Fig. 10 Mosque Bibi Khanum (1399–1404). 1 Entrance iwan of mosque; 2–3 Small side mosques; 4 Main building; 5 Pedestal for Koran
Nowadays, the main building again impresses by its colossal dimensions. The diameter of the iwan arch is 55ft; its height is 90ft. The inner dome has the same diameter and a height of 130ft. The towers flanking the portal are not round but octagonal and thinning towards the top, which enhances the slenderness. The emphasis on vertical, rather than horizontal, is apparent also in the cylindrical drum that carries a sphero-conical outer dome. The outer decoration consists mainly of brick patterns, either girikhs or huge Kufic inscriptions, and of majolica and mosaic ornaments with epigraphic and vegetal motifs used either to fill small spaces or on huge wall panels, arch segments etc.; some incised marble and terracotta may be found here too. Inside there are ornamental paintings on the walls, executed in gold and blue on a white background, and some gold and blue reliefs on papier-mâché on spherical surfaces, such as the dome and the corner arches. Similar architectural principles and decorative techniques were used in the entrance portico and the two lateral buildings. The recent bad condition of the monument can be blamed not only on Timur’s haste but mainly on his intention, which he forced upon his architects, to increase the dimensions to surpass all existing buildings in the Islamic world, while disregarding the traditional building modules, the established endurance of the material, and also the seismic character of the area. In spite of this, Bibi Khanum represents a synthesis of the higest achievements of contemporary Eastern architecture and thus anticipates the creation of a new architectural style, the outstanding example of which is Timur’s mausoleum, the Gur Emir.10
Ten minutes walk away is the main square of the city, the Registan, where once converged six radial thoroughfares leading to the gates in the city wall, as it was built or reconstructed by Timur in 1371.
West from the Registan is the mausoleum Rukhabad, tomb of Sheikh Burhanuddin Sagharji, who died in the 1380s. It is a domed building of somewhat archaic construction and recalls the grandiose architecture of the Timurid period mainly by its massive proportions.
The complex of Muhammad Sultan and the mausoleum Gur Emir (The Great Prince) originally consisted of a madrasa where youngsters of noble family were educated and groomed for honorary state functions, and of a khaniga, or guest house, for government guests. Between them was a square yard with high walls, and a minaret in each corner with a high ornamental portico entrance on the north side. Now only this portico and a part of the southern wall are preserved. Both are adorned with flat ornamental mosaic tiles ‘of exceptional beauty’. Timur’s grandson and successor designate, Muhammad Sultan, died in 1403, allegedly of wounds received in the battle of Angora against the Turks. Timur then ordered a mausoleum to be built for him within the precincts of this ensemble. In 1404 this mausoleum was completed, but Timur had it rebuilt on a more grandiose scale, similar to Bibi Khanum. This restructuring was done within two weeks. Apparently only the drum and the dome were rebuilt. Timur himself died early in 1405 and was buried here while his sons and grandsons fought for the succession. Under Ulugh-beg the mausoleum became a family tomb, where next to Timur and Muhammad Sultan are buried three sons of Timur –Omar Sheikh,11 Miranshah and Shahrukh; Ulugh-beg himself is also buried here. The only non-relative is the famous sheikh Mir Saiyd Barka, who is buried next to the Conqueror. (See 14 and colour plates 3 & 4.)
The tombstones on the ground floor are cenotaphs only. All are of white marble; only Timur’s tombstone is of one huge slab of dark green jade. This slab was broken down the middle in the eighteenth century when the Persian conqueror Nadir Shah tried to lift and remove it. When the slab broke, Nadir Shah gave up his intention and so left it. The real graves are in a crypt underneath the mausoleum, in exactly the same position as the cenotaphs above. They are all covered with identical flat marble slabs decorated with relief inscriptions. In 1941 Timur’s grave was opened by the Soviet Archaeological Commission, who…
…found here the skeleton of a man who, though lame in both right limbs, must have been of powerful physique, tall for a Tartar and of a haughty bearing. They examined the skeleton and the remains, which included fragments of muscle and skin and some hair of the head, eye-brows, red moustache and beard. The skull indicated Mongol features…12
It was from the skull revealed at this opening that V. Gerasimov reconstructed the head of Timur. (See 1.) We find the following description of the building in Pope:
[Gur Emir] is still a monumental and dramatic structure. Externally it is divided into three equal parts. A bulbous dome, 112 feet high, is enriched with 64 almost round flutes and flanked by minarets 83 feet high. It is set on a high but narrower cylindrical drum which causes a sharp constriction at the base of the dome. This drum, in turn, rises out of a chamber which, on the exterior, is octagonal. Portals pierce each of the major four sides, again reminiscent of ancient Sasanian practice. The dome is covered with bright blue tiles and the high drum, ornamented with a huge inscription of rectangular Kufic, is of golden-buff bricks. The interior is also impressive, with an alabaster dado, grey-green jasper cornice, black limestone niches and a marble balustrade.13
The grandeur of the building is the result not only of its size but also of the simplicity of its component parts: the octagonal base, the cylindrical drum, and the huge ribbed dome. A big complicated girikh adorns the walls of the octagon, while the drum carries an inscription in Kufic characters, which is almost 10ft high. In the interior decor we find, among other elements, relief rosettes of papier-mâché on spherical surfaces. The interior has been recently restored to its former splendour. The minarets, too, have been rebuilt.
The last of the Samarkand Timurids were buried in the so-called mausoleum Ak-Saray, south-east of Gur Emir, and built in the 1470s. This modest-sized building is interesting mainly for its interiors, where new structural elements were used, such as intersecting arches in the corners replacing the traditional squinch. Close to it in architectural style and time of construction is another Timurid tomb, the mausoleum Ishrat Khana, where female members of the family were buried. It was built in 1464 to the east of Registan, on the main road to the Firuzi Gate. It is perhaps the most heavily damaged of all the monuments in Samarkand, and this may be the reason why its very purpose remained so long in doubt. It consisted of a central cross-shaped room and two two-storey wings with cells; there was a mosque in one of them and an assembly room in the other. The central hall was covered with a dome resting on an amazingly high and slender drum that it was possible to build only by making full use of the new structural techniques. The interior decoration, with a profusion of tile ornament, gold paintings, stained-glass windows and rich carpets on the floor, probably once generated such an atmosphere of luxury that local people associated it with a pleasure palace rather than with a house of the dead. Nevertheless, this, like the Ak-Saray, was an intimate type of tomb, quite unlike the grandeur of the Gur Emir.
Fig. 11 Mausoleum Gur Emir (with reconstruction of destroyed buildings). 1 Yard of complex of Muhammad Sultan; 2 Khaniga; 3 Madrasa; 4 Mausoleum Gur Emir; 5 Eastern gallery (1424); 6 Southern group of buildings; 7 Building with cupola
In a nearby cemetery, the mazar complex of Khoja Abdi Darun consists of several premises, of which the oldest is probably the mausoleum, dating from the twelfth century. In the fifteenth century a domed structure with a portico was added, while in the nineteenth century a small madrasa and a mosque were included. Opposite to this ‘Abdi-Inside’ is another mausoleum, the Abdi Birun (Abdi-Outside), which was built in the seventeenth century outside the city walls.
In Registan itself, the intersection of the main arteries was originally covered by a domed bazaar, built either in Timur’s time or after. This is how Clavijo saw the beginning of the work.
Every year to the city of Samarkand much merchandise of all kinds came from Cathay, India, Tartary and from many other quarters, but there was as yet no place within the city where this m
erchandise might be suitably stored, displayed and offered for sale. Timur therefore now gave orders that a street should be built to pass right through Samarkand, which should have shops on either side of it … and this street was to go from one side of the city through to the other side, traversing the heart of the township. The accomplishment of his orders he laid on two of the great lords of his court, letting them know that if they failed in diligence, their heads would pay the penalty. These nobles therefore began at speed, causing all the houses to be thrown down along the line of the new street. No heed was paid to the complaints of persons to whom the property here might belong and those whose houses thus were demolished suddenly had to quit with no warning, carrying away with them their goods and chattels as best they might. No sooner had all the houses been thrown down than the master builders came and laid out the broad new street, erecting shops on the one side and opposite, placing before each a high stone bench that was topped with white slabs. Each shop had two chambers front and back, and the streetway was arched over with a domed roof in which were windows to let the light through… Thus in the course of twenty days the whole street was carried through: a wonder indeed to behold. But those whose houses had been thus demolished had good cause to complain.14
Under Ulugh-beg, Registan acquired a more solemn function: military parades, public promulgation of orders, public executions etc. were carried out here. In this connection it was rebuilt to become one of the most outstanding architectural ensembles in the Eastern world. First, in the first half of the fifteenth century, the madrasa of Ulugh-beg was built on the western side, a khaniga on the eastern, a caravanserai on the northern, and two mosques, one large and one small, on the southern side. Later, when most of these buildings decayed, the square was rebuilt again. Between 1619 and 1635 another madrasa, the Shir-Dor, was built opposite that of Ulugh-beg. Instead of the caravanserai, yet another madrasa, the Tilla Kari, was constructed between 1646 and 1659. These three monumental buildings, together with an eighteenth-century domed bazaar, have survived to the present day. The southern side, which was left open, is now occupied with a son et lumière podium.
The madrasa of Ulugh-beg was built to the standard plan: a square courtyard with a two-storey building on each side, housing the students’ and masters’ cells. (See 20.) In the middle of each wing was a high vaulted iwan, and in the corners were large domed halls. Opposite the main entrance was a mosque. The main façade facing the square consisted of a monumental pishtak (portico), with richly ornamented walls and niches, and two similarly adorned wings. In the corners on the outside were high slender minarets, which, however, were not used by muezzins. The madrasa had an exceptionally rich architectural decoration – mosaics of coloured tiles, girikhs constructed on diagonal grids, and Kufic inscriptions on the walls and minarets. The colours, tilework and patterns were of a very high quality. Unfortunately, the building has been considerably damaged, but was recently thoroughly restored. The present level of the square is some 8–9ft above the original one. This somewhat distorts the proportions of the buildings.
The madrasa Shir-Dor was deliberately built as almost a replica of its opposite number. (See 24.) The main differences are the ribbed cupolas on circular drums and, what is quite exceptional, two large panels on the main pishtak, each bearing an image of a striped tiger attacking a deer: hence the name Shir-Dor (Bearing Tigers). There is no mosque and no rear halls, and instead of minarets the main façade is flanked by small turrets. As for he decor, the period of decline manifested itself in cruder craftsmanship, larger patterns, over-accentuated lines, exalted floral ornaments, and overall less harmony in colour.
The third madrasa, Tilla Kari, was built, like Shir-Dor, by the same ruler, Yallangtush. It combined the functions of a religious college with those of a cathedral mosque. (See 15.) This is why there are covered arcades on the western side of the courtyard, with the domes structure of the mosque dominating in the centre of the front. The main façade is again a replica of the two other buildings previously described. The mosque inside is an interesting building with a big iwan, which is nevertheless dwarfed by a huge and heavy cylindrical drum behind, originally designed to carry a dome. This has now been added while the whole building has been thoroughly restored. Inside, the walls are covered with rich carpet-like ornaments with a profusion of gold: hence the name Tilla Kari (Adorned with Gold).
Fig. 12 Portico in the yard of Gur Emir, Samarkand (end of the fourteenth century); mosaic tiles
On the north-eastern outskirts of the city there is yet another unusual monument. Here, in the years 1424–28, the prince-scholar Ulugh-beg erected an astronomical observatory that was at that time probably the best-equipped establishment of that kind in the world, both East and West. Ulugh-beg himself constructed astronomical tables, and in the seventeenth century the first English Astronomer Royal made extensive use of these.15 His builders were faced with the difficult task of avoiding disturbances caused by earth tremors, so frequent in this area. This is why they chose this rocky hillock and cut a giant ravine into the rock, which housed the segment of a huge sextant, divided into degrees and minutes and adorned with the signs of the zodiac. Observations and measurements were made by means of an astrolabe, as telescopes were not yet known. The building above the ground was circular, on three storeys, decorated with ornamental tiles. Nothing of it remains today, except a few fragments. According to contemporary description, the walls were decorated with paintings of deserts and steppes, seas, mountains and rivers, as well as those of seven immovable and seven movable celestial bodies. A small circular museum has been built next to the site.
Not far from the observatory stands a fifteenth-century mazar, Chupan-Ata. This was not a mausoleum (there was no one buried in it), but it was constructed above a grave, mythical or real, to become a place of pilgrimage. The structure is that of a mausoleum, consisting of a simple cube-shaped building, with a high slender drum carrying a dome. Inside, strong intersecting arches may be seen supporting the drum and the dome, which at the time of construction represented a considerable innovation in building technique. Outside, the drum is decorated with a huge Kufic inscription executed in coloured tiles against a background of baked bricks.
Travelling south of Samarkand, we come first to the site of Tali-Barzu, 4 miles from the city. The finds in Tali-Barzu largely consist of clay statuettes, some of which are of the early Kushan period. Others, which include camels, monkeys and other animals, may not be older than the fifth or sixth century AD. Further south, near the village of Aman-Kutan, at the foothills of the HazretSultan range, is a Paleolithic site, where excavations have been going on for several years. The site is in a large limestone cave and belongs to the Middle Paleolithic period. Crossing the range by Aman-Kutan or Takhta-Karacha pass we descend into the valley of the Kashka Darya, and after a few miles we arrive at the village of Shahrisabz (Green City). This was the name given to the town of Kesh by Timur, who was born here. At the end of the fourteenth century, he decided to build his most sumptuous residence, the Ak-Saray (White Palace) here. (See 28 and colour plates 6 & 8.) This building was even more ambitious than the Samarkand mosque. Intended to overawe all who saw it, the building took twenty years to complete and was not quite finished when Clavijo saw it in 1404.
Fig. 13 Registan, Samarkand. 1 Madrasa of Ulugh-beg; 2 Madrasa Shir-Dor; 3 Madrasa Tilla-Kari; 4 Vaulted bazaar
This palace had an entrance passage constructed to be of considerable length with a high portal before it, and in this entrance gallery to right and to left there were archways of brick work encased and patterned with blue tiles… At the end of this gallery stands another gateway beyond which is a great courtyard paved with white flagstones and surrounded on the four sides by richly wrought arches, and in its centre is a very large water-tank. This courtyard indeed may measure some three hundred paces in its width and beyond it you enter through a very high and spacious gateway the main building of the palace. This gateway is throughout beautifully adorned w
ith very fine work in gold and blue tiles, and over the entrance are seen the figures of the Lion and the Sun, these same figures being repeated over the summit of each of the arches round the courtyard… From this main portal you enter a great reception hall which is a room four square, where the walls are panelled with gold and blue tiles, and the ceiling is entirely of gold work. We saw indeed here so many apartments and separate chambers, all of which were adorned in tilework of blue and gold with many other colours, that it would take long to describe them here, and all was so marvellously wrought that even the craftsmen of Paris, who are so noted for their skill, would hold that which is done here to be of very fine workmanship.16
And now the description as given by Pope:
In plan, the building was somewhat novel for the period, with a triple-iwan façade reminiscent of Firuzabad. The portal arch itself was 165 feet high, flanked by a pair of round towers, like minarets, rising out of a twelve-sided base. The centre iwan opened into a huge marble-paved court at right angles to the entrance. On the opposite side, another great iwan led into a large reception hall… The huge rear wall of the reception hall was covered with the finest mosaic faience in quietly fluctuating tones of turquoise, lapis, milk-white, mirror-black, green and aubergine embellished with gold. Such an expanse completely covered with many strong and varied patterns could have been intolerable, but the opulence was organised and controlled by a firmly designed geometrical framework of harmonious proportions. The contribution of each panel is carefully appraised and apportioned with sensitive regards for the total effect… It was a perfect expression of Timur’s imperial power and pride, fortunately formulated and controlled by Persian aesthetic genius and experience.17
Treasures of the Great Silk Road Page 15
