On the picture: a detail of the mihrab (prayer niche).
The niche is completely executed in glazed (and partly guilt) tiles. 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. The involvement of the Tabriz artisans is mentioned on small column to the left of the prayer niche.

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