Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum

Tomb complex of Khiva's patron saint — wrestler, poet, and furrier — with the city's most exquisite turquoise dome

The Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum is the spiritual centre of Khiva, the most architecturally ambitious of all its monuments, and easily its most beautiful. The dome above the main tomb chamber is faced inside and out in blue-and-white majolica of dizzying complexity, and the small adjoining chambers hold the tombs of several Khivan khans who chose to be buried in the saint's shadow.

Pilgrims come to touch the tomb and drink from the small well in the courtyard, said to have curative properties. Visitors are welcome but should dress modestly and observe quiet. The interior tilework rewards a slow look — bring a torch or use a phone light to see the upper bands of the dome.

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A story
Pahlavon Mahmud (1247–1326) was a poet, a Sufi mystic, and one of the greatest wrestlers of his age — pahlavon literally means wrestler. He earned his living as a furrier and refused court patronage all his life. After his death he became the patron saint of Khiva, and pilgrims still rub the doors of his tomb for luck. The current mausoleum, with its enormous turquoise dome, was built in 1810 by the khan who claimed him as a personal protector.