The Shah-i-Zinda ensemble

The Ziyaratkhona in the Kusam ibn Abbas complex

The Ziyaratkhona (prayer hall) in the Kusam ibn Abbas complex is the heart and the holiest site of the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. This prayer hall, directly adjacent to the tomb of the “Living King,” was erected in its current form in the 1330s, with its foundation attributed to local rulers even before the era of Tamerlane (though he later renovated it). The interior impresses with extraordinary harmony – the walls are adorned with multi-colored majolica panels, and the ceiling is crowned by an exquisite dome with a system of decorative stalactites (muqarnas). It is here that pilgrims gather for prayer, looking through an ornate grille at the famous 14th-century tombstone covered in relief ceramics and gold. This hall combines the solemnity of a place of worship with the highest decorative craftsmanship, serving as the most important spiritual and architectural point of all Samarkand.

The 3D model of the prayer halls’s interior is presented below. (Double-click displays the model in full-screen mode).