Samarkand

Samarkand (Samarqand or Самарқанд in Uzbek, in Persian سمرقند) (population 400,000) is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan, capital of Samarqand Province. It is located at latitude 39° 39' 15, longitude 66° 57' 35E, at an altitude of 702 meters. The majority of the city's inhabitants are ethnically Tajik. In 2001, after several abortive attempts, UNESCO inscribed the 2700-year-old city on the World Heritage List as Samarkand - Crossroads of Cultures.

Major Sights

• Registan

One of the most awesome sights in Central Asia, if not one of the most remarkable in the world, the Registan was the center of medieval Samarkand. It consists of three huge madrassas, forming three sides surrounding a huge square.

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Ulugh Beg Madrassa on the west was finished in 1420 under Ulugh Beg himself, and contains mosaics with astronomical themes. About 100 students were taught the sciences, astronomy, and philosophy in addition to theology.

Related Topics:
Ulugh Beg - Astronomy - Philosophy - Theology

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Sherdor Madrassa on the east was completed in 1636 by the Shaybanid Emir Yalangtush as a mirror image of Ulugh Beg Madrassa, except with decoration of roaring lions, in blatant violation of Islamic rules.

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Tilla-Kari Madrassa in between was completed in 1660, with a golden decoration and with a pleasant courtyard.

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• Bibi-Khanym Mosque

This gigantic ruined mosque was built by Timur's Mongol wife, Bibi-Khanym, while Timur was away campaigning. Bibi-Khanym was the niece of Genghis Khan. According to legend, the architect fell madly in love with her, and refused to complete the job unless she agreed to kiss him. The kiss left a mark, and the outraged Timur ordered both killed, and decreed that thenceforth the women of his empire would wear veils in the Arab-style. In any event, the mosque, with its main gate over 35 meters tall, was one of the largest and grandiose buildings in Samarkand. It mostly collapsed in an earthquake in 1897.

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• Shah-i-Zinda

The most beautiful of Samarkand?s sights is the ?Tomb of the Living King". The complex is based on the grave of Qusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, which brought Islam to this area. His shrine is one of the oldest buildings in Samarkand. According to legend, he is not dead, but only sleeping and his tomb draws thousands of pilgrims. The approach to the tomb is a vast necropolis built on the ruins of the ancient Sogdian city. The major tombs belong to Timur and Ulugh Beg?s extended family and favorites, and are covered in fantastic majolica tile work.

Related Topics:
Qusam ibn Abbas - Muhammad - Islam - Necropolis - Sogdian - Majolica

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• Guri Amir Mausoleum

Guri Amir is Tajik for ?Tomb of the King?. This small complex with a azure dome contains the tombs of Timur, sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandson Ulugh Beg and Mohammed Sultan. Also honored with places in the tomb are Timur?s teachers, Sheikh Umar and Mersaid Baraka. Timur built a tomb in Shahrisabz intended for himself, and this complex in Samarkand for his sons. However, when Timur died on campaign during the invasion of China, the passes to Shahrisabz were snowed in, so he was buried here instead. The inner room of the mausoleum was decorated in gold; however, the ornate carved stones are only facades: the actual tombs are in a crypt directly underneath. Timur?s stone was a solid block of dark green jade. In 1740, the Persian warlord Nadir Shah stole the stone, but it broke in two and he started to have a run of extremely bad luck. His advisors urged that he return the stone to its rightful place immediately. The second time the stone was disturbed was in 1941 when Soviet archaeologists opened the crypt. They discovered that Timur was indeed lame, and confirmed that Ulugh Bek had indeed been beheaded. However, they also invoked the curse, as the very next day, the Nazi?s invaded Russia.

Related Topics:
Timur - Shah Rukh - Miran Shah - Ulugh Beg - Shahrisabz - Jade - Persian - Nadir Shah - Soviet

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• Main Bazaar

Extending around and behind Bibi Khanym Mosque, things have been unchanged for centuries.

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• Afrasiab ruins

Northeast of the Main Bazaar is the 2.2 sw km archaeological site of ancient Samarkand (Marakanda) or Afrasiab, mostly exposed to the elements. The Afrasiab Museum has some 7th century Sogdian frescos. Of note is the purported tomb of Daniel, the Old Testament prophet.?The restored building is a long, low structure with five domes, containing an immense 18-meter long sarcophagus. According to legend, Daniel?s body grows by half an inch per year, thus the long tomb.

Related Topics:
Afrasiab - Sogdian - Daniel - Old Testament

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• Ulugh Beg Observatory

Ulugh Beg was probably more famous as an astronomer than a ruler. His works on astronomy were known even in Europe. In the 1420s, he built an immense, 3-story tall astrolabe, one of the largest ever constructed, in order to measure the positions of the stars with unprecedented accuracy. The ruins were unearthed in 1908.

Related Topics:
Ulugh Beg - Astronomy - Astrolabe

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• State Museum

This crumbling and largely ignored museum contains serious exhibitions on local archaeology, history, and folk crafts.

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