Why is Samarkand blue?
I once bought a smartphone case I saw on social media.
Left: A smartphone case featuring motifs from Golestan Palace. This is what sparked the idea for this article.Photo: monbaza
Right: Tile decorations of Golestan Palace. Photo: Diego Delso, delso.photo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / cropped
The design featured motifs from Iran's Golestan Palace, and I was drawn to the vibrant tile patterns. I started using it casually, but it sparked my interest, making me wonder if there were other buildings with similar architecture.
Golestan Palace in Tehran. Vibrant tile decorations adorn the surface of the building.Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Mosque domes, geometric patterns, plant-inspired ornamentation, and walls covered in tiles—gradually, I grew interested in Islamic architecture and decoration. Among my discoveries, one city repeatedly caught my eye.
It was Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
Deep blue. Vivid blue. Slightly greenish blue. Looking at the colors covering the massive gates and domes, it felt like a "blue city."
This led to a question:
Why is Samarkand so blue?
Samarkand, Crossroads of the Silk Road
Samarkand is a city with a long history as a vital transportation and trade hub in Central Asia.
UNESCO even describes Samarkand as a “Crossroad of Cultures” in its World Heritage site designation.
One of the periods when the city significantly flourished was during the Timurid dynasty, from the late 14th to the 15th century.
Timur made Samarkand the capital of his empire and initiated extensive construction projects. Many artisans and artists brought from conquered territories to Samarkand were involved in these constructions. Historical records also show that some of these individuals were forcibly relocated.
The Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, and the Registan Square, which was further developed in later periods to its current state—
Blue and turquoise decorations repeatedly appear in the representative architecture of Samarkand.
Initially, I wondered if blue materials were readily available in this region.
However, further research revealed that the explanation was not that simple.
Samarkand's "Blues" Are Not All the Same
First, what was interesting was that the color we simply call "blue" is not actually a single color.
There is a scientific study that analyzed the blue-colored glazed ceramics of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, built around 1400.
In the samples analyzed in this study, it was confirmed that copper ions were primarily responsible for the coloration in turquoise and bluish-green glazes, while cobalt ions were mainly responsible for deep blue colors.
In other words, even within the color we collectively refer to as "blue" when looking at photographs, there are different coloring mechanisms at play.
Moreover, color is not determined solely by copper or cobalt. The appearance of the color also changes depending on the composition of the glaze, whether it is transparent or opaque, and the underlying body material.
In Central Asian pottery, glazing techniques using plant ash are also known. One such traditional glaze in Uzbekistan is called "ishkor."
However, ishkor itself does not produce blue color. The alkaline components contained in plant ash act as a material for creating vitreous glazes, playing a different role from the components that produce blue color.
Coloring agents, glazes, body materials, heat, and the craftsman's skill.
The blue of Samarkand was created through a combination of these elements.
It wasn't as simple as, "There were many blue stones, so blue buildings were made."
Decorative details of Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Different shades of blue, such as turquoise and deep blue, are combined.
Photo: User:Faqscl / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / cropped
Three Buildings, Three Blues
Even within Samarkand, the appearance of blue varies from building to building.
Bibi-Khanym – Expansive Blue
Bibi-Khanym is a massive Friday Mosque built between 1399 and approximately 1404 at Timur's command.
Here, blue is not merely used as a small decoration. The colors from glazed bricks and tiles extend across enormous gates, walls, and domes.
It's not just a single shade of blue either; multiple colors such as turquoise, deep blue, white, and black are combined. Gold leaf has also been observed on some tiles.
Yet, what leaves a strong impression is that the blue-centered palette extends across the entire surface of the colossal architecture.
Perhaps one reason why Samarkand's blue feels so special is not just the color itself, but its "scale."
Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Blue and turquoise-centered decorations spread across the surface of the enormous building.
Photo: Bgag / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
Gur-e-Amir — Blue Reaching for the Sky
At Gur-e-Amir, the perception of blue is slightly different.
Construction originally began as a mausoleum for Timur's grandson, Muhammad Sultan, and Timur himself was later buried there.
The most striking feature is the towering ribbed dome. Covered in blue and turquoise tiles, it commands attention even from a distance.
If Bibi-Khanym is an "expansive blue," this one could be called a "blue reaching for the sky."
However, the impression changes dramatically upon entering. The lower part features onyx decorations, above which are muqarnas, and further up the walls, gold and blue decorations are visible.
On the exterior, a blue that ascends towards the sky. On the interior, resplendent decorations centered around gold and blue.
It's fascinating how the color presentation changes depending on the location, even within the same building.
Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum. The blue and turquoise ribbed dome strongly shapes the building's impression.
Photo: Ziad8960 / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
Registan – A Landscape Shaped by Different Eras
When many people think of Samarkand, Registan Square might be the first thing that comes to mind.
Three colossal madrasahs surround the square on three sides. At first glance, they appear to have been planned in the same era, but this is not the case.
The oldest, the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, dates to the early 15th century. In contrast, the Sher-Dor Madrasah and Tilya Kori Madrasah were added in the 17th century.
There is a time difference of over 200 years between the first and last buildings.
The decorations are not identical either. Sher-Dor features a distinctive motif combining animals with a sun with a human face, while Tilya Kori is dominated by the presence of its gilded interior decorations.
Nevertheless, in the current square, tile decorations, including blue and turquoise, visually connect buildings from different eras.
Registan is a place where architecture from different eras overlaps to create a single landscape.
Registan Square. Three madrasahs built between the 15th and 17th centuries create a single landscape. Photo: Bernard Gagnon (Bgag) / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
Is Islamic Architecture Blue?
Looking at this, one might be inclined to think, "Is Islamic architecture typically blue?"
However, if we look at other regions, it's not that simple.
In Isfahan, Iran, there are also mosques with striking blue and turquoise colors. Especially during the Safavid period, a polychrome tile technique called haft-rang (seven-color tiles) developed, combining multiple colors such as yellow, green, and white, in addition to blue.
Haft-rang tile decoration found in the Imam Mosque in Isfahan. While primarily blue, it features expressive combinations of multiple colors.
Photo: Kimiakardani / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
In Fes, Morocco, zellij, a technique of combining small cut glazed tiles, is well-known. Instead of covering large areas solely with blue, zellij combines green, yellow, white, brown, and other colors to create intricate geometric patterns, while other materials like carved plaster and woodwork also define the space.
Bou Inania Madrasa in Fes. Zellij and plasterwork are combined, creating a space with overlapping colors and materials. Photo: JasmineartGallery / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
If we turn our attention to Mughal architecture in India, the impression changes further. At Humayun's Tomb, the contrast between red sandstone and white marble creates the architectural impression, and later, at the Taj Mahal, white marble characterizes the entire building. Inlay work, embedding stones into marble, was also used.
Exterior of Humayun's Tomb. The contrast between red sandstone and white marble largely shapes the impression of Mughal architecture.
Photo: Mbigul / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Even within the Islamic world, the colors and materials that characterize architecture vary greatly.
It's not that Islamic architecture is inherently blue.
Rather, the very fact that blue leaves such a strong impression in Samarkand seems to reflect a unique characteristic of the architectural culture of this region.
Why is Samarkand Blue?
Let's return to the initial question.
Why is Samarkand blue?
Apparently, it cannot be explained by a single reason.
The advanced glazed brick and tile technology developed in Central Asia. The artisans who created various shades of blue using copper and cobalt. The architectural projects of the Timurid dynasty that extended these designs to massive buildings.
And Samarkand's location as a crossroads for extensive exchange. The environment where people, technologies, and designs converged was also a significant backdrop for understanding the city's architectural culture.
Furthermore, even after the Timurid era, buildings with tile decorations featuring blue and turquoise continued to be constructed in Samarkand.
These elements accumulated over a long period, leading to the current landscape of "blue Samarkand."
However, there's one more thing to remember.
Not all of Samarkand's historical buildings that we see today remain in their original state.
Over centuries, they suffered damage from earthquakes, weathering, and other factors, and some parts underwent extensive restoration and reconstruction in modern times.
Therefore, the blue we see today cannot be viewed as the exact colors from the 15th or 17th centuries.
Rather, what I found interesting through my research was that the current impression of "Samarkand is blue" itself is a culmination of centuries of architectural and restoration history.
Seeing Colors Reveals a Glimpse of the Land
Initially, I thought that Samarkand might be blue because there was an abundance of blue materials.
However, the reality was much more complex.
Even within the same blue, there's blue from copper and blue from cobalt. Even within the same city, the use of blue differs by building. And even within the same Islamic world, materials, techniques, and ways of presenting color change depending on the location.
In this article, I've considered this from five perspectives:
Land × Technology × Trade × Era × Aesthetic Sensibility
Of course, the history of architecture cannot be explained by just these five factors. However, it can serve as a starting point for thinking, "Why this color?"
Looking at colors isn't just about seeing what resources were available in that land.
It also reveals what technologies developed. What people and goods moved. Who commissioned the buildings. What was considered beautiful in that era.
All of these gradually come into view.
An interest that began with a smartphone case led me from an Iranian palace to Islamic architecture, and then to Samarkand.
Even with colors we casually observe, I encourage you to ask:
"Why is this color like this?"
When you do, a much broader world than you imagined can sometimes unfold beyond it.
If I ever visit Samarkand, I'd like to gaze up at its blue domes, not just appreciating their color, but also reflecting on the long history that has accumulated there.
Five perspectives for considering the "blue" of Samarkand. Land, technology, trade, era, and aesthetic sensibility overlap to form the background of the color. Illustration: monbaza
(References)
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures
UNESCO World Heritage nomination documentation for Samarkand
Encyclopaedia Iranica, Central Asian / Timurid architecture related entries
A. Ben Amara, research on the blue-glazed ceramics of the Bibi-Khanum Mosque
Getty Conservation Institute, research on Ishkor Glazes of Uzbekistan
Leiden University, Iran Turan project: Samarkand monuments
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, resources on Timurid, Safavid and Mughal art