Tilya-Kori Madrasah, 17th century.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

 

 

Predominance of religious art

 

Mausoleums and mosques are present in all Muslim towns. The great mosques are particularly sumptuous. They are distinguished by their important dimensions, their portals, their large courtyards surrounded by a gallery having a portico with columns, the iwan, at its central point. The minaret stands near the outer angle.

 

The architectural decoration of the monuments of the 11th and 12th centuries is of an astonishing variety. Different forms of bricks, sculptures on wood, stucco, baked clay are used as ornament. Carved in deep relief on two or three faces, the baked clay is a newly acquired technique of the builders of Central Asia in the architectural field.