One of the best of the Khivan works of architecture - the Pakhlavan Mahmud mausoleum - was constructed in the traditions of the XVIII and XIX centuries.

It was constructed in honour of the well-known Khivan poet who had become famous for his herculean strength, Pakhlavan Mahmud (1247-1326).

Originally the mausoleum building was modest and small, but as it became a popular place of pilgrimage, khuzhras, khanaka and mosques, where pilgrims pray, were constructed. The entrance portal in the mausoleum was constructed at the building’s south side in the XVIII century. The Shergazi-khan, having constructed the new madrasah, based it on the Pakhlavan Mahmud mausoleum in 1719. Muhammad Rakhim-khan I decided to change the ensemble considerably after a successful campaign in Kungrad in 1810. He reconstructed the Pakhlavan Mahmud mausoleum so, that the governing Kungrad dynasties necropolis appeared “at the feet” of the Khivan. They began to bury the Khan’s family members here, and the mausoleum territory was extended to the east and to the south. The new mausoleum includes an old tomb and khanaka with a high double dome, the silhouette of which has become one of the main symbols of Khiva.

The two-storeyed building on the court yard’s west side and the summer ayvan mosque on the east side, were constructed at the Isfandiyar-khan’s request in 1913.

Many cartouches with religious sayings, Pakhlavan Mahmud verses and names of masters are included in the memorial majolica. The Pakhlavan Mahmud gravestone is unsurpassed with the jeweller’s accuracy and the grace of the mosaic of carved slip glaze ceramics. Civil construction was carried out under the guidance of the famous Khivan architect Muhammad Murad.

The mausoleum has gradually been turned into a majestic construction, with the greatest dome in Khiva, covered with blue glazed tiles with a sparkling gilt top