Magoki Kurpa Mosque

Magoki Kurpa Mosque is a historical mosque located in the heart of Bukhara’s old city, on Mehtar Anbar Street near Toki Telpak Furushon. Built between 1636 and 1637, it is one of the two famous underground (magoki) mosques in Bukhara.

History

The mosque was constructed as a two-story building. Its lower floor was built below ground level, approximately six meters deep, where the temperature remained moderate during winter, making it suitable for worship in cold seasons. Today, this part lies beneath accumulated cultural layers.

The name “Kurpa” comes from the nearby neighborhood where quilt-makers and mattress-makers once lived and worked. The upper floor served as a prayer hall during the summer months. The mosque is notable for its fine examples of traditional ganch (stucco) decoration.

Over time, the building suffered damage due to neglect and earthquakes. During the Soviet period, it was converted into a potato storage warehouse. In 2018, the mosque underwent restoration, and today the building is used as a carpet production and sales center.

Architecture

The mosque was built of baked brick and has a rectangular plan oriented along the east–west axis. Its main façade faces east. The lower level is supported by rectangular pillars, while the upper level features nine domes resting on four octagonal columns.

Three of the domes are decorated with stalactite-like (muqarnas) ornamentation containing sacred inscriptions, particularly above the central hall and the mihrab. The remaining domes are shaped like shield-like pendentives. The central dome is especially tall and narrow. Although the mosque was originally intended to serve as a congregational mosque, its relatively small size led to its use as a neighborhood mosque.