Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum

The Aisha-Bibi mausoleum is a cube of about seven metres a side, built in the eleventh or twelfth century, and its distinction is its surface: the whole exterior was faced in carved terracotta tiles in some sixty different patterns, geometric, floral and epigraphic, an unusually rich decorative programme for a building of that scale. Much of the facing was lost over the centuries and the building was covered by a glass and steel enclosure in the 2000s to stop further decay, a solution that protects the fabric and complicates photography. The legend attached to it tells of a girl who died on her way to marry the ruler Karakhan, and the tomb of her nurse Babaji Khatun stands beside it.

What you actually see

• The carved terracotta - the tile patterns covering the original facing.
• The protective enclosure - the glass and steel structure built over it.
• Babaji Khatun tomb - the smaller mausoleum standing alongside.
• The village setting - the modern settlement around the monument.

When to go

April to June and September to October for the weather. Mornings and late afternoons give better light through the enclosure. The site keeps daytime hours with a ticket office.

Honest expectations

The glass enclosure reflects badly and makes the building hard to see and photograph. Much of the original tilework has been lost and parts are restoration. The site is small and takes under an hour. Interpretation is limited.

Nearby

Taraz lies east; Akyrtas is beyond it.