Bi khanum Samarkand. Bibi Khanum Mosque (Bibi Khanum). Bibi-Khanim Cathedral Mosque

On the second day of our stay in Samarkand, we decided to walk around the city on our own and see the largest mosque in Samarkand - Bibi Khanum. The idea of ​​building this grandiose temple complex belongs to Amir Timur (Tamerlane) himself. Construction began in 1399 and lasted more than five years. According to legend, this temple complex owes its name to Timur’s beloved wife - Saray-mulk khanum (literal translation of Bibi Khanum - “Elder Princess”).

At the beginning of construction, Timur personally supervised the construction and made all the necessary orders personally, but then it was time to go on another military campaign. A few years later, when the temple was almost finished, Timur came with an inspection and was very dissatisfied with the result. In his opinion, the entrance portal was not majestic enough. The portal was destroyed and rebuilt, now the ruler was pleased. True, Tamerlane was not able to enjoy the results of his labors; in February of the following year he suddenly fell ill and died. He was almost 70 years old, an advanced age, especially for that time.

We reached the mosque quite quickly; by our standards, it was quite a short walk. For lazy tourists, there are electric buses available here.

The entrance portal of the Bibi Khanum temple complex is truly impressive. But not at all for its beauty, but for its gigantic size. Next to them you feel like an insignificant ant. This is probably exactly the effect that Amir Timur wanted to achieve when he was planning the construction. The dome of the entrance portal was supposed to be associated with the starry sky when entering. True, the construction technologies of that time were very imperfect and after a few years this grandiose dome collapsed under the weight of its own.

And then over 500 years, thanks to several strong earthquakes, Bibi Khanum almost completely turned into ruins.

This is what the mosque looked like in 1905.

The restoration of the complex began only in 1988, the reconstruction of the complex began. In 2003, the main mosque was reconstructed, which is essentially a remake - the amount of original materials used in construction is minimal. Entrance portal of the main Bibi Khanum Mosque. From this angle, the main dome, which is 40 meters high, is not visible.

Stunningly beautiful carved door.

The center of the mosque courtyard can accommodate up to 10 thousand worshipers, which by the standards of that time is simply a gigantic figure.

On both sides of the courtyard there are two small, absolutely symmetrical mosques. In the very center there is a pedestal for the Koran. There is a legend that if you crawl under the pedestal, it will greatly promote childbearing. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but many women periodically try to test this for themselves, even very famous ones.

Despite the fact that the mosque is essentially a new building, it looks as if it will soon fall apart from old age. This is probably why no one is allowed inside; the photo was taken through the bars.

It is believed that the temple complex was built by Timur as a sacrifice to God for a successful campaign in India, in which Tamerlane practically wiped out the city of Delhi from the face of the Earth, destroying a huge number of people. The temple began to collapse almost immediately after the commissioning of the object and many said that God did not accept the sacrifice of the bloody tyrant. Although, most likely, the reason was more banal. The gigantic dimensions of the temple did not fit into the construction technologies of that time, and the earthquake-prone place only completed the destruction that began due to numerous errors in calculations.

Directly opposite the Bibi Khanum Mosque there is an inconspicuous mausoleum, which is commonly called the Bibi Khanum Mausoleum. Once upon a time, even before the construction of the Bibi Khanum temple complex began, here was the madrasah of Sarai-mulk Khanum, that very beloved wife of Timur, built on her orders.

Since then, nothing has remained from the madrasah except the mazvolei. But from the site there is a beautiful view of the mosque and the city cemetery.

It is believed that the mazvolei contains the remains of Bibi Khanum herself, but no written evidence of this has survived. The first to be buried in the mausoleum was Bibi Khanum’s mother; the remains of several other women were also found here. But archaeologists have not been able to determine who they belong to.

Entrance here is paid (16,000 sum), to be honest, there is nothing to see.

Next to the Bibi Khanum Mosque there is an authentic bazaar, which has remained virtually unchanged for 500 years. We went there and spent the remaining time and money buying souvenirs and gifts.

At the end of the series of stories about Samarkand, I want to show a few photographs of the city at night.

This story is one of a series of stories about our journey to Uzbekistan in December 2013

One of the most beautiful legends in history Samarkand a envelops construction of the Bibi-Khanum mosque (Bibi-Khanym).

She says that favorite wife of the emperor - Bibi Khanum decided to please my husband ( Timur), returning from a victorious campaign, gave an expensive gift and ordered the construction of a mosque, which was done. But the architect of the building, to his misfortune, fell in love with the empress and, realizing that after the completion of construction he would never see her again, he delayed the work as best he could. Now the emperor is already close, but the gift is not yet ready, the angry queen calls the architect, and he issues an ultimatum: a kiss from the queen in exchange for finishing the construction. There is nothing to do and Bibi Khanum agrees. The returning emperor is proud and pleased, his wife pleased with the gift, but the treacherous mark of a kiss on his beloved’s cheek gives the king no peace, and he orders the architect to be seized. But the forewarned architect hides from his pursuers on the minaret of the built mosque, and the pursuers find only his student, who announces: “ the teacher made wings for himself and flew to Mashhad».

A very beautiful fairy tale, but, unfortunately, there is not a word of truth in it, except for the nickname “ Bibi Khanum“The emperor’s eldest wife, by the way, was about sixty at the time of the above events, and this venerable matron would hardly have been able to charm the young architect.

In fact Bibi-Khanum Mosque (Bibi-Khanym) was built in 1399-1404. by order Timur after his triumphant return from the Indian campaign. The architecture of the building is a tribute to the fashion of that time for a pompous monumental style, which is very accurately reflected in the famous saying Timur: « if you doubt our greatness, look at our buildings" The mosque was built in a record time - 5 years and was truly dedicated beloved wife of Timur Sarap-Mulk-Khanym.

Unfortunately, time and destructive earthquakes do not allow us to admire the grandiose structure today. Only 5 buildings of the once majestic mosque have survived to this day: a portal, large mosques inside the courtyard, small ones on the sides and a minaret.

Decoration of the complex- the quintessence of all the best that master decorators achieved by the beginning of the 15th century. These include colored majolica, carved mosaics, carved wood and marble, decorative papier-mâché decorations and painting on plaster.

Somewhat east of the mosque there is another the monument of the same name - the Bibi-Khanum mausoleum with a crypt, in which two sarcophagi rest. The building does not have a facade, which indicates that it was originally an extension to the mosque, and the style and richness of the decor suggest that it was a single complex and was built at the same time. During the opening of the sarcophagi in 1941. scientific expedition, the remains of two women were discovered, the richness of whose clothing suggests that one of them is Sarap-Mulk-Khanim.

“Her dome would be the only one
if the sky were not his repetition,
the only thing would be the arch,
if the Milky Way were not her mate.”

The whole world knows about such an architectural miracle as the Taj Mahal. It was built by Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in honor of love and eternal memory, deciding to perpetuate her name. Centuries earlier, the Shah’s ancestor the Great Tamerlane, grieving for his most beloved wife, built Bibi Hanim Mosque. This is a truly epic structure that you can’t take your eyes off. That's how it attracts. Just look at the dome of the mosque, compared in ancient times to the heavens, and the arch of the portal, which was called nothing less than the Milky Way.

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque (translated as “Elder Wife,” according to one legend, it was built by Timur’s eldest wife, Saray-Mulk-Khanum) had a different name - the Friday mosque of Samarkand, where thousands of Muslim men came. In fact, the mosque was built in 1399-1404 by order of Amir Temur after returning from the Indian campaign. Construction began in May 1399. Timur himself chose the location of the future mosque. Craftsmen from various countries were involved in the construction: India, Iran, Khorezm, and the Golden Horde. By September 1404, the main part of the complex had already been built. 10 thousand people could pray at the same time in the courtyard of the mosque.

“On Sunday - the 4th of the month of Ramadan 801 (1399 of our chronology), skilled engineers and experienced craftsmen, at an hour lucky and predicted by the stars, laid the foundation for the building. Two hundred stonemasons from Azerbaijan, Fars, Hindustan and other countries worked in the mosque itself and 500 people in the mountains worked hard to cut the stone, and about a hundred Indian elephants were used to send it to the city,” wrote the ambassador of the Spanish king Clavijo.

Timur entrusted supervision of individual sections of construction to various princes and emirs, who tried to show their zeal with efficiency. The portal arch, the main building of the mosque, walls and arcades were built by teams of craftsmen, who were directed by the chief builder, who had a three-dimensional model of the structure. Old miniatures tell about this. Timur monitored the construction of the mosque for only a few months, but soon he was distracted for years by a new military campaign - this time against the Ottoman Empire. Construction continued without him. Returning to his capital, he immediately went to look at the new mosque. The grandiose buildings occupied a rectangular courtyard measuring 130x102 meters. On its western side stood the main mosque, and on the northern and southern sides there were small mosques. The extensive courtyard was lined with marble slabs and surrounded by a covered gallery for pilgrims. The entrance to the courtyard was designed in the form of a high portal with two round minarets, reaching fifty meters in height. The facade of the cathedral mosque was also decorated with a majestic portal with two minarets. The outside walls of all the rooms were richly decorated with multi-colored glazed bricks that formed intricate geometric patterns and religious sayings. The luxurious and rich decoration of the interior consisted of cladding with majolica mosaics, carved marble, papier-mâché embossing, and gilded patterns. In the courtyard there is a marble stand for the Great Koran, taken from the mosque, covered with carved Arabic script.

Opposite the mosque was the madrasah of Saray Mulk-Khanym, the eldest wife of Amir Timur. Both of these buildings formed the square. From this madrasah, which rivaled the mosque in its size and beauty of decoration, only an octagonal, domed tomb with a crypt, known as the Bibi Khanum mausoleum, has survived. Popular rumor gave the same name to the cathedral mosque of Amir Timur.

Time has not been kind to this amazing monument. The building was heavily damaged. Over the past 30 years, extensive restoration and repair work has been carried out here, which made it possible to present the monument in its unique beauty.

Bibi Khanum Mosque photo

Bibi Khanum (Uzbekistan) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Without exaggeration, we can say that Bibi Khanum is one of the largest and most significant religious monuments of the Islamic world, and certainly the largest mosque in all of Central Asia. You understand this best when you find yourself near its ancient and majestic walls, right opposite the portal called the “Milky Way”. Immediately outside the gate rises the gigantic monumental building of the main mosque, which was also spoken about with a fair amount of poetry, saying that “the domes eclipse the sky itself.” In general, this complex cannot be denied poetry and even romance - there are so many beautiful stories and beliefs about this place. Not all of Bibi Khanum’s buildings have survived to this day, but what was lost is gradually being restored and is imperceptibly and organically intertwined with the original, just as fairy tales and true stories are intertwined in local fascinating stories.

There are many legends and the most amazing stories about how the famous and majestic Bibi Khanum mosque (or, as it is also called, Bibi Khanum) appeared in Samarkand. So, according to one of them, the mosque was built in honor of the mother of Timur’s wife. By the way, confirmation of this version is found in the travel notes of the traveler from Spain Rui Clavijo. Another version tells us that Tamerlane’s beloved wife decided to surprise her husband, who had returned from another campaign, by building a mosque.

The emir's wife managed to erect minarets soaring into the blue heights; its majestic domes could compete in beauty with the sky itself, and the vast courtyard was framed by dazzling white columns. The victorious Timur was already not far from Samarkand, but the arch that formed the entrance to the territory of the mosque was not ready. And for good reason: the young architect who supervised the construction deliberately took his time with the completion, because he did not want to part with Tamerlane’s wife Bibi Khanum, with whom he had fallen in love. True, Bibi Khanum had somewhat opposite feelings towards the young talent - she was furious at such a slow progress of the work. Then the daring young man said that he would finish the construction on time if the ruler’s wife kissed him. The princess refused for a long time, tried to convince her lover and slip him numerous court beauties in her place. However, he turned out to be a very “tough nut to crack” and did not give in to any persuasion. As a result, Bibi Khanim, realizing that nothing could be done with this stubborn, donkey-like young man, allowed herself to be kissed. The kiss was so hot that it left a small spot on the cheek of Tamerlane's wife. When the husband finally arrived in the city and saw traces of the kiss, he flew into a rage and ordered to seize the insolent man, who by that time was already very far from Samarkand.

Not all of Bibi Khanum’s buildings have survived to this day, but what was lost is gradually being restored and is imperceptibly and organically intertwined with the original, just as fairy tales and true stories are intertwined in local fascinating stories.

However, learned historians agree that this magnificent building arose here, like many others in Samarkand, during the reign of Amir Timur. According to this version, after Tamerlane returned from a glorious campaign in India, where he won a brilliant victory, the ruler ordered the construction of a mosque and gave it a name in honor of his beloved wife. The construction of this grandiose structure began in May 1399, precisely on the spot that Timur himself chose. Craftsmen and architects from many eastern countries were involved in the construction and decoration of the mosque, and it must be said that all of them were great experts in their field. Representatives of Azerbaijan, Hindustan, Khorasan, Fars and many other lands worked here. In addition, about five thousand more people worked in the quarries, from where the stone was delivered to Samarkand. But there were few people, and therefore about a hundred elephants were brought here from India. Thanks to all these titanic efforts, the mosque was built in a very short time for that time - in just five years. Which, given its truly grandiose scope, seems like a complete trifle. But, surprisingly, this building, beautifully executed in terms of decor and architecture, was not liked by the customer. Impulsive and quick to kill, Tamerlane ordered the arrest of Khoja Mahmud David and Muhammad, who supervised the construction of the religious building. Perhaps Tamerlane was not so wrong. Since the complex was designed without taking into account the seismic hazard of the zone, which, however, was simply impossible to calculate at that time. But the fact remains, and richly decorated stone pieces fell on the heads of numerous worshipers more than once during Timur’s lifetime.

Bibi Khanum

Exterior and interior of Bibi Khanum

Once upon a time, all the buildings of the mosque were united, and all thanks to a gallery with 480 marble columns. The main entrance portal was located on the eastern side of the courtyard, its height reached 33 m and its width more than 45 m. The entrance to the main mosque, which was located directly opposite the portal, was decorated with massive metal gates and marble slabs with intricate carvings. At each corner of the mosque there were multi-tiered minarets, there were four in total. Unfortunately, out of all the variety of structures of this complex, only five have survived to this day: a portal, a large mosque and two small ones, as well as one of the minarets.

Another attraction is an impressive-looking marble pedestal, on which the Koran once stood, created during the reign of Tamerlane’s grandson, Ulugbek. There is another belief associated with this place.

If a woman wants to get pregnant, then she should come here and pray in this very place about her deepest desire.

Thanks to the painstaking and, without exaggeration, titanic work of specialists, almost everything that can be seen in Bibi Khanum is in excellent condition. The walls of this amazing complex, like several centuries ago, are decorated with the finest ornaments created with great skill. The arch of the main portal, once destroyed by more than half, was, frankly speaking, not small in size, was restored. The decor of this majestic portal has been partially replaced. The difference can be seen in color - the original ornament is darker than the new one. The minarets were also re-erected here, now there are three of them again, as there once were. And the one that outlived its “brothers” was updated and re-faced. However, it should be noted that the current minarets are slightly lower than those that were erected several centuries ago. Knowing this, you can once again admire the skill of the architects of that time. The reconstruction also affected the dome of the main mosque, which today shines almost brighter than the sky. The domes of the two side mosques did not go unnoticed. It is interesting that the interior decoration of the main temple is much more magnificent and richer than the side ones. This was done on purpose in order to emphasize the beauty and luxury of the first one.

Address: st. Tashkent, Samarkand.

One of the most grandiose mosques in the entire Muslim world, the largest mosque in Central Asia, a huge complex that inspires awe and at the same time mysterious fear with the grandiose height of the walls and at the same time makes you tremble from its splendor - all this is about the architectural monument of Bibi Khanum.

Name " Bibi-Khanim» (« Bibi Khanum") - a stunning cathedral mosque, seen from the hill Afrosiab, - literally translated as “senior princess” (or “senior wife”). Bibi Khanim was also called differently Friday mosque Samarkand - thousands of Muslim men came here to perform the sacrament of prayer.

There is a great variety legends about how this amazing mosque, richly decorated with tiles, paintings and carved marble, appeared. But historians are still of the opinion that Bibi Khanum was built by order of Amir Timur immediately after his return from India, where he was victorious, and named in honor beloved wife of Tamerlane.

Construction began on May 4, 1399 on a site personally chosen by the ruler himself. The most talented craftsmen and craftsmen of that time began to work. Two hundred stonemasons from Azerbaijan, Fars, Hindustan, Khorasan and other countries worked on the construction of the mosque, and in the mountains another 500 people worked tirelessly to process the stone and deliver it to Samarkand. To speed up the progress of work, from India delivered 99 elephants. It is not surprising that the mosque was built in a record time for that time - five years. In September 1404, the courtyard of the mosque could accommodate 10 thousand people. An extraordinary sight was presented blue domes of the Bibi Hanim mosque, which were compared with the beauty of the heavens, and the arch of the portal - with the Milky Way. However, Amir Timur did not like the construction. In a fit of anger, he ordered the arrest of Khoja Mahmud David and Mohammed Diseld, the nobles who supervised the construction.

The many buildings that the mosque originally consisted of were united into a single composition by a covered gallery with 480 marble columns and occupied an area of ​​more than 18,000 square meters. On the eastern side of the rectangular courtyard there was peshtak- the main entrance portal is 33.15 meters high and 46 meters wide. Opposite the portal in the center of the complex stood the main mosque, the entrance to which was decorated with double-leaf gates cast from seven alloys, carved marble slabs and skillfully made cladding. Four tall multi-tiered buildings were built at the corners of the mosque. minaret. They dug a deep hole in the center of the yard well and covered it with stone tiles with a hole for water drainage (tashnau).

Bibi Hanim Mosque was conceived as a structure that was supposed to far surpass all similar buildings. However, medieval craftsmen did not possess the technologies and materials necessary for the construction of such large-scale buildings, and they did not take into account the risk of seismicity. Deep foundations made of torn stone and brick walls did not save Bibi Khanum - even during Timur’s life, the building began to collapse, and stones from the cracked dome fell on the heads of worshipers.

Now only five surviving buildings can be seen from the entire complex: portal, big mosque in the depths of the yard, two small mosques And minaret. In addition, the center of the courtyard is still decorated with a huge marble music stand for the sacred Koran, made under Ulugbek.
But thanks to the painstaking work of historians, archaeologists and art historians, we are able to imagine the original appearance of Bibi Khanum.

The finest geometric, floral and epigraphic ornaments, and majolica in combination with non-glazed bricks and carved inlaid mosaic decorate the mosque building. On the inside of the dome there were gold plated items made of papier-mâché, and on the walls there are ornamental paintings on plaster. Small mosques have more modest decor - this was done intentionally in order to better emphasize the importance of the main building.

In 1968, work began on restoration of the Bibi Hanim complex, but residents and guests of Samarkand were able to see the almost completely restored structure only at the beginning of the 2003 tourist season.

The arch of the main portal, which had been destroyed by approximately half its height, was rebuilt. The lower marble frame remains original, and the old cladding is immediately visible - it is darker. Just like on the main mosque, the original decoration of which is darker than the modern reconstruction, which is 90%. The partially preserved northwestern minaret was completely covered, and the other three minarets were restored, rebuilt and covered. Moreover, the height of the newly erected minarets is less than that of those built by masters in the 15th century. The dome of the main mosque and the domes of the side mosques were also completely restored. Today, restoration work in Bibi Khanim continues.

In Guzarsky Lane, across the road from the mosque, there is an original monument - an octagonal pillar-shaped Bibi Khanym mausoleum with crypt. This building does not have a main facade, and judging by the tiled and painted decor, the mausoleum was attached to Bibi Hanim mosque. The frame of the mausoleum indicates that it was erected at the same time as the mosque. In the spacious crypt, marble sarcophagi are placed on the floor. When the sarcophagi were opened in 1941, they found the remains of two richly dressed middle-aged women. It is possible that one of them was Sarai Mul Khanim, aka Bibi Hanim.

Separately, I would like to note the bazaar located near the Bibi Khanum mosque. After 600 years, it has not lost its flavor and still continues to live its unique life. oriental bazaar.

Legends about Bibi Hanim.
In addition to the generally accepted version about the construction of the mosque by order Tamerlane, there are many more legends that are still perceived as beautiful oriental tales. One of the legends says that Bibi Khanym madrasah was built in honor of the mother of Amir Timur's wife and was one of the first built in Samarkand under this great ruler. This legend originates from the diary of a Spanish traveler Rui Clavijo, who wrote that Timur ordered the construction of a magnificent structure in honor of mother Saray Mulk Hanim, which Clavijo called Caño. This version has a right to exist, because the word “ bibi" also has the meaning " mother».

There is another beautiful one legend about how this magnificent complex was built. It says that the beautiful Bibi Khanym, the beloved wife of the great Timur, decided to surprise her husband by building a beautiful mosque for his return from another military campaign, in comparison with which the beauty and grandeur of all other mosques would fade. She invited the best craftsmen from all over the world, who immediately began work. Minarets were built, white marble columns grew around a vast courtyard, and a blue dome of indescribable beauty eclipsed the vault of heaven. Only the arch remained unfinished when the emir was already approaching Samarkand. But the young architect was in no hurry to complete the building, because this meant inevitable separation from Bibi Khanum, whom he dearly loved with all the ardor of his young heart. Bibi Hanim was angry, demanding that the construction be completed on time. Then the young man agreed to finish building the mosque, but on one condition: if the queen allowed herself to be kissed.

Bibi Hanim was at first speechless from the insolence of her lover, but being a wise woman, she resorted to cunning and began to offer him any court beauty to choose from. She convinced him that all women were the same, like painted eggs, and for clarity, she ordered him to clean a whole dish with painted eggs in front of him. But the lover stood his ground, saying that a glass of white wine could burn everything inside with a hot fire, but a glass of water would do nothing, even if they were poured into identical vessels and had the same color. Love is a glass of wine. The upset queen had to give up. At the moment of the kiss, she covered her cheek with her hand, but the heat of a loving heart was so strong that it burned through all the barriers, and a small spot remained on the queen’s rosy cheek.

A few days later, Timur and his army entered the city, and domes and minarets appeared before his eyes, striking in their grandeur. But the surprise and delight from the gift passed the same minute when Timur saw the trace of a kiss on the face of his beloved wife. Under his furious pressure, the queen confessed everything. The “iron lame man” ordered to find the master. But during this time the young man managed to make wings for himself and fly to Mashhad.

However, no matter how beautiful this legend is, it will remain only a legend, because many things in it do not coincide with real historical facts: firstly, Timur did not have a wife named Bibi Khanum - his main wife was called Sarai Mulk Khanum. Moreover, at the time the mosque was built, she was well over 60.

And local residents also tell old stories belief: if a woman cannot get pregnant for a long time, then she must definitely come to Bibi Khanum, touch the stones of the mosque and the place where the large Koran lay, and pray. It doesn’t matter what language the prayer is in, the main thing is to ask in it to know the happiness of holding your own child in your hands. And the wish will definitely come true, because for many centuries this place has been prayed for and is considered holy.

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