Ruling Transoxiana and Khurasan (891-1005) the Samanids, founded by Saman Khuda a local landowner from the Balkh district, claimed lineage to the Sassanians. Positioned in fertile territory and along the trade route, through asserting power over Turkish tribes and keeping the trade routes open the seat of government, Bukhara, prospered. Persian identity was explored, especially through language. Firdawsi, under the Samanids, began his version of the epic Shah-nama or Book of Kings.

Palaces adorned with gardens, pools and pavilions as well as a profusion of mausolea characterize Samanid building practice. Architectural decoration to a degree unprecedented reflected structure. For example, in the case of the Mausoleum of Ismail the Samanid, tapered walls and articulated brickwork affect the form and design. Each brick is positioned and revealed to create texture. While this canopy tomb -- a domed cube open on four sides -- is to some extent representative of Samanid tomb design, for the most part patterns noted in Samanid architecture reveal more diversions than a typology.

Sources:

Bosworth, Clifford Edmund. 1996. The New Islamic Dynasties. New York: Columbia University Press, 170-171.

Ettinghausen, Richard and Oleg Grabar. 1987. The Art and Arhcitecture of Islam 650-1250. Yale University Press, 216-218.