Once after the conquest of Bukhara, Genghis Khan entered the main square of the city, he saw a grandiose minaret in the middle of the square. He looked up at the minaret and a helmet fell from his head. “I never bowed to anyone. But this building is so grandiose that it deserves a bow.” Thus, a unique monument and the main symbol of Bukhara, the Kalon minaret, was preserved. The minaret is part of the beautiful ensemble Poi-Kalon, located in the historical center of Bukhara. The minaret was built in 1127 by the ruler of the Karakhanid state Arslankhan.
The most beautiful building was built by a local architect named Bako. His name is immortalized on the top ledge of the minaret. There is a legend that many masters tried to build a tower of unprecedented beauty and height, but it constantly collapsed, and only a master named Bako found the necessary materials and managed to complete the construction of an ambitious structure. Today, the Kalon minaret is part of the Poi-Kalon architectural ensemble. In addition to the minaret, this includes the Kalon Cathedral Mosque (XV-XVI centuries) and the Miri-Arab Madrasah (XVI century).
At different times, the minaret served for different purposes. The main one was religious - to call the faithful Muslims to prayer. There was also a period in the history of the unique minaret when the tower was used as an execution tool for the condemned. Sometimes it was called the "Tower of Death". Often this tower was used to call on the people and announce important decisions of the rulers to them and also for observation, the observation deck provided surveillance over long distances, and sometimes even served as a beacon for wanderers who got lost in the desert. Today, the Minorai Kalon Minaret, which is part of the unified architectural ensemble Poi-Kalon, is included in the Representative List of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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