Statue of Ibn Sina, Bukhara

What it is

This is a photograph, taken on 15 May 2017, of a modern stone bust of Ibn Sina in Bukhara. The bust shows a bearded man wearing a turban. It sits on a tall pedestal made of stacked stone, and a plaque reads 'ABU ALI IBN SINO 980-1037'. Trees and a blue sky are behind it. The sculptor and the date the statue was made are not given in the facts. The photograph was made by Davide Mauro.

Why it matters

Ibn Sina, known in Europe as Avicenna, lived from about 980 to 1037. He was active in Bukhara, and many later cities honour him with statues. A memorial like this shows how his reputation has been kept alive in the places connected with his life. It tells us about the people who chose to remember him, not about his own time.

Look closer

• What does the bust and its pedestal suggest about how the scholar is honoured today?
• Who would have decided to put up this statue, and what might they want visitors to think about Ibn Sina?
• Because this is a modern photograph of a later statue, what can it tell us about Ibn Sina's own life, and what can it not tell us?