Tile with hunting scene

Another wave of Mongol invasions began under Timur Lenk (1370–1405), penetrating as far as the Volga delta in the west (Golden Horde, 1394) and India in the east (Delhi, 1398). Although we think of the Mongol storms as the ultimate in terror, the reign of the Timurids (1363–1506) was actually also a period of cultural splendour. Timur was a passionate builder although he spent his entire life travelling. In his capital, Samarqand, he erected any number of monumental structures with large domes and tall portals with towers. Their façades were adorned with faience mosaics and projecting bands of inscriptions, their interiors with sumptuous wall paintings. Especially popular were exotic materials and blue and white porcelain, which was now being shipped from Chinese manufactories in untold quantities to the courts of Europe and the Islamic world.