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Royal Cemetery
From Narbutabey Madrassah continue along Nabiyev St to a cemetery thick with trees and tombs. Renovation work is restoring grand 17th century entrance domes to this venerated retreat, patronized by holy men and those seeking their blessing. Two graves stand out from a whitewashed crowd. To the right is the Modari Khan mausoleum, built in 1825 for the mother of Omar Khan and other female royals. A small crypt and two minarets have survived from a larger mosque and grave complex, where Soviet archeologists discovered the remains of Nadira Beg. Andijan poetess, Omars wife and Madalis mother, she met a cruel death in 1842 at the hands of Bukharas Emir Nasrullah, who resented her role in public life. Many of her poems focus on the government of society: If a kind cares not for the poor mans life, his grand rule and sublimity are all in vain. She was reburied beneath a white marble monument behind the Dakhma-I-Shakhon, the Grave of Kings. Nadira herself commissioned the tiles entrance portal holding wooden doors deeply carved with Omars poetry. The inner hall boasts the decorative arts of all three khanates Ferganan painting, Bukharan ganch carving and Khivan woodcarving. Among the tombs beyond are those of Omar, brother Alim, son Madali and grandson Amin. (If the mausoleum is locked, ask for the key at 59 Nabiyev St.) |
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