Play of light and shadow under the arcades of the Kok Gumbaz Mosque in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan. The construction of this large Friday mosque was ordered by Ulugh Beg in honour of his father Shah Rukh, one of Timur‘s sons, and completed around 1437. Inside, the palm trees painted on the walls recall the Indian and Iranian origins of the first architects. The historic centre of Shahrisabz was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, but has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2016, mainly due to extensive demolition in the historic centre and the deteriorating condition of monuments, including the Kok Gumbaz Mosque.

Credits : E.S.

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