Kalan Mosque

The Kalan Mosque is a large congregational mosque in the historic centre of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, dating to the early 16th century and forming part of the Po-i-Kalyan religious complex. It is one of the principal religious buildings on the main mosque square.

The complex features a wide arcaded courtyard, a hypostyle prayer hall and monumental facades with glazed tilework and brick ornament. The mosque faces the Kalyan Minaret, a 12th-century tower that rises to about 45 metres and forms the visual centre of the plaza.

The mosque was constructed in the early 1500s during the Shaybanid period as Bukhara’s main Friday mosque and has served as a focal point for communal worship since that time. It has been conserved and repaired at various times to maintain its structure and decorative surfaces.

The building occupies a central position within Bukhara’s old city on the Po-i-Kalyan plaza, immediately adjacent to the Kalyan Minaret and the Mir-i-Arab Madrasa.

• Visitor rules: Non-Muslim visitors can usually view the exterior and courtyard; modest dress and removal of shoes are required to enter the prayer hall or inner areas.
• Best times: Peak visiting times are mid-morning to late afternoon; the mosque and the Po-i-Kalyan plaza are most photographed at softer light near sunrise and late afternoon.

What to See #

• Kalyan Minaret: A brick-and-butte structure rising roughly 45 metres and dating to the 12th century, it stands immediately adjacent to the mosque and dominates the Po-i-Kalyan plaza.
• Main prayer hall: A large hypostyle prayer hall built in the early 16th century as the principal congregational mosque for Friday prayers, with a broad arcaded courtyard and monumental entrances.
• Mir-i-Arab Madrasa: A 16th-century theological school that frames the Po-i-Kalyan square and faces the mosque across the plaza; noted for its vaulted entrance and student cells.