Antiquities of Samarkand. Tomb of the Saint Kusam-ibn-Abbas (Shah-i Zindah) and Adjacent Mausoleums. Mausoleum of Emir Abu Tengi. Facade

1865
This photograph of the Usto Ali mausoleum at the Shah-i Zindah necropolis in Samarkand is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general, in 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 Tamerlane and his successors. Shah-i Zindah (Persian for “living king”) is revered as a memorial to Kusam-ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. The patron of this mausoleum (built around 1380) is unknown. The mausoleum is often referred to by the name of its master builder, Usto Ali Nesefi. Much of the facade has suffered severe losses, but the surviving parts of the ornamentation reveal one of the most elaborate decorative programs in the entire necropolis. The ceramic work includes polychrome majolica tiles in geometric patterns, faience panels, and Arabic script. These forms are unified by interlocking bands that not only frame the various elements, but that are themselves an important component of the general artistic design. The arched entrance niche is flanked by carved terracotta columns. The basic colors of the facade are dark blue and turquoise.

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Filename: 3612.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x2254 / 226.8KB; 1865 Uzbekistan Samarqand Samarkand Antiquities Tombs Shah-i-Zindah Mausoleum Emir Abu Tengi Islamic Architecture Men Sepulchral Monuments Photo WDL 010072
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1865<br />
This photograph of the Usto Ali mausoleum at the Shah-i Zindah necropolis in Samarkand is from the archeological part of Turkestan Album. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general, in 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 Tamerlane and his successors. Shah-i Zindah (Persian for “living king”) is revered as a memorial to Kusam-ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. The patron of this mausoleum (built around 1380) is unknown. The mausoleum is often referred to by the name of its master builder, Usto Ali Nesefi. Much of the facade has suffered severe losses, but the surviving parts of the ornamentation reveal one of the most elaborate decorative programs in the entire necropolis. The ceramic work includes polychrome majolica tiles in geometric patterns, faience panels, and Arabic script. These forms are unified by interlocking bands that not only frame the various elements, but that are themselves an important component of the general artistic design. The arched entrance niche is flanked by carved terracotta columns. The basic colors of the facade are dark blue and turquoise.