Combined routes in Uzbekistan.

“The mausoleum is one of the most monumental buildings in the whole world, in the architecture of the mausoleum human art is manifested to amazingness and admiration”

Historian Ruzbihan (XVI century).

Themed tours in Uzbekistan.

The name of one of the wives of Amir Temur Bibi-Khanim is connected with the popular tradition about the construction of a magnificent mosque in Samarkand. However, the name of the eldest wife of a formidable ruler appears in other legendary legends of past centuries.
In particular, in one of them it is narrated that Bibi-Khanym was not of Muslim origin. There are some scientific proofs about this. In the early 1870s, the Samarkand administration decided to expand the sales area of ​​the bread bazaar, located near the Bibi-Khanym mosque.
After the demolition of dilapidated shacks, located about fifty meters east of the mosque, a small stone building was found in their place. During its inspection, a nameless tombstone was found. Under the building was a basement, which found three tombstones. Information about who was buried here, they did not contain.
Nevertheless, the specialists managed to determine the burial period - the era of Timur. It must be said that the find stunned archaeologists: all four tombs were stone sarcophagi and were an unusual, unique burial in Central Asia.
Perhaps this fact served as the basis for the birth of a new legend about the wife of Timur, formerly popular among the people. According to local belief, a kind, wise and beautiful Tsarina Bibi-khanim was Russian in origin and professed Christianity.
Despite her belief, she, thanks to the excellent qualities of her soul, enjoyed universal love and respect. Once, a certain holy fool predicted her death from the bite of a phalanx. Bibi-Khanym worthily listened to the dark news.
Then, calling on Temur, in a calm tone, he announced his near demise and expressed a desire to be buried not according to the Muslim custom - in the ground, but according to the custom of her faith - in a coffin.
Temur was very upset by the news. He tried his best to distract his spouse from sorrowful thoughts, but she firmly stood her ground. And then the emir ordered to build a grand mosque in honor of his beloved wife, ordering the builders to use for their work only clay, taken directly from under the building itself.
For this reason, an extensive dungeon was formed under the mosque. When construction was coming to an end, the queen was invited to inspect the building, which she was pleased with. Some time has passed. Once, Bibi-Khanym, surrounded by close women, sat at a tabletop (tablecloth) and laid out the grapes.
Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her hand, and then she saw a fleeing phalanx. Frightened women called Amir Temur. Bibi-Khanym, calmly smiling, reminded him of the prediction of the holy fool and repeated her request for burial according to Christian traditions.
The stern lord fulfilled the bequest of his beloved wife: the deceased was dressed in rich clothes, a double necklace of corals and pearls was put on the neck, the coffin lid was filled with gold nails, and the coffin was placed in a stone sarcophagus.
The rumor about this quickly spread throughout the city. One night, ten thieves entered the tomb. They pulled out golden nails from the coffin, and with the deceased they tore off precious necklaces. Not having time to get out, they began to divide the production.
But the thieves could not get beyond the entrance to the crypt: a snake crawled out of the dungeon and killed them with its poison. The people gathered in the morning in front of the mosque realized that the dead found at the tomb were punished for their crime with an unknown force.
Now it was necessary to return the stolen items into place, but no one dared to do it. Then one old man stepped forward. He read a prayer, took the stolen things and, entering the building, with reverence put the ornaments in place.
However, when he wanted to go back, the door to the tomb suddenly closed, so tightly that no effort could open it again. The poor old man was buried alive in this crypt. Since then, no one has tried to enter the dark building, guarded by a snake.

Enlightener:
ferghana.ru 2007.