Bibi Khanum Mosque, Samarqand, Uzbekistan
Patterns of square kufic from the Bibi Khanum Mosque at Samarqand, built 1394-1404. Timur’s Bibi Khanum Mosque was built to impress with a height of 44 meters. However the building techniques of the time where pushed to the limit which meant that the building began to crumble before it was completed. The building sustained extensive damage from an earthquake in 1897.
Iwan pattern
The script in the pattern represents parts of the third Kalima.
سبحان الله
subhan Allah
و الحمد لله
wal hamdu lillahi
و لآ اله الا الله و الله اكبر
wa la illaha il Allah, wallahu Akbar
Wall pattern 1
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
يا رحمن
ya Rahman
Wall pattern 2
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله
Allah
احد
Ahad
Wall pattern 3
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله
Allah
احد
Ahad
Wall pattern 4
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله اكبر
Allah akhbar
Wall pattern 5
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
محمد
Muhammad
Wall pattern 6
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله اكبر
Allah akhbar
علي
Ali
Wall pattern 7
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله ربي محمد نبي
Allah rabbi, Muhammad nabi
Wall pattern 8
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
سبحان الله
subhan Allah
Wall pattern 9
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
يا كريم
ya Karim
يا عزيز
ya Aziz
Wall pattern 10
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
الله يا كريم يا عظيم
Allah, ya Karim, ya Azim
Wall pattern 11
Transliteration of the kufic in the pattern.
سبحان الله و الحمد لله
subhan Allah wal hamdu lillahi
الله
Allah
اكبر
akhbar