A blue-domed, building encrusted with Samarkand’s trademark clay tiles, Guri Amir is the final resting place not only of this famous leader, but of his two sons and his two grandsons.

In 2001, Samarkand was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

Guri Amir history

The mausoleum erection began in 1403 and was completed by Tamerlane’s grandson Ulugbek. During the reign of Ulugbek the mausoleum had become a family crypt of Timurids. Completed in 1404, it was originally intended to be the tomb of Timur’s grandson Muhammad Shah, but after Timur’s death in 1405 he was interred there as well, along with other members of his family.

The building is surprisingly modest, as Timur died unexpectedly of pneumonia in Kazakhstan in the winter of 1405. At this time the passes to Shakhrisabz were unusable so he was interred here instead. The crypt itself is in a chamber beneath the mausoleum.

Timur was laid to rest alongside his grandson Muhammad Sultan in the shrine’s central chamber. In time, Timur’s own tomb was boxed in by three more graves—those of his spiritual adviser, Sayyid Baraka; his grandson Ulugh Beg, the famous astronomer king; and one of his sons, Shah Rukh Mirza, the second ruler of the Timurid empire. With these additions, along with the graves of several more relatives, the tomb became part of the dynastic mausoleum of the Timur dynasty.

The mausoleum is a fine example of medieval architectural craftsmanship and was built in the traditional style. The ribbed dome and vault walls are completely covered with a mosaic of light and dark blue glazed bricks, gilding and painting. The relief rosettes on the dome imitate a starry sky. The interior is enriched with bar tracery grids in the windows, marble and onyx panels covered with paintings, carvings and inlaid with semiprecious stones.

Soviet anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened the crypts in 1941 and, among other things, confirmed Timur’s height and injuries that he sustained during his life and that Ulugbek died from being beheaded. According to every tour guide’s favourite anecdote, he found on Timur’s grave an inscription of the sentiment that ‘whoever opens this will be defeated by an enemy more fearsome than I’. The next day Hitler attacked the Soviet Union.

Guri Amir today

Restoration works began on the mausoleum in 1951. During the works onyx panelling, guildies and ornaments were reconstructed and completed. The Gur Amir Mausoleum and its entrance portal are beautifully renovated by the restorers, but only the foundations of the khanaka and madrasah remain.

Getting to Guri Amir

Guri Amir is about 25 minutes drive from Samarkand International Airport.

Today, the Registan is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Samarkand.

Registan of Samarkand history

Over the centuries, Samarkand was occupied by various different peoples, including being ravaged by Genghis Khan. However, it was under the Mongol warrior leader Timur the Lame, known as Tamerlame who lived between 1369 and 1405, that some of the city’s most beautiful surviving structures including Registan were constructed.

Now made up of 3 ornate madrassahs – Islamic college – facing onto a central courtyard, Registan was the medieval centre of Samarkand. Of these symmetrical buildings, each of which is elaborately adorned with glazed clay tiles, the Ulugh Beg Madrassah is the oldest and dates back to 1420.

The other 2 madrassahs, Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori, were built in the 17th century under the rule of Yalangtush Bakhodur. However, by this time Samarkand had lost much of its previous wealth and was in decline. The Soviets revived the square with party rallies, mass veil burnings and trials of counter-revolutionaries. The new occupiers also restored much of the crumbling Registan.

Registan of Samarkand today

Open between 9am and 6pm, the Registan of Samarkand remains a beautiful symbol of Samarkand’s prosperity as a city along the Silk Road, and is spectacularly lit up at night. Entry to the complex costs around 6 US Dollars and the madrassahs are now filled with souvenir shops where you can grab a memento.

Getting to Registan of Samarkand

Within the centre of Samarkand, just off the M37, the Registan and is a short drive from Samarkand’s International Airport. Otherwise, you can get buses 122, 30, 54, 77, 92 or 99 that pass near Registan.

The most important of these shrines, alluded to by the name “Shah-i-Zinda” meaning “living king”, is what is thought to be the mausoleum of Kusam ibn Abbas, cousin of the Prophet Mohammed.

Shah-i-Zinda history

With the Arab invasion of Samarkand in the 7th century came Qutham ibn Abbas – the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Qutham ibn Abbas preached Islam and was consequently beheaded. However, according to legend the beheaded ibn Abbas did not die and his head went into the deep well of the Garden of Paradise where he lives now.

The Shah-i-Zinda was built around the story of Qutham ibn Abbas from the 11th century. These early buildings’ foundations and headstones were built upon in the 14th and 15th centuries by Timur – the Turco-Mongol emperor and conqueror – comprising the Kusam-ibn-Abbas mausoleum and mosque.

The cool and quiet rooms were decorated from top to bottom with stunning Timurid tile-work of rich blues and yellow ochre. Particularly beautiful are the portal-domed Shodi Mulk Aga and Shodi Bika Aga Mausoleums built in 1372 as the resting places of the sister and niece of Timur.

Later, in the 15th century, Ulugbek also buried his favourites near the original sacred shrine of Qutham ibn Abbas. The scientist and astronomer Kazi Zade Rumi was entombed in a mausoleum comparable with those of the royal family. Under Ulugbek, the main entrance gate was also built between 1434 and 1435.

With only minor touch-ups because of the super quality of the construction, the tombs at Shah-i-Zinda underwent controversial restoration in 2005.

Shah-i-Zinda today

As a result of the aggressive modern restorations, much of the mosaic and terracotta detailing you see today is not original. However, the magnificent domed and blue-tiled mausoleums tower high into the blue skies, testifying to the great skill of early Islamic architects.

Open from 9am to 7pm, visitors should be considerate of Shah-i-Zinda’s status as an important Islamic pilgrimage site and should dress conservatively and enter with respect. Ultimately, the religious significance and serenity of the site provides a welcome peaceful opportunity to explore the beautiful architecture.

Getting to Shah-i-Zinda

The Shah-i-Zinda complex is located along Shah-i-Zinda Street in Samarkand, just off the M37, and is a 19 minute drive from Samarkand’s International Airport.

Timur, who is also known as Tamerlane, built many beautiful monuments and structures in Samarkand using traditional glazed ceramic tiles in ornate geometric shapes: the Bibi-Khanym Mosque was no exception.

A vast structure crowned by a blue dome and overlooking a courtyard, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque was built by Timur for his wife Saray Mulk Khanym (Bibi Khanym was her nickname meaning ‘senior princess’) between 1399 and 1405. While much of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque was destroyed in an earthquake in the 19th century, the building has since been reconstructed.

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque history

After his campaign in India, in 1399 the Mongol leader Timur undertook the construction of a huge mosque in the new capital of Samarkand. The mosque was almost finished when Timur returned from further military ventures in 1404. Timur immediately made alterations to the design. However, his grand visions would ultimately compromise the structure of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and bricks soon began falling from the main dome.

In the late 16th century, Abdullah Khan II – the last ruler of the Bukhara Khan dynasty – called a halt to restoration works of the mosque. Following his decision the mosque slowly deteriorated and became a weather-beaten ruin. The inner portal finally collapsed during an earthquake in 1897, and Samarkand inhabitants plundered the building, taking the marble columns and intricate masonry.

The Soviets were first to investigate the ruins and made plans to restore the 3 domes and central portal. By 1974, the USSR had begun reconstructing the mosque, supplementing the facades and revealing inscriptions from the Quran. Restoration work has continued ever since.

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque today

Today, the beautiful mosque provides a portal into Muslim medieval architecture. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque follows the pattern of other courtyard mosques from the era and boasts a monumental dome rising 40 metres high.

In the middle of the courtyard you will find a large stone pedestal for holding the Quran, crafted from marble blocks. Local legend has it that any woman who crawls beneath the stand will have lots of children.

In the courtyard you will also find 2 smaller mosques, the one on the left decorated inside with stunning Arabic calligraphy. Be aware the mosque is still a religious site and visitors will be expected to dress and act with modesty and respect.

Getting to The Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Located minutes from the Shah-i-Zinda sacred complex, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque is found within Samarkand’s historic centre on Tashkent Road. Just off the M39 and M37 that connect the city to the rest of Uzbekistan, the mosque is a 20 minute drive from the Samarkand Airport.