Mahalla in Uzbekistan: An Embodiment of Muslim Values of Neighbourliness and Mutual Support

The main purpose of this brief reflection is to examine the relationship between (a) Muslim communal values of neighborliness, mutual support and responsibility for those living together in a defined, spacial community and b)the built environment and structures of mosques and community gathering spaces, with a focus on how the existence of such a built environment and infrastructure helps to develop, nurture, and promote Muslim communal values. The above questions will be explored with reference to the author’s ethnographic study in Uzbekistan focusing on mahalla, an indigenous Islamic community-based institution in Central Asia whose origin dates back to Central Asia’s Golden Age – the 11-12th centuries when the region was ruled by Turko-Muslim dynasties.