The mausoleum of Khoja Daniyar is considered one of the sacred and famous cults in Samarkand. The members of three religions – Islam, Judaism and Christian esteem and worship the mausoleum of Khoja Daniyar. Daniyar, Daniil and Daniel are the name of a Prophet in Islam, Judah and Christian literatures.
According to the Bible “Daniel” means “The God is my Judge” for Judah language. The Prophet Daniyar was born in 603 BC in Jerusalem; he is the generation of the Prophet David ((died c. 962 BC), king of Judah and Israel c.1000 - c.962 BC.
When Israel was invaded by the king of Babylon (Iraq), Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC Daniyar and other Jewish boys were driven to Babylon.
When Persians conquered Babylon, Shah Darius added Daniyar to his officials. These kinds of attentions to Daniel made noblemen jealous and noblemen slandered him, he was delivered into the lions` den according to the order of the king, but the animals did not attack him, when the king saw that, he was not damaged, the king ordered to deliver the slanderers to lions` den and the lions ate all of them.
Legendary Prophet lived in Susa (Mosul) until the freedom of Jewish prisoners by Persian king, with the result of his old age; he could not go back his native land and was buried in Susa.
According to the legends Amir Temur could not conquered Susa during his seven year campaign (1397-1404) in Asia Minor. Sakhibkiran Amir Temur heard that, the sacred soil (the grave) of the Prophet Daniel saved the city. At that time, Amir Temur took the sacred soil of the Prophet Daniyar to Samarkand in order to that save his empire from dangers.
When the Prophet was reinterred in Samarkand, a spring appeared at the head side of him, and the inhabitants consider the spring sacred and use it.
During independence years, great deals of construction – repair works carried out around the mausoleum. In 2013, according to the initiative and instruction of the President of The Republic of Uzbekistan, around the shrine, a new garden was established. The shrine area was surrounded with walls and tripartite stairs were built for leading to the mausoleum.
In the same time around the grave was covered with black marble and onyx.
Ascending the stairs. Informing.
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In each historical process, the mausoleum of Prophet Daniel got different kinds of appearances. For instance, a picture in a book was published under Russian Empire in thee 1870-1880s. It is known that, at that period, there were a small veranda and a room (mosque) around the tomb covered with gravel, so, around the tomb, there had been 6 banners as the symbols of clergymen and saints. The banners were installed on the special stones, now these stones exist, but the banners are not kept. In the late XIX century a mausoleum was built here. The road carrying to the mausoleum was through Afrasiab city, the entrance gateway was also built simultaneously with the mausoleum and its remnants are still preserved.
The existing mausoleum of Prophet Daniyar was built in the late XX century by Mahmud aksakal, the master of soap manufacturers of Samarkand, because the Prophet is considered as the patron of soap manufacturers. According to some sources, Miroshnichenko, a Russian trader also contributed to the construction of the mausoleum.
In a photo taken at the beginning of XX century, the mausoleum had 6 cupolas, but nowadays these cupolas were 5. The mausoleum must have been destroyed and reconstructed.
The top corners of the building at the north the mausoleum are decorated with brocades made of bricks. They were made in European style. The interior was decorated with shield shaped anchors and the archways supporting the cupola.
here is one of the longest graves of the world in the mausoleum, 18m in length. The height of the grave is 90cm at the southern part, 160cm at north. The northern part is a little bit wider – 2m, because a rectangular sagana was installed there. Sagana is made of bunt brick, plastered, and decorated with marble panels with inscription from Koran. There is a stone “the stone of dreams” with Arabic inscription on the windowsill at the northern side of the mausoleum, in front of the sagana. The visitors revolve the grave of Khoja Daniyar with their wishes once or thrice, and try to lift the stone or at least try to shake.
The square in fornt of the shrine. Full information.
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There is a 500 year old almond tree at the north of the mausoleum and it is still green. After the visit of Alexei, the Patriarch of Moscow and the whole Russia in1996, the half dried almond tree began blossom.
In 2004, The President of Russian Federation, V.Putin visited Samarkand. His wife T.Putina visited the mausoleum.
In 2008, The former President of Russian Federation, D.Medvedev visited the mausoleum.
