The Chor Minor (literally, four towers), was founded by a Turkish merchant, Khalifa Niyaz Qouli in the early 19th century. At that time Bukhara was far from the glory days of the Shaybanid dynasty and the general quality of building construction was quite low. Nevertheless, Qouli managed to create a structure of lasting architectural interest that continues to delight visitors for its idiosyncracy and creative reinterpretation of time-honored design principals