The mausoleum of Zhusup ata

The mausoleum of Zhusup ata is located 25 km from the city of Turkestan, in the center of the village of old Ikan. A local monument. Earlier, archaeological research of the mausoleum was not carried out. Only in 2005, a study of the founding of the mausoleum was carried out, it turned out that the foundation of the construction was laid in the 15th century. Initially, the mausoleum had only a tomb and a zhamagatkhana, and then at the beginning of the 20th century, local residents built a dining room. The dome of the room, as well as the upper cover of the room, have not survived to our time. Only the tomb has reached us.

The main dimensions of the mausoleum are completely preserved and are in good condition, six rows of brickwork, which were used as a foundation. The Zhusip-ata mausoleum consists of the premises of the tomb, the zhamagatkhana, as well as two rooms with a dome. The total length of the construction is 14.2 m, the width is 12.8 m, and the height is 13.5 m. In 2008-2010, the restoration work of the Zhusup ata mausoleum was carried out by the «Kazkaytajanartu».

According to historical data, Zhusip-ata was a contemporary, a student of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, and some legends also say that he was his nephew. Not much information has been preserved about him. According to myths and legends, as well as to local elders, local people called Zhusup “Zhusup in love”. Its essence lies in the fact that he is «in love with Allah». A number of facts about Zhusup ata were found in the personal archive of a local resident of the village of Ikan Iuldash Nurshiddinovich. According to these archives, at that time, Khoja Ahmed Yasawi served as hakim of the city of Yassy. By order of the hakim, Zhusip ata was sent as a representative to the village of Ikan. At that time, the village Ikan was famous for its grapes all over the world. When Ahmed Yasawi arrived in this village he was fed with 12 kinds of grapes. Since then, Zhusip-ata has completely mastered the teachings of Sufism, reached the highest level and became a saint. The people have many legends about Zhusup ata. One of these legends says: Once Hakim ata washed himself with water without permission, which Khoja Ahmed Yasawi used for prayer. But the mentor was silent about this. The next day, Ahmet Yasawi put him on a camel and told him to go down where the camel stops. Not obeying his camel without stopping passed through Amuradaria, Syrdaria and stopped straight in Khorezm. When Ahmed Yasawi asked the students about who could bring Hakim atu, everyone was silent. Then only Zhusup ata agreed to this. Then Ahmed Yasawi ordered him to «climb the tent». When Zhusup ata climbed onto the tent, the tent turned into a white camel. Before moving on, Ahmed Yasawi set a condition for him. He told him that he would have to “tie his hands” when he brought Hakim ata. All the way Zhusup ata tied Hakim ata’s hands only when they arrived in Turkestan. When they arrived to Hazret Sultan, he said that Zhusup ata had done wrong. As a punishment, Zhusup ata was punished with three lashes. Zhusup ata reached the level of a saint during his lifetime. One of the legends says that when Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was in the house of Zhusup ata, he said that «his fourth descendant Kamaliddin Sheikh will reach an incredible level of holines» The descendants of Zhusup ata were Kamaliddin, Suleimen, and from them Omar, Zhien and Syddyk. The descendants of Zhien were Ikan Kozha, from him Ata kozha, from him Sharafuddin.

According to local elderly people, there were many religious books in the Zhusup ata mausoleum in the 1930s. Unfortunately, after the establishment of Soviet power, several books were burned down. But inside the mausoleum there are burial grounds of the buried. They are: Burial grounds of Sabyr ata, Kurban ata, Zhusup ata, Khalil ata (Son of Zhusup ata), Ibrahim ata, Abdijalil ata, Asan ata, Abdi Aziz ata. There are suggestions that people buried in the mausoleum may be «descendants or disciples of Zhusip ata».

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