One of the most important monuments in Samarkand is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, begun in 1399 and completed in 1404 and named after Timur's favorite wife.
It is said to have been the largest building of the East in its day, and certainly the largest mosque. At least 15,000 people could fit in it. (Timur wanted the entire city to be able to pray together here simultaneously.) Timur had it built next to the bazaar (the same one we visited), and supposedly used 97 teams of elephants that he brought back from his India campaign to build it.
Sadly, the engineering of this mosque didn't measure up to its grandiosity, and soon after completion, the building began to collapse. From day one, it was what we would term a "money pit," and by the late sixteenth century, current rulers were tired of draining their coffers to repair it and so ordered that no more restoration work be done.
That anything remained at all by the 20th century amazes me. This photo was taken sometime between 1905-1915:
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| From Wikipedia |
Reconstruction of the mosque started in 1974 under the auspices of the Soviet government, and continues to the present day.
The beautiful ribbed dome has been re-created:
I love the wedding cake tiers under the dome. Work is ongoing on the minarets:
Other parts of the complex are in varying states of restoration. I'm guessing that eventually this bare entrance will likely be covered by mosaics:
Much of these portals has been restored, but there are still a few bare spots:
An enormous marble Qur'an stand that was commissioned by Timur's grandson Ulugh Beg is still intact and is positioned in the middle of the courtyard:
A massive Qur'an would be opened and placed between the two wedged-shaped pieces on each end of the stand:
The interior of the mosque has not yet been restored.
And judging by its mane, this is a winged lion, although my husband keeps insisting these images are all leopards:
Back outside:
In spite of its incomplete condition, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque is a very popular place for the locals to hang out:
Nice post. It is nice to know that the Russians had some positive influence on the culture and history.
ReplyDeleteRice krispie treats for the tourists? (end photo)
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