Magoki Attori Mosque, Bukhara

The Magoki-Attori Mosque is one of the oldest surviving architectural monuments in Bukhara, located in the heart of the city beside the renowned Lyabi Hauz ensemble. Long before the Arab conquest, a temple dedicated to the moon stood on this site, and nearby, a bustling square hosted traders selling spices and medicinal herbs.

The present structure was built in the XII century on the foundations of an earlier IX-century mosque that had fallen into disrepair. Situated in a natural hollow, Magoki-Attori is steeped in history. Over the centuries, it was gradually buried beneath layers of sand and earth. During archaeological excavations in the 1930s and 1940s, the mosque was uncovered—nearly 4.5 meters of soil had to be removed to reveal its full structure. Before this, only the partial remains of its domes and entrance portal were visible above ground.

The entrance portals are striking examples of medieval craftsmanship, adorned with alabaster carvings, glazed majolica, and intricate openwork terracotta.

Today, the mosque houses a remarkable carpet collection, featuring Uzbek, Persian, Turkmen, Armenian, and Kazakh pieces made using a variety of traditional techniques. The former prayer hall is also decorated with everyday objects typical of Central Asian life, including jugs, mortars, and cooking vessels. Nearby are the remains of ancient baths and a caravanserai, dating from the IX to XI centuries, which once formed part of Bukhara’s historic urban landscape.

In 1993, the Magoki-Attori Mosque and other monuments in Bukhara’s old city were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.