modestly, women should cover their heads, and everyone should remove shoes before entering prayer rooms.

Termez gave the Islamic world several great scholars, and the nisba “at-Termizi” (“from Termez”) is famous across Muslim countries. Besides al-Hakim and Abu Isa at-Termizi, the city produced jurists, theologians and poets in the 9th–12th centuries, when it was a wealthy trading city on the Amu Darya. Its libraries and madrasahs attracted students from across Central Asia and Khorasan. The Mongol conquest of 1220 ended this golden age, but the shrines of its scholars kept the memory of Termez alive. Today, visitors from Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia and other Muslim countries often come specifically to pray at these tombs, and the shrine of al-Hakim is usually the first stop on their visit to the old city by the river.

Location: north-west of central Termez, near the ruins of the ancient city and the Amu Darya.

Getting there: by taxi, about 15–20 minutes from the centre.

Tickets: usually free or a small fee; donations welcome.

Time needed: 30–45 minutes.

Combine with: the Buddhist monastery of Fayaz Tepa, the Kyrk Kyz fortress and the Sultan Saodat ensemble for a full day of Termez history. See things to do in Termez.