Samarkand
About Samarkand
Samarkand is a city in Uzbekistan known for its mosques and mausoleums. It's on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking China to the Mediterranean. Prominent landmarks include the Registan, a plaza bordered by 3 ornate, majolica-covered madrassas dating to the 15th and 17th centuries, and Gur-e-Amir, the towering tomb of Timur (Tamerlane), founder of the Timurid Empire. Shah-i-Zinda is a street lined with lavishly decorated mausoleums that are Muslim pilgrimage sites. The massive 15th-century Bibi-Khanym Mosque, completely rebuilt since the 1970s, stands next to the city's large outdoor market, the Siyob Bazaar. Outside the city center, the ruins of the hill fort of Afrasiyab date back to the 7th century B.C. and are known for rare Sogdian wall murals. The Ulugh Beg Observatory and museum sheds light on the scientific achievements of the city's 15th-century astronomers.
Registan
Registan was the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand of the Timurid Empire. The name Rēgistan means a sandy place or desert in Persian. Registan was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzharchis and a place of public executions. It is framed by three madrasahs of distinctive Islamic architecture.
Gur-e-Amir
Gur-i Amīr or Guri Amir is a mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Timur in Samarkand. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah, and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan, also honored with a place in the tomb is Timur's teacher Sayyid Baraka.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Bibi-Khanym Mosque also variously spelled as Khanum, Khanom, Hanum, Hanim is one of the most important monuments of Samarkand. In the 15th century, it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. According to the manuscripts, the mosque was erected by the order of Timur in 1399-1405. It possesses the traits typical for many Muslim medieval constructions, especially aivanyard compositions.
Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand
Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand is a museum located at the historical site of Afrasiyab, one of the largest archaeological sites in the world and the ancient city that was destroyed by the Mongols in the early 13th century. Among the artifacts, one can find the remains of ancient swords, ossuaries, knives, and other sharp objects, arrows, coins, ceramics, ancient manuscripts and books, statues, and other ancient objects of everyday life.
Shah-i-Zinda
Shah-i-Zinda is a necropolis in the north-eastern part of Samarkand and includes mausoleums and other ritual buildings of the 9th,14th, and 19th centuries. The ensemble comprises three groups of structures: lower, middle, and upper connected by four-arched domed passages locally called chartak.
Ulugh Beg Observatory
The Ulugh Beg Observatory is an observatory in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It was built in 1420 by the Timurid astronomer Ulugh Beg and is considered by scholars to have been one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world. Islamic astronomers who worked at the observatory include Al-Kashi, Ali Qushji, and Ulugh Beg himself.
Rukhobod Mausoleum
Rukhobod Mausoleum is the resting place of Tamerlane's religious advisor, Sheikh Burhanuddin Sagarji. The arched entrance is decorated with blue glazed tiles, and the vaulted pavilion inside is also covered by glazed tiles.
Ishratkhana Mausoleum
Ishrat Khanah or Ishrat Khaneh was built as a dynastic tomb for the royal women of the Timurid house in the 15th century. The name of the tomb, which means 'the house of pleasure', refers to its once richly decorated interiors.
Sherdor Madrasa
Sherdor Madrasa is an ornate 17th-century madrassa built on the Registan Square is covered in tile and tiger mosaics. The name is translated as “Madrassah with Lions”. On the outside and inside this Madrasah is decorated with bright ornaments of glazed brick, walls and towers are covered with majolica of various patterns of climber flowers and quotations from Kuran on Arabic.
Amir Temur Haykali
Amir Temur is the most revered person in Uzbekistan. In the heart of Samarkand, his tall statue is befitting to his personality. There is a big nice park behind the statue.
Best Time To Visit Samarkand
The best time to visit Samarkand is from April to June and during August and September.
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