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Norbut-biy Madrasah

The Norbut-biy Madrasah in Kokand is one of the oldest architectural monuments of the Kokand Khanate (late 18th century). At the time of construction, it was called Madrasa-i-Mir, but later the name of its founder Norbut-biy was assigned to it.

History Norbut-biy (1749-1798) was the fifth ruler of Kokand and grandson of Abdukarim-biy of the Uzbek Ming dynasty. Having come to power in 1763 at the age of 14, Norbut-biy reigned for 35 years. This provided relative political stability and favorable conditions for the economic development of Kokand.

“During his reign there were no worries and anxieties, no famine and costliness. During the time of that khan a monetary system was introduced, no one bought grain from the granaries, as it was given for free. Many peoples of neighboring regions, having heard about such a cheap and peaceful life, began to move to Kokand, which caused the improvement and prosperity of Fergana”, – THIS IS HOW THE KOKAND HISTORIAN MULLAH OLIM MAKHDUM KHOJI DESCRIBED THIS ERA.

Norbut-biy was respected as a just and wise ruler. He patronized religious enlightenment and the development of applied crafts. Under him, such famous figures as Muhammad Gazi, Nadir, Khuzhamnazar Huwaydo, Khuja Maslakhatuddin Ummatvali, and his son Khuja Muhammad Nosiruddin lived and worked in Kokand.
Norbut-biy himself considered himself a murid of Huja Muhammad Nosiruddin and Huja Muhammad Yakub Ohund. He also put his sons Muhammad Amin, Muhammad Alim and Muhammad Umar in the hands of Muhammad Nosiruddin for upbringing.

Norbut-biyu’s ego was gratified by the fact that people nicknamed him “Amir al-Muslimiyin” (Emir of Muslims). He dreamed to eclipse the glory of Bukhara as a religious center and actively built madrassahs: Sulaimonia (1762), Eshon Khonkhuja (1789), Imam Bakir (1794), Tura Hakim (1795). But, to all appearances, these buildings did not meet the ambitions of Norbut-biy, who wanted to build madrasahs more beautiful than Kukaldosh, Abdulazizkhan and Miri-Arab in Bukhara.

In 1794 he managed to lure famous Bukhara architects Usta Kosim and Muhammad Solih to Kokand. Having carefully chosen the place for construction, the invited architects asked Norbut-biy to move the horse market there in order to level the site and tamp the ground tightly. Only two years after that they started work.

The foundations, walls and minarets of the madrasah are very solid, wide and sturdy – probably the architects planned to erect a second or maybe even a third floor. However, in 1798 Norbut-biy died, and his son Muhammad Alim-bek, who ascended the throne after him, immediately discovered other ambitions – military. During his entire reign he sought to expand his possessions, centralize them and strengthen the power vertical. He was the first of the rulers of Kokand to proclaim himself Khan, and the state – the Kokand Khanate.

But let’s return to Madrasa-i-Mir. Perhaps Alimkhan stopped supporting the architects and they were forced to stop construction. According to folk legends, the offended masters laid all the chimneys in the madrasah. So they took revenge on the khan, but it was discovered only with the onset of cold weather.

To the honor of builders it should be noted that from all madrassahs built under Norbut-biy, only Madrasa-i-Mir, now better known as Norbut-biy madrassah, has survived until now.

It functioned as a madrasah until 1924, after which it was closed. For some time after that it was used as a barracks for a Red Army unit. Later the complex was returned to the spiritual administration and began to fulfill the tasks of the central cathedral mosque of the city of Kokand.

Thus, the juma mosque at the madrasah is one of the oldest and largest mosques in Kokand. And in the Soviet period, fivefold, Friday and holiday namazes were read here.

Near the mosque there is a cemetery and a small bazaar. The whole neighborhood is called Yangi Chorsu.

Architecture The appearance of the Norbut-biy Madrasah is typical of the style of the Bukhara school of architecture. It was built near Chorsu Square of brick and is a one-storey symmetrical complex of 52 meters by 72 meters with a square courtyard (38×38 meters) and minarets at the four corners. On the edges of the courtyard are rows of arched hujras (40 cells in total).

The main entrance portal faces north. A domed mosque and 12 classrooms with panjara windows adjoin the facade on two sides. The walls of the rooms are plastered with ganch. The interior dome of the mosque and the mihrab are decorated with star patterns and look magnificent. The doors and interior are decorated with intricate Islamic ornaments.

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