Things to see and do Shahrisabz

The mosque was built by Ulugh Begh opposite the Shamsheddin Koulial Mausoleum in 1435. Before renovation, only the interior dome remained, 22 m high; today it is 36 m high. She gave her name to the mosque: Kok Goumbaz means "blue dome". The acoustics are perfect. The walls and the inner dome are entirely covered with fine polychrome geometric patterns. Notice the glazed bricks of the outside gate, you can clearly distinguish between old and new bricks.

Ak means "white", but was understood as "noble", because white was by no means the colour of Tamerlan's palace, whose walls were covered with azure and dark blue majolica. The first contact with this huge square was disappointing. Indeed, not much remains of the sumptuous palace that Clavijo's story allows us to imagine. The ruins of the portal are immense - 30 m - and still covered with majolica tiles, but the 22 m high vault did not resist the earthly attraction. The depredations are ancient, since it was the Emir of Bukhara who had the building destroyed in the 16th century: the palace, whose construction lasted more than a quarter of a century, cast a shadow over it. There is of course a legend about the architect of this palace : in the first version, once the palace was finished, Tamerlan asked the architect if he was capable of building an even more beautiful palace, the boaster answered yes, and was immediately thrown from the top of the walls; in the second version, the architect was supposed to inscribe at the foot of the arch, the following sentence: "The Sultan is the shadow of Allah" but, on one of the sides, he ran out of room, which gave: "The Sultan is the shadow"! In each tower, a spiral staircase climbs to the top from where there is a splendid view of the city and the snow-covered peaks to the south. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to climb the palace gates to enjoy the beautiful panorama of the city and its surroundings.

The grave that Tamerlan reserved for himself near his sons remained forgotten for a very long time and was rediscovered by chance in the 1940s. Its extreme sobriety is the opposite of the mausoleum in which he finally rests, the Gur Emir of Samarkand, and was more suited to his desires: just a tombstone engraved with prayers in a small, cool and silent crypt, the walls of which also bear inscriptions engraved in stone. It is one of the most interesting places to visit in Sharisabz, having been spared by the reconstruction.

This madrasa was transformed into a museum devoted to Timur's history. Educative, but not particularly interesting. Avoid unless you know nothing about the conqueror.

A hundred kilometres south of Shahrisabz, near the village of Tashkurgan, treks were organized a few years ago to visit the Tamerlane caves and search for traces of dinosaurs lost in the mountains. The area is now inaccessible.

South of Shahrisabz, take the direction of Gouzar; in Kamachi, turn east towards the village of Langar where you must see the Juma Mosque (Friday Mosque), then climb to the mausoleum of the most famous Saint of the region, Mohamed Sadik who lived in the th century. With perseverance, you can go by bus, but it's much simpler by taxi. Ask for advice from Hotel Shahrisabz staff.

At the foot of the Zeravchan chains, the dakhma of Khodja Public Khan died in the late th century, facing a deserted khanaka. On the hill, twelve wells owe their origin to this saint who would have raised pure water by touching the land of his stick.

From the birthplace of Timur there is only a small cemetery where turtles and snakes try to make good cleaning. Beware of tall herbs. Following the track, you can go back to Shahrisabz.

Its foundation dates back to the beginning of the first millennium BC. The three sites of Padayatak tepe, Sangir tepe and Uzunkyr are the ancient city of Kish-Nautaka. You can walk through the ruins of the citadel and fortifications. This archaeological site has an important study potential due to its uninterrupted occupation of the iron age in the Hellenistic period.

Built near the mausoleums in the 18th century, the mosque was named after an 8th-century saint whose body Tamerlan is said to have been brought back from Baghdad by Tamerlan. If the path leading to it is cluttered with tourist souvenirs, one can instead wander between the walls that mark the ancient foundations of the buildings that adjoined the mosque to make a large religious complex. It is in this small maze that the access to Tamerlan's crypt is located. Back in the central courtyard of the mosque, enjoy the shade of hundred-year-old trees with impressive trunks.

The "house of power and will" was built by Tamerlan for Djahangir, his favourite son, who died prematurely in 1375. Tamerlan's pain was immense and explains the construction of the mausoleum which, according to Clavijo, was decorated with gold and azure. The ensemble was largely destroyed by the Emir of Bukhara, together with the White Palace. But the mullahs managed to save some of it by making the Emir believe that the mausoleum of Jahangir supported that of a saint. Another son of Tamerlan, Omar Sheikh, lies in the deputy mausoleum.

This mausoleum, built by Ulugh Begh in 1437 for his family, is square in shape, surmounted by a cylindrical drum decorated with kufic inscriptions on which rests a blue dome. The interior is beautifully decorated with geometric, epigraphic and floral frescoes. Next to the family tombstones of Uulough Begh are the graves of the Sayyid, a dynasty from Termez, descendant of Hussain, grandson of Mohammed, who gave their name to the mausoleum.

The "house of meditation and contemplation" was built in the 13th century by a Muslim traveller who came to convert the local population to Islam. His descendants turned it into a madrasa, where the grandson of the Sufi sage taught, and where the grandson of Tamerlan's father was educated. For this reason, the emperor, upon the death of his father, decided to make it the burial place of the master and his disciple. The madrasa was enlarged and transformed, and the two mausoleums were covered by two domes. The complex was later completed by Ulugh Begh.

The-door covered market, the typical architecture of the shops located at the intersection of the shopping routes, was closed to the public at the time of our passage. It is expected to reopen its doors in the near future and host national souvenirs and crafts stands. In contrast, the new bazaar is cruelly lacking in charm. Again, it was not opened at the time of our passage but the locations for some fruit and vegetable stands were already marked. It is lined with empty shops that should surely host souvenirs and craft shops.

Visible in the main street of Shahrisabz, this mosque, high in 1914 next to the th century baths, was made to worship after independence. The baths were closed for renovation during our passage and no information was available on the fate reserved for them.

Before it was a caravanserai, the building housed a madrasa. In recent years, it hosted a carpet and clothing market where many backgammon players met all day. At the time of our visit, the caravanserai was being completely renovated. It has reopened and now hosts a restaurant (not the best in the country) and some traditional music concerts. Nothing exceptional.

This small khanaka built at the very beginning of the th century welcomed the dervishes. The small mosque is surrounded by cells where, at the beginning of the century, studied and lived des.

Based in Shahrisabz, Cholmurod Eshmuradov has been a guide for 30 years. He knows his region like the back of his hand. He can be contacted to organize hikes or treks in the mountains, discover villages and make excursions. Cholmurod is fluent in German, having studied in the GDR during the Soviet period, and also speaks English. He can organize everything, even in the remote corners of the mountains, off the beaten track. A good contact to be noted for discovering a region that is not very touristy.