Djuma Mosque
South from Mukimi Park along Turkestan (ex-Lenin) Street, the road forks beside the Ghuldasta teahouse to cross the Kokand canal bridge once divided old and new Kokand. Khamza street runs through this former heart of Muslim learning. The chief survivor is the Jome Mosque, the khanates main mosque for Friday worship.
Built by Omar Khan between 1809 and 1812 as a magnified version of the rural Fergana design, it was shut in Soviet times and reopened after restoration in 1989. Non-Muslims may request a gateway glimpse of the vast courtyard beyond, a 22-metre minaret and the mosques highlight, a 100-meter (30-foot) long iwan, supported by 98 wooden columns from India and decorated in diverse color and carving of traditional Fergana architecture. Nearby is the Amin Beg Madrassah, built for one of Madalis sons in 1830, but often named after Khomol Khozi, the 1913 restorer responsible for the ornamental faade of colored tiles. The madrassah accepts 40 students a year since its religious revival in 1991. Among a host of neighbors were madrassah built by Omars mother, Modari Khan, and Khudayars brother, Murad Beg. The ornate wooden gate to Hakim Ayins madrassah lies within her sons palace.
