On the cusp of the 13th and 14th centuries, a mausoleum was built above the burial place of Sayfiddin Boxarziy, the Sheikh of Bukhara. Sayfiddin, whom the people called Sheikh al-Alam that means “the sheikh of the world”, found his place in history due to his numerous merits to the Muslim world.
They say that his will led the residents of Bukhara in their fight against the Mongol conquerors, his words reinforced the people’s belief, and that even some conquerors were so impressed by the spirit of Sayfiddin that converted to Islam under his influence.
The mausoleum attracts with its gracefulness and large dimensions. It introduces us to the evolution of the world of architecture. This is a rather sophisticated building. It includes the tomb, gurkhana and ziyoratkhona (the hall of commemoration). The profile of the building is formed with two domes.
A special feature of the construction is the absence of any decorative objects, both inside and outside it. However, the architects spared no expense designing the architectural object. The tombstone in the gurkhana is magnificent and luxurious. It is decorated with multi-faceted drawings, inscriptions in Arabic and ornamented patterns.
The attraction we see today was constructed here in the 14th century. The mausoleum of Sayfiddin Boxarziy is an illustration of innovative trends in the ideas of the architects of Bukhara of that time. It shows the desire to learn something new and unusual.
For example, here you can see the transition from the tetrahedral shape of the ziyoratkhona near the dome to the octahedral continuation of the shape. The broad expanse is topped with a usual dome.
As time went by, the building became unable to withstand the massiveness of its very complicated structures and, as a result, it started to go to ruins. In the 1960s, the architectural monument was restored. It was possible to save the masterpiece of the art of building due to the preserved archival materials.
However, nature proved to be stronger, and during the 1976 earthquake, the dome almost collapsed.
To preserve the unique construction, it was reinforced with a special metal frame, so today everybody still can see the guest from the past — the unique mausoleum of Sayfiddin Boxarziy.
The team of Canaan Travel invites travelers from around the globe to visit Uzbekistan and find rest for the body and spirit, as well as knowledge about the culture of the ancient East and genuine pleasantness of warmth and hospitality of Bukhara.