Travel Journal Uzbekistan Part 1: Architecture and Design of Ancient Madrasahs, Minarets and Mausoleums

At last, the time had come to travel to Central Asia.

Working on a new project, I embarked on this trip with one sole purpose – to find inspiration.

While researching textile production, I caught wind that Uzbekistan, rich in many natural resources including silk would be a good place to head to.

The road less travelled, at least these days…

‘Triumphant crowd at Registan, Sher-Dor Madrasah’ by Russian war painter Vasily Vereshchagin (1872).

Uzbekistan was once a cultural crossroad, situated in the middle of many great empires as well as being at the centre of the Silk Road.

The region has seen the like of many prolific rulers including Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Amir Timur (Tamerlane).

During the eighth century invading Arab forces dominated the area and converted the nomadic Turkic tribes in Central Asia to Islam.

Russia moved in in the 19th Century and maintained its control over the country until the Soviet Union collapsed. During this period many of the ancient structures that remained were either heavily damaged by natural disasters, neglected or completely destroyed during war.

When the country gained its independence in 1991, work began to restore many of these ancient buildings to their former glory.

The structures that dominate the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand include madrasas (Islamic schools), mausoleums, mosques, and minarets.

Registan Square is known as the heart of Samarkand. During Amir Timur’s dynasty, it was the centre of the Tamerlane empire.

The first of the madrasahs – the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417-1420) was constructed by Temur’s grandson Ulugh Beg, a notable astronomer and mathematician who was later murdered by his son, consequently ending the Tamerlane empire.

The second madrasah built was the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619-1636) by the ruler Yalangtush Bakhodur. What is so interesting about the design is that although Islamic tradition bans the depiction of living figures, the facade shows two tigers each with a rising sun on their back. The architect argued that these figures were not a threat to tradition, merely decoration in his words he said, ‘Who has ever seen a tiger with the mane of a lion or a sun with a face?’.

The third and final madrasah, the Tilya-Kori Madrasah was also built during Yalangtush Bakhodur’s reign between 1646-1620. It is possibly the most impressive of the three simply because of its impressive gilded interior.

This incredible ceiling (above), was found to be flat when the blue dome that sits on top was removed for restoration in 1939. Six kilograms of gold was used to paint its ornate interior creating a magnetic trompe l’oeil.

The Kalyan minaret (above) in Bukhara was built in 1127 AD and stands at 48 metres, with a 10-metre foundation below the ground.

When Genghis Khan took rule over the region 100 years later he ordered his men to destroy everything in their path of cultural importance as it would threaten his power. Upon visiting the city and seeing the minaret and looked up, causing his helmet to fall to the ground.

Genghis Khan took his helmet off for no one. He exclaimed, “Such a great tower has forced me to take off my hat!” giving credit for its superiority and so it was spared.

The circular spots, lighter in colour are restoration marks from where a bomb bounced off its surface, failing to explode.

Within the complex also stand the Mir-i-Arab Madrasah and the Po-i-Kalyan Mosque, the largest mosque in Central Asia.

Symmetry is a large part of Islamic architecture as it symbolises balance and harmony within the universe.

It was obvious to see walking through the Mosque. Just as the 2-D geometrical patterns adorning entranceways and on ceilings will draw you into their lattice, moving through the corridors feels as if you’re being woven towards enlightenment.

It’s the oldest surviving mosque in Central Asia dating back to the 11th century. Prior to this on the same site there stood a Buddhist Temple and then a Zarathustra fire temple, later dedicated to the Moon-god Moh.

It’s said the Mosque was used by Bukharan Jews as a synagogue until it was rebuilt in the 16th century.

An earthquake destroyed the mosque in 1860, which was left untouched for years, buried in sand, until it was excavated and restored in the 1930s.

The mosque has many geometrical patterns woven into its stone facade which comments on duality and diversity in nature.

The Sha-i-Zinda, or better known as the ‘Tomb of the Living King’, is a necropolis built originally as a single monument some 1000 years ago in the 1st century. It is believed to be the resting place of the prophet Muhammed’s cousin, Kusam ibn Abbas.

Up until the 19th century, various temples and mausoleums were added to the site which resulted into a museum of varying styles of architecture and ornamental craftsmanship.

Each structure is dedicated to a member of the royal family including wives, sisters and daughters of Timur, as well as military, clergy, aristocracy, and notably an astronomer, Kazi Zade Rumi, who had worked alongside Ulugh Beg.

The last monument worth mentioning, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque was almost completely destroyed during an earthquake in 1897. This photo by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii below shows just how it looked during the turn of the century around 1905-1915.

Though the mosque is now mostly restored to its impressive splendour there still remains a part that is yet to be touched.

It was incredible to see what most of these structures look like underneath all their embellishments. 

A large crack from an entranceway to a window shows the kind of destruction the restored Mosque would have been in, before restoration, 2018.

The Mosque has a rather poetic story as it was built by Timur’s favourite wife, Bibi-Khanym as a surprise after a trip to India. It was to be the most ambitious structure in all of Samarkand.

The architect appointed to the task fell madly in love with Bibi-Khanym after a strong breeze revealed her face by blowing away her veil. He demanded a kiss from her if she wanted him to complete the project before Timur returned.

She at first denied. She stated he could have any of her slaves he desired, as all women were the same underneath their shells, just flesh and bones.

The architect was driven by desire and ordered for two glasses to be brought forth, one filled with water, and the other with wine: “Look at these glasses. They have the same appearance. But if I drink first one, I will not feel anything, if I drink another one, it will burn me. The same about the love”.

So she allowed him a kiss, and the mosque was completed in 1404 in time for Timur’s return. Unfortunately for the architect, he was found guilty of his deed and sentenced to death after Timur found out. It is said his body was later buried beneath the library.

Next up… Patterns & Sacred Geometry