HERITAGE SITE | SHAHI-ZINDA NECROPOLIS

• Known as the ‘Tomb of the Living King’, this site is one of the oldest and longest-running examples of a continually constructed historic site in the world.

• It was established with a single religious monument over a thousand years ago.  Since then, a number of other mausoleums and buildings were continually added throughout the ensuing centuries, from approximately the 11th to the 19th centuries. The result is a fascinating cross-reference of various architectural styles, methods and decorative craftsmanship as they have evolved throughout a millennium of work. What is amazing however, is that the basic structure of each building is nearly identical, giving the site a stately, uniform look.

• The complex features a shimmering azure corridor, flanked on both sides by twenty buildings and tombs of royal and religious personalities all which have been decorated with contains some of the richest tile work in the Muslim world.

• The site was founded to mark the burial place of Qutham bin Abbas RA (the brother of Abdullah bin Abbas) who brought Islam to this area in the 7th century. His efforts yielded good results and many accepted Islam.

• Due to the respect that has always been afforded to this site as well as the continual improvement of its buildings, it has led to an interesting multi-tiered design, where layers of history and architecture intertwine between staircases, archways, and dusty paths.