Item of the Week: “The Blue Gold of Samarkand”

We frequently associate certain places in the world with a particular color. From the blue and sparkling white houses of Santorini, Greece to the rolling green hills of Ireland, it’s hard not to fall in love with the palette of travel.

When we think of the middle east, however, the landscape in our mind’s eye seems much less rich. Endless yellow sand can be quite beautiful, but

With those images in mind, Frederique Beaupertuis-Bressand’s “The Blue Gold of Samarkand” took me by surprise. A new addition to the Jean Outland Chrysler library collection, the book showcases the breathtakingly beautiful architecture and painstakingly detailed ceramic tile work.

Much of the city’s architecture was built by the great Asian conquerer Timur, known as the “Iron Lord” who, in the 1370s, defeated some of the most formidable warriors of his time: the Mongols, Mamelukes, Indians and Janissaries. Both a destroyer and builder, Timur believed the city around him should be just as magnificent as his victories at war. He sought to surpass the beauty in all the cities he had conquered.

With this goal in mind, artists and builders from all over pooled their techniques and resources to produce a melting pot of creativity. The architects relied on applied mathematics, already popular in the east. They constructed detailed plans with precise calculations. The complex geometric figures are the result of countless hours of planning.

Construction of Timur’s palace took nearly 20 years. When Castillan ambassador Clavijo visited in 1404, he was blown away by its beauty.

“We were lead upstairs, everything in the palace was golden. We were shown many rooms and apartments sumptuously decorarted in gold, blue and many other colors…We saw rooms and apartments that the lord Timur has made to occupy with his wives whose ceilings, walls and floors were admirably decorated…”

Gone are my assumptions that the city is dry and barren. The gold featured throughout the architecture reflects the golden landscape surrounding the city, and the range of blues, turquoises, and navys conjure an image of water – something highly desired in the middle of the desert. Timur would probably be happy knowing that hundreds of years later, his vision for a beautiful city rivaling all others is alive today.

 - CD