The holiest place in Samarkand
Shakhi-Zindi — the holiest site in Samarkand, a necropolis of staggering beauty that brought me to tears. A place so sublime Jules Verne reached for his pen and put his brush down in defeat. (4 min read)
Today was a dream come true. I got to visit Shakhi-Zindi (Shohi Zinda) — the holiest site in Samarkand — on a very dear friend’s birthday.
This necropolis is the final resting place of the Muslim saint Kussam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet. But it is renowned for several stunning mausoleums from the 14th and 15th centuries built for burial of noble families of Samarkand.
This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I was brought to tears by the sublime aesthetic and the lovely energy which is kept high by a steady stream of devoted pilgrims.
These works display the creative wealth of an empire in surprising harmony, for no mausoleum repeats another. Their modest size permits an intimacy impossible in more grandiose projects.
I cannot, writing straight away, give you an idea of this marvel. If I were to thread the words, mosaics, pediments, spandrels, bas-reliefs, niches, enamels, corbels, all on a string in a sentence, the picture would still be incomplete. It is the strokes of the brush that are wanted, not the strokes of the pen. Imagination remains abashed at the remains of the most splendid architecture left to us by Asiatic genius.
— Jules Verne
If you feel called to this world heritage site, I pray that you will be supported to do so.
In case it helps you decide, some other highlights of Samarkand included visits to the site of the Uleg Beg Observatory (an ingenious building that enabled unsurpassed contributions to astronomy); what is purported to be Tomb of the Prophet Daniel (not uncontested); and an early 15th century mosque dedicated to the favourite wife of Timur the Great (Tamerlane). I also visited the inside of the madrassa of the Registan. Fantastic.
© Paul McCarthy & Iluminar.au
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