Minor Mosque

The Minor Mosque is one of Tashkent's youngest landmarks and one of its most photographed. Opened on 1 October 2014, it stands on the bank of the Ankhor canal a few minutes north of the centre, and locals often call it the White Mosque for the white marble that covers its walls. A sky-blue dome and two slender minarets complete a profile designed in traditional Central Asian style, while the polished finish is unmistakably of this century.

The mosque holds around 2,400 worshippers, inside the prayer hall and on the shaded terraces of its iwan. Inside, the decoration is restrained: soft colours, gilded calligraphy and carved detail rather than the dense tilework of the medieval monuments. It is a working Friday mosque first and a sight second, which is part of its appeal. You will see families arriving for prayers, students reading in the courtyard and couples photographing each other by the canal.

The canal and the light

The Ankhor is one of the old irrigation canals that once watered Tashkent's gardens, and its banks have been turned into a green promenade. The path beside the mosque is the best place to see the building whole, with its reflection in the water. The marble responds to the hour: blinding at noon, pale gold in the late afternoon and faintly pink at sunset.

Visiting respectfully

Visitors are welcome outside prayer times, especially in the morning and late afternoon. Avoid Friday midday, the main weekly prayer. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered; women should cover their hair, and everyone removes their shoes before entering the prayer hall. Ask before photographing people at prayer, or better, do not. The mosque is a short taxi ride from Amir Timur Square, and Minor metro station on the Yunusobod line is about 15 minutes' walk away; it combines well with the Courage Monument, a little further along the same canal.