LAKE ARAL TO TASHKEND 6i 
delay of a few hours is the colossal burial mosque, 
erected iii 1397 bamerlane in memory of a Kii^hiz 
saint, Hazrett Sultan Khoja Ahmed Yasovi. Its 
pishtak or arched facade is unusually high, and is 
flanked by two picturesque towers. The mosque is 
further embellished by several melon-shaped domes. All 
the tiles have fallen off the facade ; but on the longer 
wall and the back wall of the rectangular building they 
are still intact. Their iridescent shades of blue and 
cmeen resemble the tiles one sees at Samarkand. The 
mosque abuts upon the quadrangular clay fortress wall, 
which Khodiar Khan caused to be built , and within 
this also the Russian barracks are situated. Guided by 
some Sart boys, I threaded my way through a labyrinth 
of narrow lanes, and up the dark chilly staircase leading 
to the summit of one of the towers, whence there was 
a splendid view over Turkestan and the_ neighbouring 
country. In my case, however, it was considerably veiled 
and restricted by the heavy rain that was falling. The 
usual melancholy impression of the East made itself felt 
even here. The monuments of ancient architecture 
fettered me by their beauty and impressed me by reason 
of their age ; but the modern houses were nothing better 
than miserable mud huts, with flat roofs, divided from 
each other by narrow crooked lanes. 
As I said before, it was the Mohammedan Sabbath, 
and I went to see the mosque just as service 
was about to begin. Numbers of Sarts in gay-coloured 
coats and white turbans gathered outside , then, removing 
their hard, clattering heavy boots at the entrance, they 
solemnly filed into the huge mosque. The middle of the 
floor was occupied by a large copper bowl, flanked by 
a number of tughs, i.e., tufts of black horsehair on long 
sticks. The walls were plastered white, and inscribed 
with proverbs. I was politely motioned out by an old 
akhun (attendant) when the summons to prayer was called 
at the entrance ; but I went up into one of the galleries, 
whence, unseen and unsuspected, I could observe the long 
rows of kneeling and bowing Sarts — a striking picture. 
