Mazlumkhan-Sulu as a Unique Khwarezm Site of the Golden Horde Epoch

The Mazlumkhan-Sulu mausoleum, erected in the 1320-30s, and its place in the history of Khwarezm architectural monuments of the Golden Horde epoch, is considered in the article. The mausoleum is located in the territory of the Mizdakhkan fortified site in Karakalpakstan. It is considered to be typical cult multi-domed structure, but its special feature is the division into two parts – above ground and underground. The building is cruciform in plan design, covered with three domes. The genesis of this architectural type is probably connected with ancient marquee-type burial structures, known in connection with the antiquities of the nomads of the South Aral Lake area, Tagisken burial mounds, and the Balandy 2 mausoleum. Rich architectural décor of Mazlumkhan-Sulu consists of tile bow-shaped crosspieces and a system of constructive stalactites – the so called “muqarnas”. The mausoleum has historical parallels in the architectural monuments of Western Kazakhstan and the Volga river region of the Golden Horde epoch.