Description of the attraction
The Bibi Khanum Mosque was built by Tamerlane (Timur) and named after his beloved wife. This majestic building is located opposite the mausoleum, where, according to legend, Bibi Khanum herself rests. The mosque with a massive portal, decorated with blue patterned tiles and delicate paintings, dates from 1399-1404. They began to build it under the supervision of Timur himself. Dozens of masters who came from different Arab countries were engaged in the construction of the mosque and its decoration. When Tamerlane was forced to leave Samarkand and go on another campaign, his entourage supervised the construction work. Each was responsible for a specific area of work. The entire construction was supervised by the chief architect, who was guided by the volumetric model of the future building.
When Tamerlane returned from his campaign, he was dissatisfied with the height of the entrance portal: even the madrasah that stood opposite, built by his wife, had a more majestic entrance. Timur executed the dignitary responsible for the construction of the entrance arch, and ordered a new one to be erected in its place. Soon the mosque, where 10 thousand people could pray at the same time, found a new portal with unique doors made of an alloy of seven metals. When the doors were opened or closed, they made a melodic ringing.
The dome over the entrance portal was not built correctly, so it only decorated the building for a few years, and then collapsed. Numerous earthquakes also caused a lot of destruction. Only in 1988, the restorers began to restore the grandiose mosque. What appears to the surprised tourists now is the result of the work of modern masters.
The Bibi Khanum Mosque consists of a main hall, above which there is a large dome, and two halls in the adjacent wings. The vaults are supported by a forest of columns made of stone.
Already today, the building of the mosque has been restored.
