Tombs of Paradise: The Shah-e Zende in Samarkand and Architectural Ceramics of Central Asia

The necropolis of Shah-e Zende represents a summit in the art of ceramic wall coverings in the Islamic world. Perched on a steep cliff overlooking the ancient city of Samarkand, today the ghost town of Afrasiyab, the necropolis remains largely unknown to art historians and the general public.

As Shah-e Zende offers a microcosm of the technical evolution of ceramic arts in Central Asia between the 12th and 15th centuries, this work ec