Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasa (Khiva)

About this place

Khiva's largest madrasa, and its most richly tiled, stands just inside the West Gate of Itchan Kala, facing the Kunya Ark across the main street. Muhammad Amin Khan, ruler of Khiva until his death in 1855, had it built in the first half of the 1850s: the National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan dates it to 1852–1855, other sources to 1851–1852. It is now the Orient Star Khiva hotel. Beside it the khan began the Kalta Minor, joined to the madrasa's north-east corner by a wooden walkway. About 260 students lived in its 125 cells (some sources say 130), supported by lands endowed across the khanate. It also held a library and, by several accounts, the office of the qadi, the Islamic judge. The poet and historian Agahi composed most of its inscriptions; those on the courtyard portals are white nastaliq on dark blue tiles. Two storeys of cells surround a courtyard 38 m square. Unusually, the upper cells open through deep pointed loggias onto all four outer façades, a first among Khiva's madrasas. The tall portal holds a carved wooden balcony in its niche; the mosque lies to its east, its high dome rising above the portal, and the classroom to its west, while small towers crown the corners. The cells are guest rooms now, so most visitors see the madrasa from the street. It makes a natural first stop a few steps from the West Gate and its ticket booth; the Sayid Allauddin Mausoleum lies about 100 m to the east and the Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasa some 170 m away.