Al-Hakim at-Termizi Complex

Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi, who died around 869, was a jurist and hadith scholar, but he is remembered above all as one of the great early writers on Sufism. His works on sainthood and the inner life shaped later Sufi thought far beyond Central Asia, and in Termez he is simply the patron of the city, often called Termez-ota, the father of Termez.

The buildings

The complex stands on a terrace above the river at the edge of ancient Termez. Its core, the domed mausoleum over the saint's grave, is generally dated to the 11th–12th centuries; mosques and a ziyarat-khana were added around it over the following centuries, notably in the Timurid period. The finest object inside is the white marble cenotaph, carved with dense floral and epigraphic ornament and attributed to the 15th century. The complex was restored and landscaped in recent decades, with gardens and a new approach for pilgrims.

The setting

From the terrace the Amu Darya spreads out below, and the far bank is Afghanistan. The river is the state border, so the edge of the site is fenced and watched, and photographs should face the shrine, not the frontier. Around the complex lie the low mounds of Old Termez, the city that stood here for more than a millennium until Genghis Khan's army destroyed it in 1220.

Visiting

This is an active place of pilgrimage. Families come to pray, read the Qur'an and leave small offerings, and on Fridays and religious holidays the courtyard fills. Dress modestly, remove shoes where indicated, and ask before photographing people at prayer. Kara-Tepe lies a short drive away, so the two are usually visited together in the morning.