Samanid Mausoleum (also known as Ismail Samani Mausoleum) is the tomb of the famous Samanid dynasty (819-999) in Bukhara. It is located in Samanid Park close to Registan Square. The founder of the mausoleum was Ismail Samani. According to the legend he built a crypt for his father and later it was turned into a family sepulchre.
This medieval monument is one of the architectural masterpieces of Bukhara. The style of the building, however, is not Islamic, it derives from Zoroastrian burial structures and temples. Structurally it is almost a cube with four identical edges covered with a spherical dome. The interior and the exterior of the monument are very plain. The mausoleum is a perfect example of brick construction, which was continued in Central Asia after the Arabian conquest. The architects were following the old tradition of baked brick constructions with higher standards than before.
Originally this mausoleum was one of the holiest cemeteries in Bukhara and until now it stays as a sacred site for locals.
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