The Mighty Bibi Khanym Mosque In Samarkand

Note to self :do not let your architect kiss you on the cheek, especially if your husband is an iron-fisted ruler of Central Asia. So the story goes. Bibi Khanym, wife of ruler Timur, wanted to surprise hubby when he got back from pillaging. Build the biggest mosque in the world, build it quick. Let the architect kiss me if it gets the work done.

Of course, Timur finds out, architect is killed, wife punished. Whatever, what's left behind is remnants of a grand mosque.

Imposing entrance. The place was reduced to rubble by an 1897 earthquake, heavily rebuilt and restored by the Soviets.

Two identical side mosques flank the main one. A nice contrast of the play of light and shade.

Domed ceiling of one of the side mosques.

A giant stone koran sits in the middle of the courtyard. Heavy reading. The main mosque is as equally imposing as the entrance. All of the covered porticoes surrounding the mosques are gone, leaving beautiful desolation behind.