News WOSCU
Unique Margilan Skullcaps
The shape, color, and ornamentation of a skullcap reflect the unique lifestyle of the people in a particular region.
The Vigilant Ruler's Criticized Policy
There is only one photograph of Muzaffar al-Din Bahadur Khan, who ruled the emirate from 1860 to 1885, made in the first half of the 1880s by F. Orde, but reproduced in various editions of that time.
Zoomorphic ornaments in the decor of skullcaps
The ornaments on skullcaps demonstrate the amazing craftsmanship of embroiderers, national identity; convey the spirit of the people, love for life and the bright colours of nature, the desire to embody images of the surrounding world in colour as they are seen in the poetic tradition.
The Bukhara school of calligraphy: Personalia
Well-known representatives of the Bukhara school of calligraphy include:
How was the art of music viewed in the East in the Middle Ages?
Enjoying music became an inextricable attribute of the hedonistic lifestyle, which was followed by a notable portion of enlightened Herat society.
Son of a respected ruler - Mir Alim Khan
One of the earliest photographs of the son and heir to Abd al-Ahad Khan, the emir Seyid Mir Alim Khan (1880 – 1944), was made by the court photographer V. Yasvoin in 1893, in St. Petersburg.
What scripts were popular in the East in the 9th-10th centuries?
The earliest manuscript from the Institute’s collection is a copy of the Qur’an, written in the 9th century in Kufiс script. The most recent was transcribed in the first quarter of the 20th century.
Representatives of the Herat school of calligraphy
How was the musical culture of Herat different under Husayn Bayqara and Alisher Navoi (Part II)
The coexistence of secular and religious (spiritual) tendencies and, in some cases, their mutual enrichment, is characteristic for the culture of the period of Husayn Bayqara and Alisher Navoi.
How was the musical culture of Herat different under Husayn Bayqara and Alisher Navoi (Part I)
Musical art reaches its peak in the second half of the 15th century in Herat under Husayn Bayqara and Alisher Navoi.
The Book Museum at the National Library of Uzbekistan
The National Library of Uzbekistan houses abook museum displaying unique manuscripts and books published in a lithographic way.
Garment of Heavenly Protection: The Great Mughal Shirt
The grandeur of Islamic art and faith is embodied in this unique artifact – a talismanic shirt from the Manuscript Department's collection.
Where is the mausoleum "Avlod ul-Muborak" located?
«The great Sultan, very mild-tempered and generous, the best of Sultans, lord and protector of the people and faith, Ulughbek Kuragon – may Allah perpetuate his kingdom and ruling! – ordered to build this mausoleum, called «Avlod ul-Muborak» («Blessed family»). [It was erected in one month in 841 AH/1437–38»].
What is the connection between the Ulugbek observatory and the Isfahan observatory?
The date of copying of the manuscript "Arabe 5036" of the work "Suwar al-Kawakib" is not indicated; it seems to have been copied for the library of Ulugbek around 1435 or shortly after.
An important source, preserved in the "Blessed Family" mausoleum in Shakhrisabz
According to information presented in the album-book "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan" from the "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in World Collections" project, an important source is preserved in the Gumbazi Sayyidan mausoleum in Shakhrisabz, reminiscent of the Shahi Zinda in Samarkand.
French collector interested in the history of Mawarannahr
Oriental manuscripts have always been of interest to French collectors.
The journey of the manuscript "Makhzan al-asrar" from Bukhara to Paris
In 1868 the manuscript, a splendid copy of the Persian poem Makhzan al-asrar (the Treasure of the Secrets) by Nizami Ganjavi was acquired by the Bibliothèque nationale from Alexandre Dubois.
Floral ornaments in the decor of the skullcap
Ornaments are plant, zoomorphic, geometric and epigraphic.
Miniatures for “Kulliyat” by Alisher Navoi
As is known, Nizam al-Din Alisher Navoi (1441–1501), the great Uzbek poet, statesman and patron, left a huge literary heritage.
Discovery of the identity of Mawarannahr schools in the West
The interest in manuscripts from the East in Western countries and in France is an old tradition but the fascination for their illuminated decor and especially for their paintings developed in the public only during the last third of the 19th century.
In which collection is Ali ibn Abu Talib, the son-in-law of our prophet, described?
The collection of hadiths “Nasr al-la‘ali min kalam amir al-mu’minin ‘Ali," which provides a description of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra), the nephew and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is also housed in the Russian National Library.
Abd al-Ahad Khan, upon whom fate smiled
In the 1880s – 1890s the parade photos of the power elite in the political culture began to play a significant role.
Bukhara Mosque in St. Petersburg: the legacy of Abd al-Ahad Khan
An important event for Russian Muslims was the acquisition of land for the construction of a mosque in St. Petersburg by Abd al-Ahad Khan.
Seams in skullcap art
The ornaments on skullcaps demonstrate the amazing craftsmanship of embroiderers, national identity; convey the spirit of the people, love for life and the bright colours of nature, the desire to embody images of the surrounding world in colour as they are seen in the poetic tradition.
Photos of Tashkent
Speaking of the appearance of cities and architectural monuments, it is impossible not to recall photographs of Tashkent.
Skullcap shapes
The history of the skullcap goes into deep antiquity.
Scientist who became ruler at age 15
We know some important facts about patronage of Ulugbek, active until his death in 1449.
Manuscript that ended up in the Baburid library
In the manuscript that ended up in the Baburid library one can see the seal of Shihab ad-Din Shah Jahan (who ruled in 1628 – 1658) and an inscription in his own hand stating that this book “on (...) the 8th Jumàda second 1030 since the hijra, on the day of his coronation entered the library of Shah Jahan (...) with a price of 1500 rupiah”.
Composition “Pleading Beloved”
A comparable figure of a couple of ca. 1550 is preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Where are the glazed ceramics from the Bibi Khanum Mosque kept now?
The Náprstek Museum (originally the Czech Industrial Museum) was established in the 1860s by Vojtěch Náprstek (1826 – 1894), a notable figure in Czech cultural and political life, and his mother Anna (1788 – 1873) – a successful Prague businesswoman.
An ocean on the shores of which pearls are sown
The poem Tuhfat al-ahrar (“The Gift to Noble”) was composed in 1481 by Jami as an imitation of the Makhzan al-asrar of Nizami and of the Matla‘ al-anvar written later by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi.
Image of young lovers
Pay attention to the painting “Image of a young loving couple reading poems, while a maid stands by them”.
Ruler bibliophile Ubaydullah Khan ibn Mahmud
From 1512, Ubaydullah Khan b. Mahmud settled in Bukhara.
Why were the seals erased from manuscripts?
It is a well-known fact that during medieval India, specifically during the reign of the Bāburids, a large number of scholars of every subject and artisans migrated to India from Central Asia and Iran.
The Timurid Dynasty's authored books in the Rampur Library...
Many of the manuscripts found in the Rampur Library were new to India.
What year did the National Library receive its new building?
The design and construction of a new building for the National Library of Uzbekistan began in 2010.