By the end of the 18th century, Amir Temur's cathedral mosque had laid in ruins, nevertheless, continuing to impress as one of the most grandiose mosques of the Muslim world. In the 19th -20th centuries, a high silhouette of fallen dome dominated over Samarkand as a symbolical beacon of time’s extremity. Estimated original weight of mosque structures was 72.700 tons, and total brickwork - about 40.000 m3. The building was strongly damaged by earthquakes. For example, in 1897, a strong earthquake destroyed facing and back wall of portal internal niche. Just 60% of the structure has preserved to our days. From the mosque of the 15th century, just ruins of portal foundations, three dome buildings and corner minaret have remained. In the last decades of the 20th century - beginning of the 21st century, Bibi- Khanym was restored with use of metal structures, which medieval builders did not know. The restoration of the central dome and small side dome structures have been already completed, the separated parts of portal are being installed.
The majestic beauty of the mosque, which was constructed when the king was absent, and story about his anger upon returning have generated a legend about the love of the architect and young wife Amir Temur - beauty Bibi-Khanym. It is said that vehement love for Bibi-Khanym inspired the architect to create this great monument. The legend says that the architect asked Bibi-Khanum’s kiss as a payment for his work. The trace of this kiss remained on the cheek of Bibi-Khanym and enraged Amir Temur ordered to execute the architect. However, the latter managed to ascend the mosque’s minaret and vanished. On the minaret, servants of Sohibkiran could find just a pupil of the architect, who told: "The teacher had made wings and flied away". So, the cathedral mosque received the female name – mosque of Bibi-Khanym.
In fact, Bibi-hanym was the oldest wife of Amir Temur, Chinggisid princess Sarai Mulk-Khanym. She was a daughter of Chagataid khan Kazan (1343-1346) from the clan of Nikuderi, controlling over huge areas of southeastern Khurasan, Kerman, in the 13th – 14th centuries. In the 30s-40s, the Nikuderi managed to take a throne of Chagatai khans. First, Sarai Mulk-Khanym was married Emir Hussein (1364-1370), the grandson of emir Kazagan (1346-1358), who dethroned her father. In the period before Amir Temur, Emir Hussein was a supreme emir of the Chagataids. His residence was Kabul and later in Balkh. In 1370, Amir Temur achieved dethronement of Hussein and was declared as a supreme governor of Chagatai ulus. Hussein was killed, and Sarai Mulk-Khanum became a wife of Amir Temur. During all period of Amir Temur reigning, she enjoyed exclusive respect in the family of the Temurids.