Uzbekistan, attractions: the tomb of the Samanids. Mausoleum of the Samanids in Bukhara: description, history

Samanid Mausoleum is a pearl of Central Asian architecture. The attraction was built between approximately 892 and 943 years. It is considered the oldest monument of Islamic architecture in Central Asia. In addition, it is the only preserved architectural object during the reign of the Samanid dynasty. The significance of the design becomes even greater, given the fact that Islam forbids the construction of mausoleums of a covered type. Thus, in the case of the Samanid Mausoleum, the speech may be about the earliest violation of this rule, and therefore the first mausoleum of such a plan in the history of Islamic architecture. All this makes the landmark unusually popular among tourists who regularly come to Bukhara for its contemplation.

Location of the monument

Samanid Mausoleum is located in Bukhara, in its historical center. He was placed in a park, which was broken on the territory of an ancient cemetery. A few years ago it could not be considered because of the layers, the thickness of which reached two meters. But today all this is in the past: the monument is freed from this garbage and is available for everyone's eyes.

The mausoleum of the Samanids (Uzbekistan) remained in a state of neglect until 1920. He was exploited only for religious purposes. The attraction was cleared of graves and restored in 1934.

Similarity of the Universe

The mausoleum of the Samanids (Bukhara) is the best and most unusual monument of its historical and architectural significance and artistic advantages. It denotes the birth of a new style in the architecture of an ancient cultural oasis, which was reborn after the Arab attack. The main form of majestic buildings and their construction was created here on the basis of the traditions of Central Asian architecture - a cube that overlaps the dome at the level consisting of eight arches. The forms of the structures themselves find their mythological significance in the symbolism: the cube is a stable form, a symbol of the Earth; The dome imitates the sky. And their intertwining is a semblance of the Universe. Thus, the structure, as well as the city, was a model of the universe.

Exterior view

Samanid Mausoleum has a square shape, the side of which reaches ten meters. It is built of burnt bricks. Each of the four sides of the structure is open for inspection. On all the tops three-quarter columns are located. They have no decorative supports, and there are also no capitals - heads. Filigree arcade, on each side of which there are ten arches, overlaps the columns. The corners of the shelter have small domes. They are slightly shifted to the middle of the axes of the columns. In the center of the roof is the main dome with a small lantern.

The mausoleum of the Samanids (Bukhara) has, as already mentioned above, four sides, each of which has rectangular doors. They are mounted in a complex frame. The doorway has a decorative outer frame, which first goes into a large, and then into a small arch of a keel shape. Terracotta architectural elements decorate the frames of the entrances. Decorative masonry made of bricks is the decoration of the rest of the building.

Inside the Mausoleum has an octagonal shape, which is attached to it by four corner arches.

Mean story

The Samanid Mausoleum is so ancient an attraction that there is practically no historical data about it. The history of the creation of the object also has only to guess and rely on in its opinion on legends and legends. According to one version, the Mausoleum was built by the founder of the dynasty Ismail Samani for his father. A little later the object turned into a family tomb of the Samanids. It is assumed that Ismayil himself, who died in 907, is buried here. Also here was his last refuge and his grandson Nasr II ibn Ahmad, who died in 943. The name of this particular person was found on a wooden board located above the entrance.

The Samanid Tomb is covered with one more interesting legend, which differs slightly from the officially approved Islamic version. Thus, the legend says that after the Arabs conquered Bukhara, they destroyed all the Zoroastrian temples. Only the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon managed to survive. There is an opinion that the Temple of the Moon was reorganized into the mosque Magoki-Atari. The Temple of the Sun also became the Samanid Mausoleum.

Hazrati Imam Complex

The Shrine of the Samanids is not the only monument to which Uzbekistan is famous . There are other places of interest here. For example, in Tashkent there is a magnificent complex Khazrati Imam - a square on which there are several monuments of spiritual Uzbek culture. The central place here is allocated to the mausoleum of the same name, in which the body of the famous philosopher and scholar Kaffal-ash-Shashi rests. The mausoleum was built in 1541. The structure is distinguished by a cross-shaped shape. The inner and outer walls of the building are decorated with majolica tiles and stone carvings.

The complex of Hazrati Imam also belongs to the construction of the Islamic Institute and Juma mosque. These buildings are luxuriously decorated in a national manner.

Modern sights of Tashkent

Uzbekistan also has modern facilities. Attractions of this kind can be found in all the same Tashkent. So, you can visit "Aqualand" - this is a water park, which is built in the very center of the Uzbek capital. Since the climate in this part of the country is too arid and hot, the facility is unusually in demand both among residents of the city and among its guests. In the "Aqualand" to the services of visitors - five ordinary pools, one wave, high slides of various modifications, a Jacuzzi and a popular descent called "Kamikaze".

Also in Tashkent you can visit the museum of Amir Timur, which was opened in 1996. The institution has the opportunity to get acquainted with the history of the country through the prism of the history of the dynasty of the Timurids, who are the descendants of the mighty Tamerlane. In the museum there are about three thousand exhibits, which tell of the life and exploits of this famous hero.

Afterword

Uzbekistan is rich in many sights. But the most popular and famous among them is, of course, the Samanid Mausoleum, the description of which is given above. It is an object that has come to us through the ages from a distant, distant past. He admires his magnificence and amazes with monumentality. The Uzbeks carefully store it and to some extent bow to it.

The mausoleum embodies the beauty of eastern grandeur and Muslim culture. It belongs to the number of attractions for which it is worth visiting such a country as Uzbekistan.