Gur-e-Amir began in 1403 as a tomb for Timur's grandson, then became Timur's own resting place after his death in 1405, finished under his grandson Ulugh Beg. A single ribbed turquoise dome covers the octagonal chamber, and Timur's cenotaph is a slab of dark jade; the real burials lie in a crypt below floor level, holding Timur alongside two sons and two grandsons.
Soviet archaeologist Mikhail Gerasimov exhumed and reconstructed Timur's face from his skull in 1941 – worth knowing before you go, since it adds real weight to standing over the actual crypt.
Local tip: Ticketed entry covers the mausoleum interior; the exterior dome is visible free from the surrounding street if you're short on time.
Good to know
- Where: Universitetskiy Boulevard, Samarkand
- City: Samarkand
Plan your visit to Samarkand