Among many medieval buildings, Samanids Mausoleum is of special interest. It is situated not far from the Registan square, in the Park of Samanids.
Samanids Mausoleum represents almost a perfect brick-cube, covered by hemispherical dome. All facades are absolutely identical and have domical pillars at the comers. These expressive forms have direct interpretation in mythological symbolism of ancient religions, and later Sufism. So, the cube is the symbol of steadiness, symbol of the Earth; the dome has semblance to the sky; and their combination is the symbol of the unity of the Universe.
Each of the four walls has a door built in complex-pattern frame. Depending on the light the appearance of the Samanids Mausoleum changes due to skillful brickwork. The outer and inner facades are lined with figured bricks alternating horizontal columns of bricks with vertical insets which make a fancy motif of network. Lined in a row brick rings gird the frieze of the mausoleum. This resembles in appearance a famous row of “samanid pearls” - perforated beads, carved in ganch plaster of palaces in Central Asia and Iran before Arabian period.
