This photograph of the dome of the main mosque at the Bibi Khanym ensemble in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is from the archeological part of <em>Turkestan Album</em>. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72, under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-82) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire's Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s Islamic architecture, such as 14th- and 15th-century monuments from the reign of Timur (Tamerlane) and his successors. Built in 1399-1405 with the spoils of Timur’s campaign in India, the Bibi Khanym ensemble was the location of the city’s main mosque, named in homage to Timur’s senior wife, Sarai Mulk Khanym (<em>bibi</em> meaning “lady” or “mother”). The ensemble centered on the enormous structure of the main, or Friday, mosque, one of the largest in the Islamic world. As with all structures in the ensemble, the main mosque suffered major damage in this active seismic zone. The view shows not only the partial collapse of its great dome (41 meters in height), but also the crude measures undertaken to stabilize the remnants, still bearing large cracks. Despite the losses, much of the original decoration remains, including patterned inscriptions in the Kufic style and “honey-comb” (<em>mocárabe</em>) detailing along the cornice.
<br>Archaeological sites; Islamic architecture; Madrasahs; Mosques; Photographic surveys
Bogaevskii, Nikolai V., 1843-1912
between 1865 and 1872 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1865-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1872-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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<ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3763/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3763/</a></li></ul>