Khast Imam (also transliterated Hazrat Imam) is centred on the tomb of Abu Bakr Muhammad Kaffal Shashi, a 10th-century scholar of Shafi'i jurisprudence and one of Tashkent's founding Islamic figures.
The complex was reorganised in 2007 for the 2200th anniversary of Tashkent and consists of:
- Tellya Sheikh Mosque (16th c.) — currently the Friday mosque for the Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan.
- Barak Khan Madrasa (16th c.) — houses the office of the Muftiat.
- Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum — the original pilgrimage focus.
- Muyi Mubarak library — home to the Uthman Qur'an, a 7th-century Kufic-script manuscript claimed to be one of six original copies commissioned by the third caliph Uthman around 651 CE. UNESCO lists it on the Memory of the World register. Photography is forbidden inside the library.
The complex is respectful territory — dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), and women should carry a scarf for the library.
It's about 20 minutes by taxi from Amir Timur Square, or a 15-minute walk from Chorsu Bazaar. Entry to the complex is free; the Qur'an library charges a small fee.
Tashkent in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs of Tashkent from our travel archive.
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