Sunday, December 2, 2012

Pe Drumul Matasii in Uzbekistan 20. Mausoleul Samanizilor / On the Silk Road in Uzbekistan 20. Mausoleum of Samani Dynasty

On our first morning in Bukhara we visited the mausoleum of the Samani dynasty. In the middle of a park, it seems that the construction is floating among the trees and flowers. It reminded me on some constructions I have seen in India.

The mausoleum has been constructed at the end of the 9th century and the beginning of the 10th. Ismail Samani, the founder of the last Persian dynasty in Central Asia, constructed the mausoleum for his father, in spite of the Islamic interdiction to erect a construction over a tomb. He only took the example of a caliph from Baghdad. The mausoleum became in time a family crypt, were his father, he himself and his grandson Nasra are burried.


This is the oldest intact monument in Bukhara. The locals covered it with sand to protect it during Genghis Khan’s invasion. It is also the first mausoleum constructed in Central Asia.


To put a hemi-spheric dome on a cube, without inside columns, means very precise mathematical calculations. But this was not a problem for Bukhara, a world center for science by that time!

Using only baked bricks, beautiful patterns have been created out of vertical and horizontal lines but also using disks and rosettes. All in one, the monument is a masterpiece which mirrors his eternity in a little pond beside.

In prima dimineata la Bukhara, primul obiectiv vizitat a fost – nu intamplator – mausoleul dinastiei Samanizilor. Aflat in parcul cu acelasi nume, mica constructie de o perfectiune neasteptata, pare ca pluteste intre arbori si flori. De indata ce am privit-o mai indeaproape, mi-a amintit de multe constructii vazute in India.

 
Mausoleul a fost construit la sfarsitul secolului al 9-lea si inceputul celui de-al 10-lea de catre Ismail Samani, pentru tatal sau. Traditia islamica interzicea ridicarea unei constructii deasupra unui mormant dar Ismail nu a facut altceva decat sa urmeze exemplul unui calif din Bagdad (caruia se supunea inca Bukhara la inceputul domniei sale). In timp, mausoleul a devenit o cripta de familie in care sunt inmormantati tatal lui Ismail Samani, Ismail si nepotul sau, Nasra.

Acesta este cel mai vechi monument pastrat intact in Bukhara. Pentru a-l ocroti, localnicii l-au acoperit cu nisip in timpul invaziei lui Genghis Han. Primul mausoleu construit in Asia Centrala se datoreaza ultimei dinastii persane din aceasta parte a lumii, dinastie intemeiata de chiar Ismail Samani.

Constructia consta dintr-un dom semi-sferic, asezat pe un cub. Calcule matematice foarte precise au fost necesare pentru a crea o bolta care nu este sprijinita pe stalpi in interior. Bukhara era insa in acea vreme un mare centru mondial al stiintei, asa ca asta nu a reprezentat o problema.

Cubul simbolizeaza Pamantul si cupola, Cerul. Impreuna, constructia simbolizeaza Universul. Pe fatadele exterioare se afla simboluri ale Zoroastrismului, iar in interior modele geometrice, bazate pe linii orizontale si verticale dar si rozete si discuri. Si totul din caramida arsa! Desi nu s-a folosit culoare sau placi de ceramica, ca si la alte constructii autohtone, frumusetea monumentului este impresionanta!
 grupul nostru
Mausoleul isi oglindeste vesnicia in micul bazin de alaturi. Parcul, ceva mai incolo, rasuna de strigatele copiilor.




26 comments:

Randy said...

That's alot of architectural details.

Traveling Hawk said...

Splendid architecture, Randy!

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

That building reminds me of the Ka'aba in Mecca. Lovely photographs!
Duncan in Kuantan

Kuantan nature photos

Teaching English with Mr. Duncan

Dan Brown Portal

Roger Federer Shrine

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Duncan!

Dani P. said...

O bijuterie arhitectonica ! Ce bine, ca nu s-a folosit culoarea la mausoleul asta, e mult mai impresionant asa. Si chiar l-au ingropat in nisip ? Fantastic !

Traveling Hawk said...

Da, Dani! Se pare ca nu e doar o poveste frumoasa. Multumesc pentru vizita!

Anita said...

Ohh you are soo lucky that can travel around those places!!Glad you share them..many thanx♥

Traveling Hawk said...

I love to travel, Anita, and God has helped me to do it! Thanks!

LifeRamblings said...

such beautiful details. i truly appreciate their tireless efforts, energy and time they've put into.

Traveling Hawk said...

Yes, this was a titanic work!

Alina said...

Nice pic, architecture is well done

Unknown said...

Foarte frumos templul!Nu stiam cat poate fi de interesanta aceasta tara:)

Adrian L. said...

Impresionant, o adevarata bijuterie arhitectonica (cum spunea cineva mai sus)! Este fabulos sa poti calatori si sa apreciezi comparativ diversitatea culturala, aplecarea catre frumos a diverselor natii si popoare. Când lecturez o astfel de postare nu pot decat sa ma las cuprins de vraja acestor imagini minunate, sa ma imaginez alaturi de dv în multele explorari pe care le-ati realizat si sa sper ca, poate într-o zi, va voi putea calca macar partial pe urme...

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

Does look like it is floating amongts the trees !

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, Alina!

Traveling Hawk said...

Bine ai venit pe blog, Marc Mugioiu! Multumesc pentru comentariu.

Traveling Hawk said...

Multumesc pentru aprecieri si comentariu, Adrian. Iti doresc sa vezi cat mai multe locuri doresti!

Traveling Hawk said...

Thank you, Wong, for being here!

VP said...

Very interesting architecture!

Helma said...

Very nice series of photos again Traveling Hawk and do you have another camera? Your photos are really getting better and that falls on.
Beautiful series and again lots of information.

Greetings, Helma

RIZALENIO said...

Admirable craftsmanship. They put a lot of creativity in their works,

Love your photo composition, my dear friend. :) Happy December! :)

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, VP!

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, Helma! Yes, I broke my camera in summer, so I have to buy a new one:) It's a Nikon Coolpix.

Traveling Hawk said...

You are right, Rizalenio. It's a fantastic building! Thank you!

Francisca said...

Absolutely stunning detail on this mausoleum! The bright fuchsia hibiscus is lovely, too. :-)

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, Francisca! They have a Hibiscus species with very large flowers, something different of our potted flowers here. I loved them!