Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
This mausoleum in Samani Park, completed in 905, is the town’s oldest Muslim monument and one of its most architecturally interesting. Built for Ismail Samani, his father and grandson, its intricate baked terracotta brickwork – which changes ‘personality’ through the day as the shadows shift – disguises walls almost 2m thick, helping it survive without restoration for 11 centuries.
Behind the park is the Talipach Gate and one of the few remaining, eroded sections of the Shaybanid town walls. If you have eight minutes to spare take a ride on the nearby Ferris wheel for views over the mausoleum.
Epic Uzbekistan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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