Shah-i-Zinda Complex
POSTCARDS | Sep 18Samarkand, Uzbekistan
A stunning complex of intricately decorated, blue-tiled mausoleums. The name Shah-i-Zinda means “Tomb of the Living King”, which refers to the inner-most mausoleum where Qusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad who brought Islam to the region in the 7th century, is buried. As a result, this is also an important pilgrimage site. Several of Amir Temir’s relatives are buried here, including some of his wives and sisters.
The mausoleum was aggressively restored in 2005 so much of the tile work is not original. However it does mean that you can see what Shah-i-Zinda might’ve looked like in its original state - it’s quite stunning, especially bathed in the golden lights of sunset. It was easy to spend a couple of hours here just admiring the beauty of the exquisite Timurid-era tilework and terracotta doors.
For some of the mausoleums, it's unknown who is buried there, as in the case of this one
A model depicting the Shah-i-Zinda complex. You can see from the model that some mausoleums are intricately decorated where others are not
