Antiquities of Samarkand. Namazga Mosque. Plan, Elevation, and Sections

1868
This plan, section and elevation of the Namazga Mosque in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) 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 (1867-82) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s Islamic architectural heritage. A namazga mosque was specifically intended to mark Eid al-Fitr (a holiday observed at the end of the Ramadan fast), as well as Kurban, or Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice. In Samarkand the original namazga dated to perhaps as early as the 11th century. Although rebuilt by the Timurids in the 15th century, the decrepit mosque was replaced in the first half of the 17th century by Nadir Divan-Begi, vizier and uncle of the Bukharan ruler Iman-Quli Khan. Located on the southern fringes of the city, this version of the Namazga Mosque was completed around 1630. The domed central structure of the mosque is flanked by one-story arcaded galleries, each with six low domes. At the center of the main facade is a large arched iwan (vaulted hall, walled on three sides, with one end open) that frames the entrance to the main structure. The section drawing indicates that the interior culminated in a low vaulted dome, over which arose a high dome on a cylinder, or drum.

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Filename: 3582.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 2330x1800 / 205.1KB; 1868 Uzbekistan Samarqand Samarkand Antiquities Mosques Namazga Mosque Plans Architectural Drawing Islamic Architecture Projections Photo WDL 010043
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1868<br />
This plan, section and elevation of the Namazga Mosque in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) 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 (1867-82) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s Islamic architectural heritage. A namazga mosque was specifically intended to mark Eid al-Fitr (a holiday observed at the end of the Ramadan fast), as well as Kurban, or Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice. In Samarkand the original namazga dated to perhaps as early as the 11th century. Although rebuilt by the Timurids in the 15th century, the decrepit mosque was replaced in the first half of the 17th century by Nadir Divan-Begi, vizier and uncle of the Bukharan ruler Iman-Quli Khan. Located on the southern fringes of the city, this version of the Namazga Mosque was completed around 1630. The domed central structure of the mosque is flanked by one-story arcaded galleries, each with six low domes. At the center of the main facade is a large arched iwan (vaulted hall, walled on three sides, with one end open) that frames the entrance to the main structure. The section drawing indicates that the interior culminated in a low vaulted dome, over which arose a high dome on a cylinder, or drum.