Mausoleum of Asaf ibn Burhia, Osh

At the southeastern edge of the sacred mountain Sulaiman-Too, there is a famous place of pilgrimage for Muslims - the Asaf ibn Burhia Mausoleum. The mausoleum was named after King Suleiman’s vizier, who, according to tradition, wanted to be buried at the foot of this mountain.

The Asaf ibn Burhia Mausoleum was built in the 18th century, in keeping with the best traditions of the Fergana architectural school. Over time, the building has been restored many times at private expense of wealthy citizens from Osh and Andijan. Scientists justifiably believe that in place of the mausoleum there used to be an older religious building, from the 10th or 12th centuries.

Today, the Asaf ibn Burhia Mausoleum is one of the oldest monuments surviving in Osh. It is a rectangular portal-domed structure of 7,3 by 9,59 meters. The corners of the building, as is customary in Islamic architecture, are oriented to the cardinal points. Its dome, 4.4 meters in diameter, rests on an octagonal drum. The interior part has an octagonal shape with sides of 2.11 to 2.23 m in length. Of special beauty is a portal-domed mausoleum niche. The upper part of the portal is crowned with battlements in the form of a stylized trefoil. Its edges are decorated with ornamental columns. The whole entrance alcove is decorated with a sophisticated ganch decor.

From 1999 to 2000 the mausoleum dome was partially restored as part of celebration project of the 3,000th anniversary of Osh. And in 2013, the work on reconstruction of the mausoleum upper part and dome windows, as well as restoration of the original design of the facade and interior decoration has begun.