A replica of a candlestick bearing the name of Amir Temur is expected to be featured in the exposition of the Center of Islamic Civilization

In the year 799 AH (1397 CE), Amir Temur visited the city of Yassi (present-day Turkistan, Kazakhstan), where he paid homage at the tomb of the great Sufi master Khoja Ahmad Yassawi and ordered the construction of a grand mausoleum at the site. For the needs of the mausoleum, a number of artistic objects were commissioned a large cauldron, six candlesticks, doors, a peshtoq (portal), and four rings most of which have survived to the present day.

The candlestick discovered in the Yassawi mausoleum is adorned with ten decorative bands and stands 84.5 cm tall. At its center, an Arabic inscription in thuluth script reads: “This was made by the order of His Excellency, the wise, just ruler of peace and faith, Amir Temur Kuragon; may Allah make his state and glory everlasting”. Other inscriptions also include phrases praying for Temur’s glory, happiness, and peace.

At the base of the candlestick, another inscription states: “Made on the 2nd day of the blessed month of Ramadan, in the year 799, by Izzaddin Tajaddin Isfahani”. The harmonious integration of decorations and calligraphy, along with the arrangement of letters among Islamic motifs, suggests that the candlestick may have been crafted by masters from Damascus (Sham).

This candlestick stands as a vivid example of the spiritual, artistic, and moral values embodied in the Islamic spirit of the Timurid era. It reflects the reverence for great historical figures, the skill of master craftsmen, and the cultural sophistication of the 14th century.