Nature42 km away
Kattakurgan Reservoir
The first reservoir built in Uzbekistan, finished in 1951 south of Kattakurgan; its size earned it the nickname "Uzbek Sea".
Arab-Ata Mausoleum, Tim
A Samanid brick mausoleum in Tim village dated 977–978, the earliest dated example of a pishtaq portal in Central Asia.
Mausoleums10th century
About the place
The Arab-Ata mausoleum stands in the village of Tim in Nurabad district, roughly 110 to 130 km west of Samarkand. An inscription dates it to 367 AH, that is 977–978, in the Samanid period. Its small square chamber carries a dome, but what makes it famous is the tall front portal, the earliest dated pishtaq in Central Asia, the form that later grew into the great facades of Samarkand and Bukhara.
The decoration is all in fired brick and carved terracotta, without coloured tiles, which makes it a good place to see how the region's architecture began. The building has been on the UNESCO tentative list since 2008. Half an hour is enough at the site, but the road is long, so pair it with a day in the Nurota hills.
Why go
- Dated 977–978 by inscription
- Earliest dated pishtaq portal
- Brick and carved terracotta decor
Sources (2)
Nearby
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