Tomb of the Living King

The lovely ceiling of one of the many mausoleums in the Shah-i-Zinda ensemble of tombs, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

It’s Eid again! Eid Al Adha Mubarak everybody! Selamat Hari Raya Haji!

And I have just the post for this! Hehe…

It’s a short Eid this time. 4 days including weekends (unlike the last 9-day Eid). Looks like we won’t be going anywhere this time. It’s friggin baking outside, Justin’s here with us and we’re saving money for our home trip to Malaysia in August! We’d just be spending time here in the UAE. Hmmm… what is there to do?? Haven’t planned anything yet.

Anyway, here’s another short photo post, till I have time to write more (finishing that tendering work will help). (Oh, and by the way, our Company just won a new Project in Dubai. Yippee! A very welcome lifeline indeed!)

Here are photos of the time we visited the Shah-i-Zinda, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Shah-i-Zinda literally means “the Living King”, in Persian or Farsi. (Why Persian? Farsi is not an Uzbek language, izit? No, Uzbek is actually a Turkic language. I think it’s got to do with history. Somehow, Persian culture influenced big parts of Asia in the medieval ages, so much so that the modern languages of Asia Minor, Central Asia and South Asia have heavy doses of Persian words infused in them. Heck, even Hindi, the national language of India, is a heavily-Persianized version of Sanskrit! Thanks to the scores of Islamic kingdoms that ruled Delhi in the past). How Shah-i-Zinda got this name however, beats me, but it’s related to the story of Qutham ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).


Shah-i-Zinda – a ‘street’ lined with exquisite tombs, Samarqand, Uzbekistan, Dec 2023


The tomb and shrine of Qutham (or Kusam) ibn Abbas, a companion and first cousin of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Qutham ibn Abbas took part in the Islamic conquest of Central Asia, and remained there to spread and teach Islam, thereby becoming the first Islamic preacher in Uzbekistan. Contrary to his ‘Living King’ title, he died, defending Samarkand against invaders

Shah-i-Zinda is an ensemble of mausoleums, in the middle of a huge cemetery in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It is one of the highlights of the city. Yes, a cemetery. Scary huh? Not Anu’s type of attraction, but somehow, the beauty of the tombs dispelled all the horror. You’ll see!


Our walk to Shah-i-Zinda. Now this tree is just the type of tree you’d put in a movie like The Omen…


We reached the Shah-i-Zinda complex. Anyone with an appetite for some tombs?? C’mon, we’ve bought the tickets, let’s get on with it!


We made it to the top. Family photo time! Before we venture any further. It was a cold and gloomy winter’s day as you can see. Brrrrr….


A view of the surrounding graveyard from Shah-i-Zinda. The mosque with the blue domes in the background is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and the left-most blue dome is Bibi Khanym’s mausoleum. Bibi Khanym was the favourite wife of the Emperor Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid Empire


The exterior of the mausoleums. Each doorway leads to a separate mausoleum. Many of it are for relatives of Emperor Timur


Jayden, don't stand in the doorway. You'd look like a saint… YOU DO!


This is what I call ‘Resting in Peace’. How exquisite and pleasant… They have been painstakingly restored and maintained. Good for you Samarkand!


Each tomb has a different finishing. This is a barren one


Why is this door closed? Are there hidden treasures inside? Or the Mummy??


The prayer hall/ mosque at Kusam ibn Abbas’s mausoleum


Ending this on a less sombre note, souvenirs anyone??

That’s all for now. Enjoy your holidays!