Kunya-Urgench - Turkemenistan

Well, i don't really know what to say about this card. It was, probably, one of the best surprise cards of the year. If you didn't notice yet, this is a card from Turkemenistan, an unesco card from Turkemenistan :P

This amazing card was a RAS sent by Claus "elbe" on behalf of Wendy "wendzefx". I just felt like jumping when i realize where this card was from. Thanks a lot Claus and Wendy.

The card shows the Mausoleum of Tyurabek Khanym in Kunya-Urgench, north-eastern Turkemenistan. This site in on the World Heritage List since 2005.

"Tyurabek-khanym was a real historic figure, a Mongolian princess, the favorite daughter of the governor of Golden Horde - Uzbek-khan and the spouse of his deputy in Khoresm Kutlug Timur . Tyurabek - khanym was the patroness of women. Eventually she was canonized and declared a saint . The n ame of Tyurabek-khanym was always surrunded by numerous romantic legends. According to one of them Tyurabek-khanym promised to master Gulgardan , who was in love with her, to marry him if he constructed her a building the finest on the earth. Gulgardan worked hard : the mausoleum he built, which later become a tomb of Sufi kings and her own, was flabbergasting; it still amazes with its accuracy of lines, wealth of interior decorations and beauty of multi-color ornaments. But the proud beauty did not fulfill her promise and preferred the governor of Khoresm Kutlug Timur . The deceived master could not cope with his dissapointment and threw himself from the top of the mausoleum.

The Mausoleum of Tyurabek-khanym indeed became the most magnificent structure in the entire country. Amazing in its beauty and grace , it is the structure with the richest interior and exterior finish , with surprisingly open and light hexagonal hall with the area of about a hundred square meters, decorated with carved mosaic. It was c rowned with a huge dome. It was, probably the most perfect dome in the entire Central Asian Turan . The dome is tied on the top according to the tradition of that time.
The inner part of the dome is covered by a fine mosaic panel with the ornament consisting of stars and flowers. The panel is a masterpiece of Oriental art which is equal to none in all medieval architecture. Long time ago a bove the building on a high drum with twelve apertures there was a dark blue glazed tabernacle . Unfortunately, it cannot be seen now : the structure was heavily damaged. But the tomb of Tyurabek-khanym has always been the center of mass pilgrimage." - in: www.advantour.com/turkemenistan/dashoguz/tyurabek-khanym.html