Vault Mosaics of the Kukeldash Madrasah, Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Abstract

The vault mosaics at the entrance of Kukeldash Madrasah in Bukhara (built in 1568–69) display three different geometric types, all of them with 8mm symmetry. Type 1 is the centrally-positioned Kond-style tiling, a combination of 10-, 12-, and 16-fold rosettes with pentagons and lozenges. Type 2 is a unique curvilinear pattern formed by irregular hexagonal tiles in non-linear hexagonal arrangement. Interpretation of this pattern as a net of intersecting geometric curves is made in the paper and its construction is discussed. Type 3 is represented by colourful non-linear mosaics based on combination of local centers with five and sixfold multiplicity, interpreted as the antithesis of the type 2 mosaic.