Mausoleum of Saint Daniel (Khoja Doniyor)

On the northern edge of the Afrasiab hill, above the Siab stream, a long low building with five small domes covers a sarcophagus some 18 metres long. Local tradition identifies it as the tomb of the biblical prophet Daniel, known in Uzbek as Khoja Doniyor. It is one of the few places in Uzbekistan that Muslims, Christians and Jews all visit in prayer, and the atmosphere is calm and devotional rather than touristic.

The tradition

The best-known story says that Timur, campaigning in the Middle East, brought relics of Daniel from Susa, in present-day Iran, believing they would bring his capital prosperity. Another tradition connects the tomb with a companion of the early Arab conquerors. Historians cannot confirm either, and Susa still has its own Tomb of Daniel. Both stories are part of local belief, and should be read as legend.

The length of the sarcophagus is explained in several ways: some say that the saint’s body grows a little every year, others that the tomb was made long so that no one could tell exactly where the relics lie and steal them. Pilgrims walk around it, pray and tie small cloths to the railings.

The building and its setting

The present mausoleum dates from around 1900, replacing earlier structures. Below it, steps lead down to a spring whose water is considered healing; pilgrims drink it and fill bottles. Beside the mausoleum grows an old pistachio tree. By local account it had dried out and revived after a visit by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II in the 1990s, a story the caretakers will tell you.

Visiting

Modest dress is expected: covered shoulders and knees, and a headscarf for women inside the mausoleum. Remove shoes if asked. Combine the visit with the Afrasiab Museum and the Ulugbek Observatory, which are a few minutes away. The terrace above the stream is a pleasant, shaded place to stop on a hot day.