Bibi Khanym Mausoleum — Attraction in Samarkand City

Turbek-Khanym was the daughter of Uzbek Khan who converted the area to Islam. The building holds a mosaic of 365 interlocking geometric tiles that give the appearance of the night sky. There are arches and niches and tiling that suggest time keeping and calendar keeping.

Known as the pearl of Konye-Urgench, this mausoleum sports beautiful geometric patterns on its inside dome. There are 365 sections on the sparkling mosaic, 24 pointed arches, 12 bigger arches below that and four big windows (representing the weeks of the month). A plethora of symbolism in one tiled dome, by any measure... No one seems to know who is buried here, but the mausoleum is dedicated to the daughter of a Mongol Leader.

Turabek-Khanym was a real historic figure, a Mongolian princess, the favorite daughter of the governor of Golden Horde - Uzbek-khan and the spouse of his deputy in Khoresm Kutlug Timur. Turabek-Khanym was the patroness of women. Eventually she was canonized and declared a saint . The name of Turabek-Khanym was always surrunded by numerous romantic legends. According to one of them Turabek-Khanym promised to master Gulgardan, who was in love with her, to marry him if he constructed her a building the finest on the Earth. Gulgardan worked hard: the mausoleum he built, which later become a tomb of Sufi kings and her own, was flabbergasting; it still amazes with its accuracy of lines, wealth of interior decorations and beauty of multi-color ornaments. But the proud beauty did not fulfill her promise and preferred the governor of Khoresm Kutlug Timur.

The Mausoleum of Turabek-Khanym indeed became the most magnificent structure in the entire country. Amazing in its beauty and grace, it is the structure with the richest interior and exterior finish, with surprisingly open and light hexagonal hall with the area of about a hundred square meters, decorated with carved mosaic. It was crowned with a huge dome. It was, probably the most perfect dome in the entire Central...

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, constructed in the late 14th century by the orders of Timur (Tamerlane), stands as one of the grandest mosques of the Timurid Empire. Built to honor his favorite wife, Bibi-Khanym, the mosque is renowned for several outstanding features:

Monumental Entrance Portal: The mosque's entrance, or iwan, is a massive and ornate portal that stands about 35 meters tall, richly decorated with intricate mosaic tilework and Kufic inscriptions.

Grand Dome: The main prayer hall is topped with a grand dome, which originally reached 40 meters in height.

Large Courtyard: The mosque features a vast central courtyard surrounded by a series of arcades and additional domed structures. In the center of the courtyard, a large marble Quran stand, known as the "Kursi," was placed, emphasizing the importance of the Quran in Islamic worship.

Exquisite Tilework: The mosque is adorned with stunning tilework, including intricate geometric patterns and floral designs, which are characteristic of Timurid architecture.

Massive Scale: The sheer size of the mosque was groundbreaking for its time, with the structure covering an area of about 130 by 100 meters, making it one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world when...

Bibi Khanum Mausoleum.

The Bibi Khanum Mausoleum (beginning of XV century), located in front of the Jame Mosque of Bibi Khanum, was built in honor of his wife’s mother and was one of the first to be built in Samarkand under Temur.

The Bibi-Khanum mausoleum apparently served as a burial place for women from the Temurid dynasty (it is associated like a mosque with the legendary ruler Bibi-Khanum). According to Clavijo, Bibi-Khanum’s mother was the first to be buried there. There is no information about the burial of Bibi-Khanum itself, although popular tradition refers to this building as Bibi-Khanum’s mausoleum.

It is a high octahedral structure with a cylindrical drum surrounded by a large Ku inscription and an unsaved outer dome. Inside, under the cruciform Gurkhana plan, there is a marble tomb with three female tombs in sarcophagi. The interior of the mausoleum is decorated with a mosaic panel and paintings on the plafond and walls, where ornamental motifs and stylish landscapes are presented.

During the period of Soviet power from 1924, major renovation and restoration works were carried out on the territory of the mausoleum, and the ceiling of the mausoleum was fixed on the lattice girders of the vault. (from:...