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Ismamut Ata is a mausoleum in the Khwarazm oasis of Turkmenistan.^[1][2][3] A cluster of religious structures, it stands amidst a graveyard and was once considered to be among the most prominent shrines in Turkestan.^[1][4]

Ismamut Ata lies 13 km south of Görogly.^[1]

In Turkmen folklore, Ism — a companion of Muhammad— had introduced Islam into the region for the first time, convincing the local Sultan Mahmut.^[1] On Ism's death, Mahmut commissioned the mausoleum, which bore the portmanteau Ism-i Maḥmūt, anglicized to Ismamut.^[1] However, there is no historical corroboration of either Ism or Mahmut; the identity of the buried figure remains unknown.^[1]

It is also believed that these lands were the grazing grounds of Duldul, the mule of Muhammad.^[1] This gave rise to a tradition of Turkmen tying their horses to a tree, a few hundred meters away from the site, and circumambulating it three times to seek Duldul's protection.^[1][5]

The main complex oversees a courtyard.^[1] The oldest building in the complex can be dated to c. 16th century.^[1]

First comes a series of twin-floored domed rooms with a fireplace and an intricately carved wooden door, in what is understood to have been a pilgrim's quarter or madrasa.^[1] On one side of the courtyard stands the Summer Mosque.^[1] To its right is the remnants of a kitchen and to its left, a covered rectangular enclosure with two tapered pillars.^[1] Beyond the Summer mosque, is the Winter Mosque, a domed tetraconch building with latticed windows.^[1]

On the east of the mosque complex, is the daskeche — a carpeted corridor, with seven white domes — with niches along the wall.^[1] One end of it connects to the Winter Mosque by a four-domed flank-corridor whereas the other end leads to the mausoleum via an anteroom.^[1] The cenotaph is housed in a locked chamber; it is only visible from the windows of the prayer-room.^[1]

The site attracts tourists; rooms have proferred along the complex, offering overnight accommodation.^[1] Paul Brummell quips that the tradition of circumambulation continues except that the horses have been replaced by motor cars.^[1]

• For late twentieth century photographs, consult Man’kovskaia, L. (1982). Hiva : Horazm naķķošligi hazinasi. Tashkent.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• For late nineteenth century photographs, consult Nedvetsky, Andrei G. (1993). Naumkin, V. (ed.). Khiva. Caught in time: Great photographic archives. Reading: Garnet.
• On Soviet management of these sites and related historiography, consult Sartori, Paolo (2019-09-01). "Of Saints, Shrines, and Tractors: Untangling the Meaning of Islam in Soviet Central Asia". Journal of Islamic Studies. 30 (3): 367–405. doi:10.1093/jis/etz001. ISSN 0955-2340.