Bibi Khanaum Mosque
| Bibi-Khanym Mosque | |
|---|---|
Façade
|
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Samarkand, Uzbekistan |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Country | Uzbekistan |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Azeri |
| Completed | 1404 |
| Dome height (outer) | 40 m |
The mosque Bibi-Khanym Mosque (Persian: مسجد بی بی خانم; Uzbek: Bibi-Xonum machiti; Russian: Мечеть Бибиханым; also: ... Khanum / Khanom / Hanum / Chanym / Hanim, etc.) is one of the most important monuments of Samarkand. In the 15th century it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. By the mid-20th century only a grandiose ruin of it still survived, but now major parts of the mosque have been restored.
After his Indian campaign in 1399 Timur decided to undertake the construction of a gigantic mosque in his new capital, Samarkand. The mosque was built using wealth looted during his conquest of India.
When Timur (Tamerlane) returned from his military campaign in 1404 the mosque was almost completed. However, Timur was not happy with the progress of construction, therefore he had immediately made various changes, especially concerning the main cupola.
From the beginning of the construction, problems of statistical regularity of the structure revealed themselves. Various reconstructions and reinforcements were undertaken in order to save the mosque. However, after few years the first bricks had begun to fall out of the huge dome over the mihrab. It forced Timur to retaliate often beyond the structural rules. His builders were certainly aware of that, however he didn't want to accept their opinion and reality.
In the late 16th century the Abdullah Khan II (Abdollah Khan Ozbeg) (1533/4-1598), the last Shaybanid Dynasty Khan of Bukhara, cancelled all restoration works in Bibi Khonym Mosque. After that, the mosque came down and became a ruins gnawed at by the wind, weather, and earthquakes. The inner arch of the portal construction collapsed in 1897. During the centuries the ruins were plundered by the inhabitants of Samarkand in search of building material especially the brick of masonry galleries along with the marble columns.
A first basic investigation and securing the ruins was made in Soviet times. Late in the 20th century, the Uzbek government began restoration of three dome buildings and the main portal. In 1974 the government of the then-Uzbek SSR began the complex reconstruction of the mosque. The decoration of domes and facades was extensively restored and supplemented. Work on the mosque restoration continues now.
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Wikipedia