Samarkand: towards the outskirts
The vast 35 metres high parade portal of the Bibi-Khanym mosque, constructed by Timur after his conquest of India, 1399 in his capital, Samarkand. In the 15th century it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. By the mid-20th century only a grandiose ruin of it still survived, but now major parts of the mosque have been restored.
Photo by Ludo Kuipers, Tue Jun 18, 2013