The Samanid Mausoleum is one of the oldest architectural monuments of Bukhara. Built at the turn of the IX and X centuries during the reign of Ismail Samani, the mausoleum is the family tomb of the rulers of the Samanid dynasty.
The mausoleum is the oldest monument of Islamic architecture in all of Central Asia. The structure has a covered structure, which is prohibited by Islam. This is the only mausoleum of this type in the history of Islam.
The building combines the traditions of Zoroastrian fire temples. Burnt brick served as the main material for the construction of the building. In shape, the mausoleum is a flat square, marked at the four corners by columns that are practically not decorated with anything. The arcade, which includes ten arches on each side, rests on the same columns.
