Lyab-I Hauz complex

Lyab-i Hauz complex, the ensemble of buildings is located in the historic centre of Bukhara about 500 meters southeast of Poi Kalon. About 100 to 200 meters west of Lyab-i Hauz are the two underground mosques Magʻoki-Attari and Magʻoki-Kurpa and the domed bazaar Taqi Telpak Furushon, about 500 meters northeast of the ensemble is the gatehouse Char Minar. The Shahrud Canal runs south of the ensemble and supplies the city with water from the Zeravshan and is the inflow and outflow for the basin.

The Lyab-i Hauz water basin was one of the largest in Bukhara and was laid out in 1620 by Nadir Divan Beg, the uncle and grand vizier of Imam Kuli Khan. Twice a month it was filled with water drawn from the Zeravshan River via a canal.

When Nadir Divan Beg built the eponymous Khanaka, it is said that there was a large plot of land owned by a former Jewish widow near the building. Nadir Divan Beg had decided that this area would be the perfect place for a pond, but the widow refused the offer to sell her property. Then Nadir Divan Beg brought him before Imam Kuli Khan in the hope that Emir would force him to sell. The Emir of Bukhara ordered a mufti meeting on the subject. At the end of the meeting, experts in Muslim law decided that there was no legal way to purchase property without the widow's consent; because Jews had equal rights with Muslims if they paid the jizyah.

So Nadir Divan Beg had to build a small pond close to the stubborn Jew's house. However, although it was very expensive, he dug an irrigation ditch into his new pool so that the water flowed right next to the Jewish widow's house. The stream began to damage the foundations of the widow's house. When the woman came to Nadir Divan Beg for justice, the Beg stated that he was ready to buy the woman's house at a fair price. However, the woman refused this offer, instead offering her own terms. The rulers of Bukhara promised to give up his property if he was to give him another piece of land with permission to build a synagogue.

Later, the first synagogue and a large pond in Bukhara were built. People began to call this area Lyab-i Hauz, which means "pond" in Persian. Its date of construction is approximately 1620. But the popular memory still retains another adjective - Haus-i Bazur, "forced made".

The basin is about 42 meters long, 36 meters wide and 5 meters deep. The walled edge of the pool has bevelled corners. It is lined with massive sandstone blocks that descend in steps to the surface of the water.

Three structures are arranged around this complex of water basin and park and aligned with it. In the west is the Nadir-Divanbegi-Khanqah was built in 1620 and in the east is the Nadir-Divanbegi-Madrasa, built in 1623, both of which are named after the founder of the ensemble. In the north across the street is the Kukaldash Madrasa, which was built in 1569 in front of the ensemble's complex.