As we approached Amir Temur Mausoleum, we could see a fantastic wall of colourful tiles laid in gorgeous flowery patterns underneath a beautiful teal dome. On either side, tall minarets decorated in blue, glazed brick provide the perfect balance. The aesthetics between the rectangular entrance, cylindrical dome and tall minarets are said to be the inspiration for later architecture in Agra and Delhi.
There are so many incredible sites in Samarkand that we decided to present them in three separate posts. Click on the following links to read about Registan Square or our favourite, Avenue of Mausoleums.
Gur-e Amir Complex (Tomb of the King)
Knowing that Gur-e Amir Complex is the mausoleum for Uzbekistani hero Amir Temur, we expected it to be an awe-inspiring site and it more than held up to that expectation. Before we even entered we were impressed by the stunning façade. Blue tiles cover the entrance and at the top of the archway are striking, tiles shaped like 3-dimentional waves. This type of tilework is called muqarnas.
You can read more about Uzbekistani hero Amir Temur and the Timurid Dynasty in our post on Tashkent.
The complex was originally planned by Temur for his young grandson who died unexpectedly. Before the complex was completed however, Temur died suddenly from an illness caught during a battle. Another of his grandsons, Ulugh Beg, completed the mausoleum to fit the stature of the Amir.
Inside the gate is the main building with gorgeous tile details around the entrance which is set directly below the fluted dome. Its mirror image is on the backside of the main gate. We entered the smaller door to find a rather plain white room built for important teachers and dignitaries of the time.
The next room is Amir Temur’s tomb and it is anything but plain. Every inch of the mausoleum glitters with gilded tiles. Blue trim is the only contrast to the golden shimmer. Each of the four alcoves are decorated with muqarnas that look like droplets of gold hanging from the arched roof. It is a magical wonder and difficult to believe it was built in the early 1400s.
In the centre of the room is the stone sarcophagus for Temur. He is surrounded by the sarcophagi of two of his sons; two grandsons, one of which is Ulugh Beg who died much later; and three governors. Before his death Ulugh Beg said he wanted to be laid at the feet of his spiritual mentor, Mir Said Baraka. This man’s sarcophagus is situated at the head of the room.
All of their bodies lie in coffins in the exact same positions in the crypt below.
Surrounding the mausoleum are the ruins of walls that once held a khanaka (hall with meeting rooms) and a madrasah (school). They are still restoring the site, so perhaps one day those will be rebuilt so we can see the full, original splendor of this mausoleum.
At night, Gur-e Amir Complex is made even more stunning by the fantastic lighting.
Entrance fee – 30,000 UZS ($2.60 USD); Hours – 9 am – 6 pm.
Also in the same park is Ruhobad Complex. Here, a small mausoleum was built for a spiritual leader during the time of the Timurid Dynasty. The legend says that under the dome are 7 beard hairs of the Prophet Mohammed.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
The size of Bibi-Khanym Mosque is what makes it stand out from the others. Built in the late 1300s, it was most likely built in honour of Amir Temur’s first wife. There are other stories that say it was built for his Chinese wife or for his first wife’s mother. The name means ‘Holy Lady’ so it could be any of these. Temur had big dreams for it to be the biggest mosque in the region. Unfortunately, his dreams were bigger than construction capabilities at the time and some of the original structure collapsed within a few years.
Today the mosque still is impressive from the outside, but compared to the others in Samarkand, its interior is a little underwhelming. The prayer room is a pretty, white and blue domed room, but not compared to others in Samarkand. In fact, most of the rooms have not been restored.
One of the best views of the mosque is from a restaurant beside it (listed below).
Entrance fee – 30,000 UZS ($2.60 USD); Hours – 8 am -7pm
Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum
Across the street from the mosque is a small mausoleum for Bibi-Khanym (Holy Lady). Its windowsills are elegantly decorated with gold and white tiles. What makes this site special though, is that you can walk down the steps to visit the crypt below. In the lower level are are 4 small rooms, 3 of them contain 7 caskets. It’s odd to see such plain rooms beneath the elaborate mausoleums.
Entrance fee – 25,000 UZS ($2.20 USD); Hours – 8 am – 7pm
Siyob Bazaar
Beside Bibi-Khanym Mosque is a large outdoor market, Siyob Bazaar, selling everything imaginable. We walked past stalls selling vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, meat, nuts as well as household goods and clothing. It’s a bustling place and we loved to roam along the aisles to see what’s available. We were in Samarkand during cherry and apricot season so we couldn’t resist buying some of the fresh fruit.
Note – There are many different spellings of Uzbeki cities and points of interest. Instead of listing every variation, we chose to use the most common and/or the spelling used on signage at a site.
Getting to Samarkand
It is very easy to reach Samarkand. Aefroib (Fast trains) travel regularly between Samarkand and both Tashkent and Bukhara. There is also an international airport in Samarkand, but most international flights will land in Tashkent.
Getting around in Samarkand
The rideshare app Yandex is available in Samarkand and is an easy and economical way to get around. Many of the sights are within walking distance so once you get to Old Town, you may not need a taxi.
Where to stay in Samarkand
There are many options to chose from for guesthouses and hotels in Samarkand. Try to stay as close as you can to Registan. We stayed in the family run Fayz_Xan_Saray Guesthouse on Booking.com and can’t say enough good things about their hospitality.
Where to eat
Most of the tourist restaurants are located in the strip between Registan and Bibi-Khanym Mosque or on the street in front of Registan Square. We found two good restaurants near Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Zargaron has very good meals, fabulous décor and amazing views of the mosque. Only a few doors down we had a great coffee and dinner at Bibikanym Teahouse.
Please visit the link for our Travel Tips in Uzbekistan.
To read our other posts from Uzbekistan, click here.
Coming Next – Samarkand – Avenue of Mausoleums
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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