Bibi Khanym Mosque

Samarkand is a true treasure trove for Uzbekistan just like the city of Luxor in Egypt with the best tourist places in this city it’s a must-visit for visitors. Our next stop of the day is Bibi Khanym Mosque which has a direct connection with India, after all this mosque was built by Timur with the spoils that he got after his successful military conquest in India.

History Of Bibi Khanym Mosque

Once this was the largest mosque in Central Asia which was built by Timur in Samarkand. Timur had built this mosque for Saray Mulk Khanym who some historians believe to be his wife (chief consort). She was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. An interesting point that should be mentioned is that Timur was not her first husband instead it was Amir Husayn of Balkh who Timur had defeated in a battle and after killing him took over his wives amongst which was Bibi Khanym.

Timur decided to build the largest mosque in this region in the name of his wife. The mosque saw its construction start in 1399 and was still going on in 1404 when Timur returned to Samarkand from India. He wanted to mosque to be grand and to his standard grandness came from height and he was not happy with what he saw. The mosque was not large and grand enough to please him and this led to the execution of the people who were responsible for its initial construction.

Back in Samarkand, Timur decided to get involved in its construction and ordered a grand gate (iwan) while the existing older one was simply taken down. Hurriedly the construction was completed within a year in 1405 and unfortunately, that very year was when Timur died.

Under pressure from the emperor, the workers had somehow constructed the grand structure but it was full of flaws. The foundation was not deep and strong enough to support the weight of the gate (iwan) and the tombs. Within years after its construction cracks started to appear and the tiles which were used in decoration started falling off.

Added to this was the succession to Timur was not as planned and Ulugh Beg was more interested in astronomy and madrasa than in giving time and effort to this mosque. Along with the mosque, there was also a madrasa which was built next to the mosque and unfortunately, the mosque still survives but there is no presence of the madrasa any longer.

The only contribution from Ulugh Beg was the large stone Quran stand which is still visible at the center of the courtyard. After which there was no addition or repair attempted by anyone. The building suffered more damage during the 1987 Samarkand earthquake.

The first restoration was attempted by the Russians during the 1970’s however major restoration work was done post the independence of Uzbekistan. This massive restoration however had another downside which made historians furious as the work done was done not keeping in mind the aesthetic of the building and matching it to the design elements and patterns of that era. The materials used for reconstruction were also not matching which created a visual disbalance.

Some sections within the mosque that have been recently restored can be seen as having modern ceramic-type tiles with calligraphy patterns that do not make any logical sense. It was as if more priority were given to the overall look of the building rather than the historical accuracy.

The courtyard of the mosque measured 167 by 109 meters with two big gates or iwans at the front and the back. Two more smaller iwans can be seen from inside on either side (north and south). The entry gate is on the east and the west side features the iwan having the mihrab.

What To See At Bibi Khanym Mosque

This is a ticketed monument and it is located near Registan Square and located right opposite the Mausoleum of Islam Karimov the first president of Uzbekistan. After entering the heavily restored main gate of the Bibi Khanym Mosque one can see the front façade having a blank space that once was occupied by tiled work which was a tradition of sorts in these regions of Asia. These massive restorations were carried out post-independence in Uzbekistan.

After entering the courtyard one can see the large stone Quran Stand which was gifted by Ulugh Beg and now is placed within a glass enclosure. On the left and right side of the courtyard which are facing the north and south have small iwans with small azure domes. These have been restored and one can see colourful tiles on the wall and the ceiling and wonderful lattice windows.

The main mosque section on the western side which has a huge gate has also been restored, only on the outer side and through the closed gates one can see the mihrab and the interiors which are without any colorful façade or tiles.

Bibi Khanym Mausoleum

Outside of the mosque compound is another monument which is the Bibi Khanym Mausoleum. This section of the monument is located outside the mosque compound and requires a separate ticket. Historians point this location to the original madrasa which it once had occupied of which only some portions of foundation bricks are visible.

There are three tombs inside one of which is Bibi Khanym (Saray Mulk Khanum) the wife or chief consort of Timur. The other two tombs are set to that of other relatives of the family.

Siyob Bozor

There is a huge market next to the Bibi Khanym Mosque and one can explore the various sections of the market that sell clothing, spices, dry fruits etc. There are several cafes and restaurants also located in and around the market selling delicious local cuisine like pilaf.

Location Of Bibi Khanym Mosque On Map

Other Blogs On Samarkand

Registan Square
Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
Tomb of Saint Daniel, Samarkand
Ulugh Beg Observatory

Resources

Uzbekistan Tourism
The Times of Central Asia
National Geographic