Uzbekistan: Calligraphic detail above a doorway in Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand

Shah-i-Zinda (Persian: شاه زنده‎ meaning 'The Living King') is a necropolis in the north-eastern part of Samarkand.

The Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble includes mausoleums and other ritual buildings from the 9-14th and 19th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda is connected with the legend that Kusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the prophet Muhammad is buried here. It is believed that he came to Samarkand with the Arab invasion in the 7th century to preach Islam. Popular legends speak that he was beheaded by Zoroastrian fire-worshippers for his faith.

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

David Henley

Credit:

Pictures From Asia