On the picture: The ‘mihrab’ (prayer niche, which indicates the direction of Mecca).

The niche is completely executed in glazed (and partly guilt) tiles, and is 10,65 m high. The tiles were locally produced, by artisans from Tabriz (Iran), under the supervision of Ali bin İlyas Ali, a ‘nakkaş’ (painter-designer) from Bursa, who had been sent to Samarkand by Timurlenk in 1402.

Note that the ‘golden sight’ of the muqarnas (stalactite) vault is largely the result of an electric lighting with yellow spotlights.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Source: ‘Vakıf Abideler ve eski Eserler’ - Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü III, Ankara 1983