Historical monuments in Merv

Monuments of Turkmenistan 

Askhab Mausoleum

Askhabs associates of prophet Mohammed were called - Bureid ibn Al-Khuseib al-Aslami and Al-Khakim ibn Amr Al-Gifari.
After death, places of their burial places were local sanctuaries around of which in XV century representatives of dynasty Timurids have constructed a religious complex. Their tombs from a black marble are decorated by a relief groove with vegetative ornaments and inscriptions. Behind tombs two cost restored aivans.
On photos of the end of XIX century it is possible to see, that their height was 12 meters, they have been decorated by the decorated blue and turquoise tiles. In the middle of a back wall of the mausoleum the word "Allah" on Kufi language is written.
Tombs and now serve as a place of worship of moslems. Therefore recently nearby айванов have opened places for reception of pilgrims, places for cooking open-air and the covered tank for supply of a complex by the water, constructed at the same time, as Aivans.
Still in use today, this shrine complex was built for two companions of the prophet, al-Hakam ibn Amr and Buraydah ibn al-Husayn al-Islami. Two small domed kiosks are framed by two large 'portals' that lead nowhere; placed side by side these shallow iwans serve only as a backdrop 'screen' to the tombs.  
The back walls and soffits of the iwans are decorated in hazarbaf glazed brick. Prior to reconstruction in 1916 the kiosks were also clad in revetment.

This poetical name was given to the mausolean complex of the so-called Askhabs - the "associates" of Prophet Mohammed: Buraydah ibn al-Husayn al-Islami and Al-Khakim ibn Amr Al-Gifari. Two small domed kiosks are framed by two large 'portals' that lead nowhere; placed side by side these shallow iwans serve only as a backdrop 'screen' to the tombs.
After death of Askhabs their tombs became local sanctuaries. In the XV century Timurids constructed a religious complex around them. The tombs from black marble are decorated with exquisite relief carving with vegetation ornaments and inscriptions.
They are in the center of the mausoleum. Behind the tombs two restored aivans are located. They stand side by side and are oriented exactly to the south. On the photos of the late XIX century it is clearly seen that their original height was about 12 meters and they were decorated by blue and turquoise tiles. In the middle of the back wall of the mausoleum the word "ALLAH" in Kufi is written, and on the sides there are several squares positioned diagonally.
The back walls and soffits of the iwans are decorated in hazarbaf glazed brick. Prior to reconstruction in 1916 the kiosks were also clad in revetment.
The tombs are still the place of worshipping. This is why near the aivans the sites for reception of pilgrims with open-air cooking facilities and a covered water storage constructed at the same time were provided.

Source of information:
Bernshtam A.N. «History-archeologic sketches Central Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alay»
« Religious and spiritual monuments of the Central Asia ». The author of M. Khashimov. Publishing house " Saga ", 2001. Tolstov S.P. « Ancient Khoresm », 1848. Tolstov S.P. « On traces Ancient Khorezm civilizations », М .- L., 1948
On materials of an information department of the State committee of Turkmenistan on tourism and sports.
Godlas, Alan, 2003. "Sufi Orders and their Shayks." Resources for studying Islam, The University of Georgia.  http://www.uga.edu/islam/sufismorders.html . [Accessed December 16, 2004]
Sayan, Yuksel. 1999. Turkmenistan'daki Mimari Eserler (XI-XVI Yuzyil). Ankara: Kultur Bakanligi Yayinlari, 171-175, 460-471.
Borodina, Iraida. 1987.  Central Asia. Gems of 9th-19th Century Architecture . Moscow: Planeta Publishers, 33. 
Hillenbrand, Robert. 1999.  Islamic Architecture . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 280, 533. 
Knobloch, Edgar. 2001.  Monuments of Central Asia . New York: I.B. Tauris, 38, 55