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The unique structure of Samanids Mausoleum is located slightly away fromthe bulk of the architectural monuments of the old city, it is located in the territory of the modern park.
At the beginning of the VIII century Bukhara with the surrounding lands became part of the Arab caliphate, it built the first mosque and for several centuries the city became a major center of Islamic culture. And at the end of the IX century Bukhara achieved independence from the Arabs under the rule of the Samanid Dynasty (875 - 999).
The Samanids Mausoleum was built at the turn of the 9th-10th centuries. According to legend, the founder of the dynasty, Ismail Samani, built it for his father, and later the mausoleum became the family burial vault of the Samanids. Presumably, Ismail himself (d. 907) himself was buried here, as well as his grandson Nasr II ibn Ahmad (d.943) whose name was found on a wooden board above the entrance.
The entrance is decorated with a lancet niche with three prospectively cutting arches. In the corners of the building are powerful three-quarter columns. On the top of the mausoleum there is a through gallery with forty window openings, it gives some ease to the building and unloads its dome. The compositional solution of the monument is very simple. The walls of the mausoleum on the outside and inside are made up of figured figured masonry made of burnt bricks, of various shapes and sizes. This is the first building in Central Asia, where a burnt brick of light yellow color with a pinkish tinge was used. Thanks to this, during the day, with a different inclination of the sun's rays, the ornament of the monument changes its intricate pattern. It is most effective in moonlight. Despite the fact that the interior is small in size, it seems spacious and light.
There is one curious version about the origin of this mausoleum, somewhat different from the official Islamic history. According to sources, after the occupation of Bukhara by Arabs, all Zoroastrian temples were destroyed, only the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon were preserved. Presumably, the temple of the Moon was converted into a mosque Magoki-Atari, and the temple of the Sun became the Samanids mausoleum. Be that as it may, the mausoleum continues to amaze the imagination with its unusual combination of geometric elements.
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