Kok-Gumbaz in Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan

Kok-Gumbaz Kok-Gumbaz Dome

Care of Shahrisabz, as to a family possession of the Temurids was kept by Temur's successor Shahruh (1409-1447). Shahruh's son Mirzo Ulugbek ordered to build a big cathedral mosque. That was Kok-Gumbaz ('the Blue dome'). It was built on the site of an old cathedral mosque. Two sides of the mosque are surrounded by closed arched galleries with 40 small domes. Kok-Gumbaz became a part of memorial Dorut-Tilyavat ('the House of funeral rites' or 'the Receptacle for Koran readers'). Alongside with a cathedral mosque it contained mausoleum of Sufi sheikh Shams ad-Din Kulyal and Temurid tomb 'Makrabat of Ulugbek' (Gumbazi-Seidon), and Dorus-Tilavat madrasa.The whole complex was united by a yard with hudjras and classrooms of madrasa. In the 19th century a minaret was built in the yard. The hudjras were erected again on the bases of the 15th century. By that time domes of the mosque and mausoleums had completely fallen. Domes Kok-Gumbaz and Gumbazi-Seidon were restored in the second half of the 20th century, and dome of Kulyal mausoleum in about 2000.