天外

Chor Minor! Chor Minor! Chor Minor! When you see this place, what do you think about it? Is it madrasah? Is it mosque?  Or it is just an ancient monument?

Chor Minor! 当你看到这个地方，你怎么看呢？这是伊斯兰学院？清真寺？或者它只是一个古老的纪念碑？

It is a Madrasah of Khalifa Niyazkul and Chor Minor means – Four minarets. The erection of the madrasah was sponsored by rich Turkmen Caliph Niyaz Kula. The construction of the madrasah is dated to 1807, however, needs to be clarified, as  the madrasah of Khalifa Niyaz Kula, according to the archive documents, already existed at the end of the XVII century.

这是哈里发Niyazkul的伊斯兰学院,Chor Minor的特色 - 四个尖塔。这座穆斯林学校的建造是有富有的土库曼斯坦哈里发孜库拉(Caliph Niyaz Kula)所资助。这座穆斯林学校的建造时间可以追溯到1807年，然而，需要加以澄清的是，根据存档的文件记载，作为哈里发孜库拉的穆斯林学校，早在十七世纪末就已经存在。

That`s true, Chor Minor has an unusual design. Sometimes Chor Minor is considered only as a gateway of the lost madrasah. However, more attentive view shows that Chor-Minor, even in its present state is a self-contained complex consisting of buildings that have at least two purposes – ritual and residential.

众所周知，Chor Minor有着一个不寻常的设计。有时，Chor Minor被认为可能是已经消失了的穆斯林学校的一个大门。然而，如果你更进一步的观察Chor Minor，就从其当前的状态就可以看出来它是一个有着特别复杂组成的建筑，其中至少有两个目的 - 仪式和居住。

The main building with four towers is a mosque. Despite its unusual design, the mosque has a fairly ordinary interior. It served for five daily prayers. The presence of the dome gives the audience the value of dhikr-Khan, the place for Sufis` ritual ceremonies, which often included recitation, singing and instrumental music.

有四个塔的主体建筑是一座清真寺。尽管它有着不同寻常的设计，但是寺的内部却和一般的清真寺没有什么不同。在这里举行每天的五次礼拜。清真寺的圆顶大厅可以用来举办苏菲派的礼仪庆典，还可以举办朗诵，唱歌和器乐演奏。

By the both sides of the central building were constructed the living rooms – khujdras. Thus, for the functioning of madrasah it lacks only a classroom and several outbuildings, such as the dining room (oshhana). However, there is not even any hint that they have ever existed, only guesses. Assuming that the madrasah was not so great that the existing structure was only the facade and the main entrance, the fundamental buildings are preserved themselves the madrassah for 15-20 students.

中央大楼两侧建造的是起居室 - khujdras。因此，从这座穆斯林学校的运作功能来看，它还缺少一个教室和一些附属建筑，诸如餐厅（oshhana）。然而，竟然没有他们曾经存在过任何线索，当然这只是猜测。假设穆斯林学校是没有那么大，现存的结构只是外观和主入口，最根本的建筑都保留自己的伊斯兰学校15-20名学生。

It was common in Bukhara that, the places called as a madrassah had no classrooms, or even if they were, they would not use as classes. These madrassahs were used as student dormitories.

一个伊斯兰学校的地方没有教室，这在布哈拉是很常见的现象，甚至于即便是有教师，他们也不会用来上课。这些宗教学校基本上都是被用作学生宿舍。

Four corners of the mosque have four towers shaped like minarets, so the whole complex got the name Chor Minor (Four Minarets). On the second floor and in the towers were utility room and an extensive library.

四角的清真寺有四个塔形似尖塔，所以清真寺也得名于此（四尖塔，这也是塔吉克语）。上了二楼，并在塔是杂物间和一个藏书丰富的图书馆。

Each of four towers (minarets) has a different shape. It is believed that the decoration elements of the towers indicated four main religious. At least, it is easy to see in some of the elements of something resembling a cross, Christian fish, and Buddhist prayer wheels.

每四个塔（尖塔）具有不同的形状。据认为，该塔的装饰元素指示四个主要宗教。至少，很容易看到一些类似的东西，如十字架，基督教鱼，和佛教转经筒等元素。

At the site near Chor-Minor preserved House, apparently referring to the same period of time as the complex of buildings.

在Chor Minor附近有一些保存下来的老房子，可以很显然的看出，这些建筑都有参考Chor Minor。