The Bibi Khanum Mosque located in Samarkand is a unique architectural and religious monument of the 15th century, which is one of the main decorations of the ancient Asian city. The history of the construction of this temple gave rise to several folk legends.
Decoration of Samarkand
The famous Samarkand mosque Bibi Khanum was built by order of Tamerlane (Timur), who returned from a triumphal campaign in India in 1399. The Turkic commander himself chose a place for its construction. To begin with, he ordered to expand the market square (it was in its place that the main mosque of the whole city appeared).
Bibi-Khanum is notable for the fact that a huge number of masters from various Asian countries worked on it: the Golden Horde, India, Persia, Khorezm. In total, about 700 people were involved, 500 of whom worked in the mountains (they cut huge blocks of stone in a quarry 40 kilometers from the city). Indian elephants were used to transport materials. The building was erected from burnt bricks. Only the best raw materials were used in the construction - the emir wanted the mosque to become a lifetime monument of his era.
Emir's dream
Bibi-Khanum was extremely important for Tamerlane. He constantly rushed builders and engineers. The Great Emir made responsible for the observance of the construction time of several of his provincial governors at once. For clarity, a group of architects previously created a miniature model of the cathedral mosque. The project was divided into several parts: the main building, the portal arch, arcades and walls. For each of these elements a certain artel of workers was responsible.
The legend of Tamerlane's wife
Tamerlane rarely sat in place. Having ordered the construction of Bibi-Khanum, he left Samarkand and went on a long campaign against the Ottoman Sultan. Work, meanwhile, continued as usual. It is known that Timur dedicated a new mosque to his wife Sarai-mulyk-khanim. She stayed in Samarkand and actually supervised the construction instead of her husband. Her name is associated with medieval legends about Bibi Khanum.
One of the folk legends says that the architect in charge of the portal arch was in love with Saray-mulyk-khanim. He deliberately delayed the construction due to the fact that he did not want to say goodbye to his wife Tamerlane. So a few years have passed. By this time, the grandiose cathedral mosque of Bibi Khanum had acquired a minaret and columns of white marble (there were about one and a half thousand in total). The construction is almost over, it remains only to close the portal arch. But at the last stage of the work, human passions almost deprived Samarkand of one of its main attractions.
Wrath of Timur
The year 1404 has come. Tamerlan was returning from his campaign and was soon to arrive in Samarkand. Sarai-mulyk-hanym urged the architect to finish the arch. The young man demanded a daring reward. He wanted to kiss the queen. The wife of Tamerlane offered the fan a choice of one of the courtly beauties and added that all women are equally beautiful. To prove her theory, the queen gave the stubborn a dozen colorful eggs and advised the petitioner to clean them to make sure their inner identity.
However, nothing helped. The Bibi-Khanum mosque continued to stand unfinished, and Tamerlan every day was getting closer to Samarkand. The architect still insisted. Finally, Sarai-mulik-hanym gave in and allowed the fan to kiss her cheek. There was a noticeable trace from the touch of the lips, which immediately struck the eyes of the returning Tamerlan. The great emir ordered to catch the rogue, but could not be found.
Old and new portal
The described legend about Bibi-Khanum is beautiful, but hardly has anything in common with reality. Firstly, the wife of Tamerlane at the time of construction was about 60 years old, which rejects the theory of her young beauty. Secondly, as chroniclers testify, Timur was really furious, but not because of the defiant behavior of the architect, but because of the low (as it seemed to the emir) portal. The nobleman, who was not able to cope with his duties, was responsible for the "construction of the century", was executed in September 1404.
By order of Tamerlane, the unwanted entrance portal was destroyed, and in its place a new one, even more magnificent, was built. Returning to his homeland, the emir became seriously ill. He could not move independently and therefore ordered the servants to carry him to the construction site. The emperor rushed the workers by throwing meat and even money into the pits. Soon the arch was completed, and the Bibi-Khanum mosque began to receive believers. As for the long-suffering arch, the earthquake caused it to collapse just a few years after the construction. They did not try to restore it anymore. But having lost its arch, the mosque did not lose its majesty.
Design features
Bibi-Khanum - the technical limit of building art of the XV century. A powerful and unprecedented arch was thrown over the central opening. A grandiose wide portal trimmed with carved marble. For the manufacture of entrance gates, the craftsmen used seven types of metals (including gold and silver). The building reached a height of forty meters, and a huge double dome crowned it.
A courtyard with a well, surrounded by a horde of magnificent columns in four rows, became a special place. The Friday afternoon prayer of most Muslims of Samarkand took place here. Thousands of faithful, settled on their rugs in the shade of snow-white columns, were a magnificent sight of the religious unity of a large number of people.
The symbol of the city
The main dome of the famous mosque was so high that even the illumination of countless chandeliers and lamps could not dispel its darkness. Dozens of mirrors rested on the tiled walls. Reflecting sunlight, they gave the mosque a unique atmosphere. This optical illusion led to the fact that the azure domes (painted in the color of the sky) and the towers of the minarets shone with a recognizable brilliance. Inside the walls were decorated with ornate ornaments and marble mosaics. Even today they continue to amaze the imagination. Stucco painting and carved wood have also survived to our times.
Medieval poets and writers compared the pattern of the Bibi-Khanum arch with the Milky Way and a map of the starry sky. The room itself received amazing acoustics. Even the imams' quiet sermons were carried over great distances and were heard by thousands of Muslims who visited the mosque for the sake of daily prayers. According to Islamic tradition, the masters wrote the internal and external walls of the temple with quotes from the Koran. There is no doubt that Bibi-Khanum was the center of the religious life of Samarkand. Eras, kings and governments changed, and only this monastery remained the same.
Abode of faith
The most important part of the Bibi Khanum mosque is the mihrab. This is a niche in the wall, decorated with a small arch and two columns. As in any other mosque, mihrab Bibi-Khanum points to the holy Muslim city of Mecca. Imams have traditionally prayed in this niche. It is an analogue of the Christian altar or apse.
A distinctive feature of Bibi Khanum as a cathedral mosque is the presence of a minbar. At this department, the Friday sermon was read by the imam. The ceremony took place in utter silence. Believers listened carefully to the words of the imam and focused on his sermon.
Mosque and Mausoleum
Bibi-Khanum received believers for many years, even despite regular earthquakes in Central Asia. For several centuries, the building could not fail to deteriorate, but the temple was preserved just like many other unique sights of Samarkand. The restoration of Bibi-Khanum already in modern independent Uzbekistan is evidenced by the walls and interiors of the ensemble, which continue to amaze with their grandeur and exclusivity. The authorities take care of the historical monument today. The last set of works on the study and restoration of the building took a long time (1968 - 2003). Excavations by archaeologists have presented science with many valuable artifacts. Today, the mosque continues to host guests. Religious services are not held, but the building has become an important museum. The architectural ensemble covers an area of 18 thousand square meters.
Together with the mosque, the mausoleum of Bibi-Khanum was built, which is located directly opposite it. In this tomb, women from the Tamerlane family found their repose. The mother of Saray-mulik-khanim was the first to be buried in the mausoleum. For Timur, a separate family tomb was built, which was located in another part of Samarkand.