This architectural ensemble, incredible in its scope, is nothing but the bold plan of Emir Timur, the great Turkic-Mongolian conqueror, whose name is known all over the world.
Returning after his victorious campaign in India and being greatly impressed by it, he decided to build a mosque, which would not be equal in the whole world, so that she would perpetuate the name of his beloved wife Bibi-Khanum, which translates as "eldest princess".
Hundreds of craftsmen from various countries, including Iran, India, the Golden Horde and Horem, worked on its construction, and even a hundred elephants were brought from India to speed up the work. And now, in just 5 years (from 1399 to 1404), the most grandiose mosque of Central Asia was erected in Samarkand.
There was no equal in beauty and magnificence to it - from the very foundation to the glittering celestial blues of the domes it was richly decorated with tiles, paintings, gilt and marble.
In the courtyard of the mosque could fit up to 10,000 people at a time! The Bibi-Khanum mosque should have surpassed all previous buildings in its grandeur, but the happiness was not long - the architectural design was too bold for which the masters of that time did not have enough knowledge and skills.
The mosque began to crumble and in 1968 the restoration of the entire complex began and it lasted until 2003, presenting the restored Bibi-Khanum complex to the locals and tourists. If it were not for the efforts of the restorers, we would never have been able to see it in its original form.
