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Aisha Bibi Mausoleum
the restored mausoleum of Aisha Bibi
General information
Architectural styleIslamic
Town or cityAisha Bibi
CountryKazakhstan

The Aisha-Bibi is an 11th or 12th-century mausoleum for an Uyghur noble woman located in the village of Aisha Bibi, 18 km (11 mi) west of Taraz, Kazakhstan on the Silk Road. It is locally famous as a monument to love and faithfulness.

Design edit

According to legend, the mausoleum was built by a Karakhanid Dynasty ruler for his beautiful fiancée Aisha-Bibi, a daughter of Sufi poet Khakim-Ata. Matching the legend, the mausoleum looks light, well-proportioned, and delicate. The mausoleum’s architectural forms and decoration are reminiscent of fine lace. The whole building is covered with carved terracotta tiles using 60 different floral geometric patterns and stylized calligraphy.[1] As with many Islamic tombs, a legendary recipient replaced the one whose name was lost.


Site edit

Aisha Bibi is park of larger complex. Ten meters away is a second mausoleum called Babaji Khatun ("wise queen"), and across the road is a sacred limestone cavern. Together with a garden area and parking lot they form the national monument. The complex is sited on a ridge overlooking the Taraz Oasis from the west. The complex is associated with the other monuments in the Taraz Oasis; Tektor Mas and Qarakhan Mausoleum.

Typology edit

Aisha Bibi is a direct stylistic descendant of Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara.[2] Both use the same stylistic conventions of Pre-Mongol Central Asian architecture. These two mausoleums rank among the few surviving examples of Pre-Mongol architecture in Central Asia. The entire mausoleum is covered with terracotta panels this creates the illusion of masslessness typical in Islamic Architecture. The Terracotta decoration also uses light and shadow rather than color, a Pre-Mongol style, Functionally, this type of decoration scatters the light so the viewer is not blinded as he might from a smooth light colored wall in full sun. The decorations include symbolism from islamic sources such as the 8-pointed sufi star and also steppe art similar to Pazyryk era designs. The Columns on the corner are shaped after wooden columns used extensively in Sogdian Pre-Islamic architecture. there is a band of calligrahpy at the point of constriction in each column. In general they describe the beauty of Aisha Bibi and of love in general. One of the old distichs reads: "Autumn... Clouds... The Earth is beautiful".

Materials edit

Sauran clay was used to make the bricks in both the original and restored Aisha Bibi.[3] When properly crafted by traditional methods the bricks ring like a bell with struck.

History edit

 
Mausoleum of Bibi Khanum adjacent to Aisha Bibi


Legend of Aisha Bibi edit

There are 28 variations of the legend of Aisha-Bibi. According to the most popular version, Aisha-Bibi was the daughter of well-known in 11th century scholar and poet Khakim-Ata Suleiman Bakyrgani. After her father's death, Aisha was brought up by Sheikh Aikhodzha (Zangi-Ata). When the governor of Taraz Karakhan Mukhammed (for whom Karakhan Mausoleum in Taraz was built) asked for the young beauty's hand, her stepfather rejected the suitor, because Karakhan was not a descendant of the prophet (sayyid), as Aisha was. She then outwitted her hard-hearted stepfather by pretending to lead an army for jihad against the idolaters (Kara-Khitans). Secretly however, she rode towards Taraz. Unfortunately, Karakhan never met his young bride; she died of snakebite at Assa River. Mourning the death of the girl, Karakhan erected the mausoleum of fairytale beauty at this place. A friend and fellow traveler of Aisha named Babadzhi-Khatun became the custodian of the grave. When she died, she was buried within 20 steps from Aisha, and a mausoleum was erected over her as well. All legends follow the same general plot: A girl disobeys her parents out of love for her a noble in Taraz and dies by entering a body of water near the city.[4] The legend emphasizes the belief in Central Asia of obedience to elders as the highest value.

Current Use edit

The site has been venerated since the Middles Ages. Local women from the Taraz Oasis still pray for children and a happy family. It is customary for newlyweds in Taraz to have their union blessed by the dead lovers. Their ritual reenacts the myth, after the ceremony the wedding party retraces Karakhan's journey from to Taraz to the site of his fiancee's death. The journey begins at Karakhan Mausoleum in Taraz and ends at the Aisha Bibi, at each location the bride and groom venerate the dead lovers and ask for their blessing.

Russian Archeologist V.V. Bartold was the first scientist to record the and study the ruins in 1893.[5] The Soviet Union built a protective glass shell to preserve the monument (c 1960) and used it for the education of students in Taraz and tourism. In 2002 The Repulic of Kazakhstan paid Nishan Rameto to restore the Aisha Bibi and built the park infrastructure around it.[6] It is a national monument and is listed by UNESCO.

Images edit

  • Aisha Bibi Details
  •  
    Elevation
  •  
    Corner Column
  •  
    Two-Center Arch
  •  
    Detail of Squinch
  •  
    Facade Tile
  •  
    Column Tile
  •  
    Elevation
  •  
    Cupola Detail
  •  
    Plan 1m=20mm

See Also edit

Iranian architecture
samanid mausoleum

Notes edit

  1. ^ Kervan 2002
  2. ^ Kervan, 2002
  3. ^ Lebedev, 2002
  4. ^ Lebedev, 2002.
  5. ^ Keravan, 2002
  6. ^ Lebedev, 2002

References edit

  • "Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum". Oriental Express Central Asia. Retrieved 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Further Reading edit

External Links edit

42°50′01″N 71°12′37″E / 42.83361°N 71.21028°E / 42.83361; 71.21028

Category:Buildings and structures in Kazakhstan Category:Mausoleums Category:11th-century architecture Category:Zhambyl Province Category:Central Asia Category:Architectural history Category:Islamic architecture Category:Kazakhstan architecture

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