Shakhrisabza - 2013
About 80km from Samarkand, Shakhrisabz means "green town".
Timur was born in a village near here in 1336.
Ak-Saray palace
Timur built Ak-Saray Palace (white palace), his summer palace here.
Construction began in 1380.
Unfortunately, all that remains are traces of its gigantic 65 m gate-towers, with blue, white and gold mosaics.
Above the entry of the Ak-Saray the Arabic writing reads "If you challenge our power - look at our buildings!"
Rustum said that most of the palace had been destroyed by the Persian king, Nadir Shah and the rest had fallen to ruin.
Khazrati- Iman Complex
The sign says that these plane trees were planted by Timur in 1370
The mausoleum houses the tomb of Jehangir who was Timur's favourite son.
Umar Sheikh, another of Timur's sons is also buried here.
The entrance to a nearby bunker which was originally built for Timur's burial.
Timur died in Samarkand and he is buried in an elaborate mausoleum there (which we had seen earlier).
Snow on the mountain passes prevented his body being brought here to Shakhrisabz.
Islamic tradition states that crypyts must not be left empty.
So the tomb houses the bodies of 2 ladies who died about the same time as Timur.
Kok-Gumbaz Mosque
This mosque was built by Ulugbek in 1437 in honour of his father, Shah Rukh who was Timur's son.
Kok-Gumbaz means "blue dome".
About 80km from Samarkand, Shakhrisabz means "green town".
Timur was born in a village near here in 1336.
Ak-Saray palace
Timur built Ak-Saray Palace (white palace), his summer palace here.
Construction began in 1380.
Unfortunately, all that remains are traces of its gigantic 65 m gate-towers, with blue, white and gold mosaics.
Above the entry of the Ak-Saray the Arabic writing reads "If you challenge our power - look at our buildings!"
Rustum said that most of the palace had been destroyed by the Persian king, Nadir Shah and the rest had fallen to ruin.
Khazrati- Iman Complex
The sign says that these plane trees were planted by Timur in 1370
The mausoleum houses the tomb of Jehangir who was Timur's favourite son.
Umar Sheikh, another of Timur's sons is also buried here.
The entrance to a nearby bunker which was originally built for Timur's burial.
Timur died in Samarkand and he is buried in an elaborate mausoleum there (which we had seen earlier).
Snow on the mountain passes prevented his body being brought here to Shakhrisabz.
Islamic tradition states that crypyts must not be left empty.
So the tomb houses the bodies of 2 ladies who died about the same time as Timur.
Kok-Gumbaz Mosque
This mosque was built by Ulugbek in 1437 in honour of his father, Shah Rukh who was Timur's son.
Kok-Gumbaz means "blue dome".
