Mausoleum Gur-e Amir, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Gur-Emir is the tomb of Tamerlane, in Samarkand, a fine example of Turkish-Tartar art. It is a earthy building from which stands the brilliance of the mosaics.
The beautiful portal and trademark fluted azure dome of the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum marks the final resting place of Timur, along with two sons and two grandsons. It’s a surprisingly modest building, largely because Timur was never expecting to be buried here. The tilework and dome are particularly beautiful; be sure to return at night when the building is spotlit to grand effect.
Timur had built a simple crypt for himself at Shakhrisabz, and had this one built in 1404 for his grandson and proposed heir, Mohammed Sultan, who had died the previous year. But the story goes that when Timur died unexpectedly of pneumonia in Kazakhstan (in the course of planning an expedition against the Chinese) in the winter of 1405, the passes back to Shakhrisabz were snowed in and he was interred here instead.
Epic Uzbekistan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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