About Uzbekistan

"Sheyh Zayniddin" Jami mosque and mausoleum widely known in Tashkent as "Kukcha" mosque is located in Mannon Uygur street 378, in a small Tashkent district known among locals as Kukcha. "Sheyh Zayniddin" mosque and the cemetery next to it have 700 years history.

According to history professor Omonulla Fayzullaev, Sheyh Zayniddin's full name is nothing less than "Sheyh Zayniddin Koyi Orifoni Toshkandi ibn Sheyh Shahobiddin Abu Hafs Umar Suhravardi". He was born in 1164 and died in 1259 when he was 95 years old (The exact date of his birth is unknown).

His father (with just slightly shorter name) Sheyh Shahobiddin Abu Hafs Umar Suhravardi Iroh was an ambassador of Khorezmshah to Tashkent and served there for 25 years. Sheyh Zayniddin's arrival to Tashkent is related to his father’s position of ambassador. At some point of time Sheyh Zayniddin moved to Tashkent to his father and while approaching Tashkent his camel stopped and sat just near "Kukcha" - one of Tashkent's 12 gate.

The Sheikh Zaynudin Bobo was a writer and popularizer of the Sufi order known as Suhrawardiyya. 

Sheyh Zayniddin decided to make this place his home, built a house here and thus became a founder of Orifon village. He lived there until his death. When he died, his followers made this place a cemetery of "Sheyh Zayniddin". This cemetery is located on the west side of Tashkent and occupies 8-9 hectares. This cemetery was the biggest one in 19th century.  At the very start there were only mourning house and some small rooms near to the cemetery on that time. Later a Mosque has been built.

132 years after the death of Sheyh Zayniddin theplace was visited by Great Amir Temur who decided to build a memorial complex here. Memorial complex was restored several times within its seven centuries history. The mausoleum was built in the 16th century and was rebuilt in the late 19th century. The proportions are 18 x 16 meters and it is 20.7 meters high.

Due to its location and "Sheyh Zayniddin" jami mosque the memorial complex sits the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan that is also called after Sheyh Zayniddin since 1943.

There is an underground cell (chillahona) dating to the 12th century in the mausoleum, where Sheikh Zaynudin conducted his 40-day meditations (chilla) and chartak dating back to the 14th century. 

Sheyh Zayniddin jami mosque Is widely known among ordinary Tashkent dwellers as "Kukcha" mosque. School #40 and Kukcha cemetry can serve as a landmark for Kukcha mosque. Kukcha mosque is one of the biggest mosques of Central Asia. It can fit 6000 worshipers. It has been fully renovated in 2013 and has a modern look. It has got a second name as "Uzbek Oq Masjid" in translation "Uzbek White Mosque".