Archnet is an Open Access resource, provided to the public to facilitate cultural understanding and excellence in both scholarship and practice. Unless otherwise noted. Archnet material is available for instructional, nonprofit use, and personal use on the terms of a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International</a> (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.Content from Archnet.org may not be published, displayed, or appropriated for commercial use without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder. Please contact Archnet to request permission to use Archnet.org website and contents beyond the scope outlined above. High-resolution images may be available by contacting us using <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>.

Terms of use

Archnet is a community powered resource that provides ready access to visual and textual material to facilitate teaching, scholarship, and professional work of high quality.&nbsp;This unparalleled resource continues to grow with both the addition of historic archives and documentation on contemporary trends shaping the built environment today.&nbsp;To better serve you, our user, in the study of art and architecture of Muslim societies, we continue to build our vast collection of sites, publications, images, and videos. We invite your involvement, particularly in the areas below:<ul><li>To ensure a high level of scholarly content and accuracy in the information provided, we appreciate your expert feedback and, more importantly, your contributions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Please send comments, corrections, commendations, and other feedback to <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>If you find sites on Archnet to which you can contribute in compelling and meaningful ways, your generosity is most welcome. If you would be interested in contributing research, publications or other media to Archnet, please contact us using <a href="about:blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet-submission@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>We welcome the donation of select archives based on our current editorial policies and priorities.&nbsp;If you have a collection you would like to bring to the attention of Archnet's editors, please send an email to: <a href="http://mailto: archnet-submission@mit.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet-submission@mit.edu</a>.</li><li>Occasionally, Archnet editors issue calls for contributions on specific themes or of particular types of material. Follow those on the <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/akdc/category/contributors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website of AKDC@MIT </a>or <a href="https://mailchi.mp/17fc345bbd94/archnetakdc-updates" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to our mailing list</a>.</li></ul>The breadth, depth and quality of Archnet is only possible through the generosity of numerous institutions and individuals listed on the respective pages throughout the site.&nbsp;We thank you for your generosity!

Contribute

<h2>ARCHNET FAQ</h2>1. Will ARCHNET work on my device?Archnet works well on the most recent version of any major browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), either on a mobile device or computer. It may work on older or less common browsers as well. If Archnet fails to work properly on your machine, please let us know about your experience by clicking the blue feedback button at bottom right!2. Will my URLs still work?Yes, as of October 12, 2021, all URLs from the old Archnet have been redirected to ARCHNET NEXT.&nbsp;&nbsp;3. How do I download a/n:&nbsp;<ul><li>image - Select the image you want to download from search results, a site or an authority. The image will open in your browser.&nbsp;Right click to download.&nbsp;For larger, high-resolution copies, see contact us using archnet@mit.edu.&nbsp;</li><li>publication - Open the page for the publication in your browser and click the download button. Reprinting Archnet publications is permissible only for personal use.&nbsp;Please contact us for any other requests.&nbsp;</li><li>site descriptions and metadata - Site descriptions and metadata can be used for any nonprofit or educational organization with appropriate attribution to the authors and Archnet.&nbsp;</li><li>video - Currently video downloads are not possible. If you'd like to use an Archnet video, please contact <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>See our <a href="https://www.archnet.org/pages/terms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terms of Use</a> for information on how you can use Archnnet material.4. Can I contribute material to Archnet?&nbsp;Yes!&nbsp;See our <a href="https://www.archnet.org/pages/contribute" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Contribute</a> page for more information.&nbsp;Calls for specific contributions are also also shared in our social media and on the <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/akdc/category/contributors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">web site of the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;5. What happened to the Archnet Timeline?&nbsp;Timeline has migrated into the ARCHNET NEXT Collections page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/collection_type/3/1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as a category</a>. These collections provide short introductions for each period, often offering lists of additional resources at the end of the entry. Only the timeline graphic listing the periods along a chronological axis has not migrated.6. My question isn't here.&nbsp;How can I get help?&nbsp;If your issue is with using Archnet, use the blue Feedback button to alert us to your issue. This will allow you to include a screenshot or recording. Please, also, feel free to contact us at <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>We are currently developing the help section of ARCHNET NEXT. In the meantime, please use the blue Feedback button in ARCHNET NEXT to send us feedback or other questions. Contact us at <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;

Need help?

Welcome to ARCHNET NEXT, the latest iteration of Archnet, an Open Access, intellectual resource focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, conservation issues, visual and material cultures, and other topics related to the built environment. With a focus on societies in which Muslims are or have been a significant cultural presence, Archnet’s mission is to provide ready access to quality, unique texts and media that facilitate excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional work. Since it was originally launched in 2002 Archnet’s digital library has grown considerably.&nbsp;Moreover, Archnet has developed a well established reputation as a reliable authority and useful tool for teaching and learning about the built environment of Muslim societies, past, and present. Archnet is a partnership between the <a href="https://archnet.org/collections/1342" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT </a> (AKDC@MIT) and the <a href="https://archnet.org/authorities/1903" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Trust for Culture</a> (AKTC), with support from the <a href="https://archnet.org/collections/50" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture</a> at Harvard and MIT.&nbsp;ARCHNET NEXT was developed by <a href="https://www.performantsoftware.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Performant Software Solutions</a>. For help using Archnet, <a href="https://www.archnet.org/pages/help" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here</a>.

About

Samarkand 

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBOFdzQVE9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--585afefc7c45c904951aa8ce1f22d6f202d217de/IGV1658.jpg

35 mm color slide

place

mausoleum

Uzbekistan

Ernst Cohn-Wiener

Ernst Cohn-Wiener: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaTJvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--044435ac9c8b979001b7bd050367f5993fbfeda8/ICW0492.jpg

large format B & W negative

ICW0492

Maqbara-i Shirin Bika Aqa

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaTZvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--22030e79d343245de648979e767cbc6e036a675a/ICW0493.jpg

ICW0493

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaStvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--98cf61b2439f6440b704482d1b10cc9886603d4b/ICW0494.jpg

ICW0494

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBakNvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--e76a0edcfe7d234c46192279639fbee3686e3afa/ICW0495.jpg

ICW0495

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaXlvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--fe1c0545650a344a91e177f9132cbaf1a7c41863/ICW0491.jpg

ICW0491

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBakdvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--a46d765db76f0bceb8f5e0c9e5aeeb56b7a0e038/ICW0496.jpg

ICW0496

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaktvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--0976232fc0cab2483f7e6d4a0cf85262e4681eb0/ICW0497.jpg

ICW0497

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBak9vIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--855f589367898182a509fd24824570e64ab3afc2/ICW0498.jpg

ICW0498

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBalNvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--1790b631c724c6b14ed0f2500a8aa1b764c63e5e/ICW0499.jpg

ICW0499

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBaldvIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--2bfc086ee6288dbc7714383687e4211711d4bbbc/ICW0500.jpg

ICW0500

Samarkand

https://admin.archnet.org/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBOEtzQVE9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--82666f5acc415a3a169bca867ee38787a29cd82b/IGV1190.jpg

35 mm slide

Shirin Bika Aqa Tomb

Variant

Shirin Bika Aqa Mausoleum

Shirin Beg Agha Mausoleum

For more information see: <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/2377" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Timeline: Timurid</a> Central Asian dynasty founded by Timur which flourished from the end of the fourteenth century to the end of the fifteenth. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Timur was born a member of the Barlas tribe and claimed descent from the Mongol Khan Chatagay. By 1370/771 AH Timur had gained control of Samarkand and Balkh after which he spent ten years consolidating his control of Central Asia. From 1381/782 AH Timur extended the range of his operations and managed to gain control of Iran, Iraq, Syria, the Caucasus and Delhi. In 1402/804 AH Timur's excursions into Anatolia brought him into conflict with the Ottoman sultan Bayazit whom he defeated and captured at the battle of Ankara. One of the results of these wide-ranging conquests was the collection of skilled craftsmen from all over the Middle East who were used to enrich the new capital at Samarkand. Timur died in 1405/807 AH and was succeeded by his son Shah Rukh who ruled the empire from Herat where he had been governor during the reign of Timur. Samarkand was ruled by Shah Rukh's son Ulugh Beg whilst Fars was ruled first by his nephew Ibrahim. By the mid-fifteenth century the western provinces were mostly lost to the Turkmans leaving Herat as capital of a much diminished empire which continued until 1507/912 AH when it was taken over by the Turkmans.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The best preserved Timurid structure in Herat is the shrine of the mystic of Khwajeh 'Abdallah Ansari at Gazur Gah. The complex is built on the plan of a four-iwan madrassa and oriented to the qibla (i.e. east-west) with the entrance in the centre of the west facade. The entrance portal consists of a large iwan, half-octagonal in plan, leading into the rectangular central courtyard. There is a mosque and cells for mystics at the western end, whilst at the eastern end is a shallow iwan set into a tall pishtaq.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The main building material employed for imperial monuments was baked brick although dressed stone was used in Azerbayjan. The standard brick form was square (24-27 cm per side and 4-7 cm thick) whilst cut or moulded bricks were relatively rare compared with earlier periods. Mortar was usually quick-setting gypsum plaster rather than the more common lime plaster. The standard method of exterior decoration was tile revetments which were on a larger scale than in previous periods. Two main forms of tilework were used, tile mosaic, with individual coloured pieces cut to form patterns, and underglaze-painted tiles known as 'haft rangi' (seven colours). The underglaze-painted tiles tended to be of a lower quality but were useful for covering large areas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A large variety of arch forms were used including round, two-, three-, and four-centre arches, although the most common was the three-centred arch with a high crown, where the height of the arch was more than half the height of the entire opening. A large variety of domes and vaults were employed which displays the wide range of influences in Timurid architecture. One of the most significant vaulting forms employed was based on the use of wide transverse arches spanning between parallel walls. Vaults of various forms were then built to cover the area between each transverse arch to produce a large vaulted area. The vaults used to span the arches included tunnel or barrel vaults, stellar vaults and cross vaults, all of which produce characteristic humps on the roofs of buildings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dome forms became increasingly distinctive under the Timurids with the development of double-shell domes where there is an outer dome and a shallower inner dome. The characteristic outer dome form consists of a tall 'melon-shaped' structure set on a high drum and decorated with ribs covered in decorative tilework.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The most characteristic feature of Timurid imperial buildings is their massive scale, emphasized by huge entrance portals and thick minarets covered in tile decoration. Internally the buildings are slightly less well organized and they often have a large variety of smaller rooms whose relationship to the overall plan is not always evident.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The most famous of the Timurid monuments are the shrine of Ahmed Yasavi at Turkestan (Yasi) in Khazakstan and the Masjid Jami' at Samarkand. The monuments are quite similar in their scale and conception with huge portal iwans behind which rise characteristic melon-shaped domes on high collars or drums. The Ahmed Yasavi tomb was built by Timur for his son Jahangir whilst the Masjid Jami' at Samarkand was built to commemorate the Timurid capture of Delhi. Other monumental projects carried out by Timur include the mausoleums at Shahrisbaz (his first capital) for his father Taraghay and the Gur-i-Amir for his son Muhammad Sultan at Samarkand. In addition Timur undertook massive civil engineering projects including building the towns of Baylaqan, Shahrukhiya and Iryah, the citadels and walls of Ghazui, Balkh and Samarkand.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The later Timurid buildings of Herat in Afghanistan mirror those of the early Timurid Empire, although many were destroyed in the nineteenth century. One of the most celebrated buildings in Herat was the mosque and madrassa built by the architect Qavam al-Din for the wife of Shah Rukh. Little is left of the complex except for two minarets at diagonally opposite corners of the mosque and a minaret and iwan from the madrassa. Petersen, Andrew.&nbsp;Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. London and New York: Routledge, 1999.

Maqbara-i Shirin Bika AqaSamarkand, Uzbekistan

Maqbara-i Shirin Bika Aqa
Samarkand, Uzbekistan