Samarkand
Uzbekistan · Samarkand Region · 705 m
Description
Samarkand was Timur's capital and holds the buildings that made the reputation of Central Asian architecture, three madrasahs facing each other across the Registan square with tiled portals the height of a house. Behind them the Bibi Khanym mosque was raised so fast and so large that it began falling down in Timur's lifetime. The Shah-i-Zinda is a lane of tombs climbing a hill, each faced in a different blue. Timur himself lies under the ribbed dome of the Gur-e-Amir, and Ulugh Beg's observatory kept the sextant that measured the length of the year to within fifty-eight seconds.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Registan square and its three madrasahs
- Shah-i-Zinda avenue of tombs
- Gur-e-Amir, the tomb of Timur
- Bibi Khanym mosque
- Ulugh Beg observatory and its sextant
- Siyob bazaar beside the mosque
- Afrasiab museum and the ancient city mound
- Hazrat Khizr mosque above the bazaar
- Tomb of the prophet Daniel
- Konigil paper mill on the Siyob canal
- Ruhabad mausoleum on the Timur axis
- Shahrisabz over the pass(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- SKD
- Train stations:
- Samarkand