Abdullah Ansari Shrine Complex, Herat, Afghanistan
The Abdullah Ansari Shrine Complex, is a funerary compound (hazira), containing the tomb of the Sufi mystic and saint Khwajah Abdullah Ansari who died in 1098. The shrine enclosing the tomb was commissioned by Timur, and completed by Architect Qavam al-Din Shirazi in 1425.
North eastern iwan wall Pattern
Apart from one different square the decoration is the same on the left and right side walls of the iwan.
Transliteration of the kufic.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
The Surah 112, al-Ikhlas
Transliteration of the kufic.
سبحان لله و الحمد لله و لآ اله الا الله و الله اكبر
subhan Allah, wal hamdu lillahi, wa la illaha ilAllah, wallahu akbar
(First part of the third Kalima.)
سبحان الله العظيم و بحمده
Subhan Allah al-Azim wa bihamdihi
لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله
la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah
(The first Kalima.)
علي
Ali
سبحان ذی الملک و الملکوت
سبحان ذی العزّة و الجبروت
سبحان الحي الذي لا يموت
Subhan al-Haii allathi la yamout
الملك
Al-Malik
يا عزيز
Ya Aziz
يا قادر
Ya Qadir
يا كريم
Ya Karim
يا غفار
Ya Gaffar
یا ستّار
Ya Sattar
North eastern iwan wall detail
(This kufic element contains the names of the twelve Imams, an exact interpretation pending.)
اللهم
Allahum
Details on the North eastern iwan ceiling
سبحان الله
Subhan Allah
(Twice.)
الله
Allah
(Twice.)
Wall and iwan patterns from the Abdullah Ansari Shrine Complex, Herat, Afghanistan.
Pattern 1
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله
Allah
(quadruple)
صمد
Samad
احد
Ahad
Pattern 2
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله
Allah
(quadruple)
صمد
Samad
Pattern 3
محمد
Muhammad
(repeated)
Pattern 4
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
محمد
Muhammad
(repeated border)
رسول الله
rasul Allah
Pattern 5
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
محمد
Muhammad
(twice intertwined)
Pattern 6
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله
Allah
اكبر
Akhbar
Pattern 7
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
یا ستّار
Ya Sattar
يا عزيز
Ya Aziz
يا غفار
Ya Gaffar
Pattern 8
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الحمد لله
hamdu lillahi
Pattern 9
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله
Allah
محمد
Muhammad
علي
Ali