Dor-us Siyodat

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Dor-us Siyodat

Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz
Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz

The Dor-us Siyodat complex, meaning «repository of power,» was established to honor the entire Timurid dynasty. Its inception dates back to 1376, following the unexpected death of Timur’s eldest son, Jakhongir. His remains were transported from Samarkand to Shakhrisabz, the ancestral homeland of his family.

Years after Jakhongir’s passing, Timur summoned the finest architects and artisans from Khorezm to construct a mausoleum for his son. Timur’s court chronicler, Sharafiddin Yazdi, documented this monumental task, stating: «On both the right and the left-hand side of the facade of that edifice he ordered that the building of makbarats (burial vaults) and new khazira should be completed for the emir-zade Jahangir and other descendants and nobles.»

Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz
Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz
Dorus Saodat, Shahrisabz
Dorus Saodat, Shahrisabz
Dorus Saodat, Shahrisabz
Dorus Saodat, Shahrisabz
Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz
Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz
Jahangir Mausoleum in Shahrisabz

The Dor-us Siyodat complex also became the final resting place for Timur’s second son, Umarshaykh (Omar Sheikh), who died in 1393-1394 during the siege of the fortress of Kurd in Iran. However, the tomb meant for Timur himself remained unoccupied, as he was ultimately laid to rest in the Gur-Emir mausoleum in Samarkand.

In the latter half of the 16th century, the complex faced destruction at the hands of Abdullakhan II, a Sheybanid ruler, when his forces invaded Shakhrisabz. Despite this devastation, Jakhongir’s mausoleum survived. Adjacent to it, in the mid-19th century, the multi-chamber Khazrati Imam Mosque was constructed, featuring a domed hall and a decorated ayvan, or elevated verandah.