Jarkurgan Minaret

The Jarkurgan Minaret commissioned by Sultan Sanjar and constructed by architect Ali ibn Muhammad Serakhsi in 1109, is one of Uzbekistan’s oldest minarets.

The monument is located in the village of Minor, 7 km from the town of Jarkurgan and 40 km from Termez.

The minaret has an original form and initially had two tiers, of which only one has remained to our days.

The tower is embraced by a continuous circle of 16 semi-columns, whose brickwork forms the ‘herringbone’ pattern. The base of the minaret is covered with extracts from the Koran, which, however, had not been finished. In former times the base was decorated with ornamental patterns, no longer extant. The height of the minaret is 21.6 m, the diameter at the base is 5.4 m, at the top – 4.1 m.

It was once a part of a huge cathedral mosque, which, unfortunately, has not survived.