Antiquities of Samarkand. Madrasah of Tillia Kari. Inner Courtyard (Western Side). Part of a Marble Foundation

1868
This photograph of the interior of the mosque at the Tillia Kari Madrasah 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 architecture, such as 14th- and 15th-century monuments from the reign of Timur (Tamerlane) and his successors. In the center of Samarkand is the Registan ensemble, composed of three major examples of a madrasah (religious school). The third Registan component, the Tillia Kari Madrasah, was built in 1646-60 on the site of a former caravanserai. This view, partially underexposed because of limited interior light, shows the lower corner adjacent to the steps to the minbar, or pulpit (to the right; not visible in this photograph). The rich ornamentation shown here includes ceramic work and carved marble. The attached column rests on a marble base and displays a bold pattern of intersecting lines. The dimly visible ceramic panels show intricate geometric and botanical patterns. The projecting rows of the marble cornice at the top of the photograph have a “stalactite” form of dentilation, as does a fragment of the plinth at the lower right.

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Filename: 3850.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x2421 / 235.1KB; 1868 Uzbekistan Samarqand Samarkand Antiquities Madrasah Tillia Kari Architectural Decorations Islamic Architecture Photo WDL 010309
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1868<br />
This photograph of the interior of the mosque at the Tillia Kari Madrasah 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 architecture, such as 14th- and 15th-century monuments from the reign of Timur (Tamerlane) and his successors. In the center of Samarkand is the Registan ensemble, composed of three major examples of a madrasah (religious school). The third Registan component, the Tillia Kari Madrasah, was built in 1646-60 on the site of a former caravanserai. This view, partially underexposed because of limited interior light, shows the lower corner adjacent to the steps to the minbar, or pulpit (to the right; not visible in this photograph). The rich ornamentation shown here includes ceramic work and carved marble. The attached column rests on a marble base and displays a bold pattern of intersecting lines. The dimly visible ceramic panels show intricate geometric and botanical patterns. The projecting rows of the marble cornice at the top of the photograph have a “stalactite” form of dentilation, as does a fragment of the plinth at the lower right.