213 Pillars in a Mosque — The Juma Mosque of Khiva

Meaning “Friday Mosque,” the original Juma Mosque had been in existence since the 10th century. This was one of the structures that was razed down by the Mongols during the Mongolian Invasion of the 13th century. In the late 18th century, the Juma Mosque underwent a reconstruction, and the structure has since stood to this day. A one-story building, the mosque prides 213 supporting pillars in perfect alignment. They are what makes it an amazing experience for tourists to walk through the mosque. In every different angle you see the crisscrossing of wooden pillars. With the natural daylight illuminating the space in between, the view of the internal architecture was at once serene and textured in different shades of glow — as if God’s commanding presence could be felt inside. The central pillars in the Juma Mosque are in fact the very original, and as such they had stood there for more than one thousand years. Those were the only of the original mosque that remained at the time of reconstruction. #jumamosque #fridaymosque #khiva #centralasia #uzbekistan #uzbekhistory #mongols #historicallandmarks