Imam at-Termizi Memorial Complex

Abu Isa Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi was born in the Termez area in 824 and died there in 892. He studied with the great hadith scholars of his time, among them Imam al-Bukhari, and travelled widely in Khorasan, Iraq and the Hijaz. His collection, the Jami' at-Tirmidhi, is one of the six books that Sunni Muslims regard as the canonical collections of hadith, and his Shama'il, a portrait of the Prophet's character and appearance, is still widely read.

The complex

The imam is buried in Sherobod district, about 60 kilometres north of Termez by road. The site has been venerated for centuries; in recent years it was rebuilt and enlarged into a memorial complex with a domed mausoleum, a mosque, courtyards and gardens, designed to receive large numbers of pilgrims. An international research centre named after the imam works to study and publish the scholarly heritage of Termez.

For pilgrims

For many Muslim travellers, especially from Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and South Asia, the grave of Imam at-Termizi ranks with that of Imam al-Bukhari near Samarkand as the high point of a ziyarat journey to Uzbekistan. Groups usually recite the Qur'an and make dua at the tomb, and there is space to pray in the mosque. Modest dress is required, and women should cover their hair.

Visiting

The drive from Termez takes about an hour. Combine it with the al-Hakim at-Termizi complex and Sultan Saodat for a full day of ziyarat, or stop on the way north towards Boysun and Shakhrisabz.