The square and buildings were named after the legendary Imam Abu Bakr Kaffal Al-Shashi, a specialist in the Koran, known throughout the world for his sermons.
The outstanding theologian was born in 903 in Tashkent in a poor family. The boy’s name was given in honor of the righteous Caliph Abu Bakr, who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. He received his education in the madrasah of Tashkent, but did not stop there and continued to master knowledge in Bukhara, Samarkand and Termez.
Frequent travels, communication with outstanding people and self-improvement made him one of the most revered authorities in theology. In the Arab world, he was nicknamed the Great Imam and remained in the memory of descendants as a native of Tashkent. Therefore, he was nicknamed Kaffal Ash-Shashi, that is, the lockmaker from Tashkent.
According to the legend, he began to be called a “Lockmaker” after he made a unique lock of large size, but fine workmanship. The key to this lock weighed almost two kilograms.
Many pilgrims always came to the grave of Abu Bakr Al-Shashi, so it was decided to make khanaks out of the mausoleum. The building has a rectangular shape and stands on a high pedestal.Due to this, the mausoleum rises above the rest of the buildings of the complex. The main entrance faces north, which is atypical for most mausoleums, the entrance portal of which looks towards Mecca.
