There are so many many interesting historical monuments in the world worthy of your attention but only few of them are fated to remain in the memory of the people who have seen them, that is, without exaggeration, remain vivid for the rest of their lives. The well-known mausoleum of Samanids in Bukhara, without a doubt, is one such monument.

After a visit to the lively, noisy and crowded bazaar on a hot day you will long for a rest in the shade of the trees in the park located nearby. Strolling along the pedestrian zone in anticipation of a vivifying cup of tea while sitting on the tapchan in a chaikhana (tea-house), suddenly behind the trees you notice a construction of honey-sand color with a completely unusual layout of walls.

You steer towards the monument that has caught your attention and stand before a miracle! In fact there's no other name for what opens to your very eyes. Your thirst is forgotten; only the desire remains to find out, what structure this is. Let us enlighten you. It is the Mausoleum of Samanids, one of the most ancient architectural monuments on today's territory of Uzbekistan and the most ancient site in Bukhara.

Ismail Samani, the head of the dynasty, had commissioned the construction of the mausoleum above the tomb of his father, and he himself is buried here as well, together with his grandson Nasra. The mausoleum was constructed at the end of IX - beginning of X centuries and is a fabulous demonstration of the high level of development of science and construction during the epoch of the Samanids.

The monument is unique in many aspects. Here for the first time such building material as burnt bricks of a regular format are connected with each other by a special ganch-based solution, providing the required strength. With Bukhara at the time being a world center for science, the most precise mathematical calculations were applied. The level of precision and the intricacy of the structure and the layout are simply stunning.

Each time you visit, you may get a different perception from these walls and the cupola, depending on the time of day, the way the light and the shadows play off the bricks. It is incredibly beautiful - as in a Rembrand painting, if you permit us the comparison. Laid horizontally and vertically, at different angles, the bricks take on different appearances, now resembling wooden carvings, now a wicker basket, now a lacy pattern...

The foundation of the mausoleum is almost of cubic shape, crowned with one big and four small domes. All four facades of the mausoleum have an identical decor. In the center of each one there's an arch that connects the internal structure with the external. Each corner is flanked by a powerful three-quarter tower. On the top arches connect to the light gallery. The mausoleum gives the impression of extreme lightness and at the same time a solid construction due to the elegant simplicity of its shape and the expressiveness of its decor. Come to Bukhara! You will be convinced that alone the opportunity to see the mausoleum of Samanids with your own eyes makes the trip worthwhile.