Timurid Architecture

One of the most wonderful expressions of the beauty of Islamic culture, and one of the most wonderful expressions of the human spirit, is Timurid architecture.

This is the tradition of architecture that began with the great architectural constructions of Emperor Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire of the late 14th and early 15th Century, its successor states, and the Timurid Dynasty, and his great son and heir Shar Rukh, who oversaw the true Timurid Golden Age.

This is perhaps the most beautiful tradition of architecture in all history.

Think the Taj Mahal.  The Taj Mahal is Timurid architecture.

Other than the Russian tradition of Saint Basil's Cathedral (that's the fairy tale building in Moscow's Red Square) that it inspired, which could be counted as a fourth, I see three forms of Timurid architecture.  The first not that different from some of the forms that followed and derived from it.

The early form, from Timur and Shah Rukh's time.  This was how it began, under Timur himself, and under his son and heir Shah Rukh, under whom the true Timurid Golden Age and Timurid Renaissance happened.

After that, the Timurid architecture was developed further.  And as far as I can see, it was taken in two different directions.

In the Mughal Empire, itself founded by the Timurid Dynasty, the Emperor ruled over far more non-Muslims than Muslims, most of them Hindu and thus outside the middle eastern and Judeo-Christian traditions.

And thus the Mughal Emperors developed Timurid architecture in a warm and open way in order to play to a general audience.

This resulted in the likes of the Taj Mahal.

In central Asia, under the Khans of Bukhara and other central Asian rulers, and in Safavid Persia, 90% or more of the people are Muslim.

In these lands Timurid architecture was developed with the deep intensity of feeling of an artist creating their art for a cult audience.

Muslim art for Muslims.

Art like, say, Tolkien, rather than the open, populist approach of a Jane Austen or a Renoir.

Timurid architecture for Muslims who grew up with Islamic art, with all the deep intensity of feeling of art for a passionate cult audience.

For a great example of this kind of Timurid architecture, look up any picture of Isfahan.

Find the picture of the amazing, gorgeous, spectacular old city square from the 17th Century.    You can't miss it.

That's it.    The spectacular, beyond amazing one.

That's Safavid Timurid architecture.

That's high classic Timurid architecture as it was developed for an audience of Muslims who grew up loving Islamic art and Islamic architecture.

Not that different from the form it first took in early Timurid architecture under Timur and Shah Rukh themselves, who also ruled almost entirely over other Muslims.  But developed further, exploring further possibilities.

The Mughal architecture, such as the Taj Mahal, is just as gorgeous.

But there are these two flavors.  Each beyond wonderful.

The warm, open, breezy general-audience Timurid architecture of the Mughals, such as the Taj Mahal.

And the mystical, deeply passionate cult-audience Timurid architecture of the Safavids and the Khans of Bukhara, and the other Khans of Islamic central Asia of the same time, such as the Kazakh khans.

Two amazing, spectacular flavors of Timurid architecture.

Both developed from the original Timurid architecture of Timur and Shah Rukh, and Shah Rukh's Timurid Renaissance of the first half of the 15th Century.

Both among the most sublimely beautiful things ever created.  Including the original Timurid architecture it was derived from.

God loves you!  Look to the light!  Find joy and beauty!

Sincerely,

David S. Annderson