Dynastic politics and the Samanid mausoleum

Abstract

Although the Samanid mausoleum in Bukhara is regularly featured in surveys of Persian and Islamic architecture, the building has never been fully related to the historical circumstances of its foundation or thoroughly analyzed in relation to regional architectural traditions. This article establishes the political and social contexts surrounding its construction, thereby shedding light on its patronage as well as its role in a broader Samanid effort to consolidate dynastic authority and promote Persian culture in tenth-century Bukhara. The structural and decorative features of the building are reconsidered in light of these historical circumstances, revealing the particular ways in which the monument synthesized key architectural models from the Persian and Central Asian past and articulated an innovative message of Samanid identity for the people of tenth-century Bukhara.