Must see attractions in Samarkand

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This ensemble of majestic, tilting medressas – a near-overload of majolica, azure mosaics and vast, well-proportioned spaces – is the centrepiece of the…

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The beautiful portal and trademark fluted azure dome of the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum marks the final resting place of Timur (Tamerlane), along with two sons…

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Samarkand’s most moving and beloved site is this stunning avenue of mausoleums, which contains some of the richest tilework in the Muslim world. The name,…

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The enormous congregational Bibi-Khanym Mosque, northeast of the Registan, was financed from the spoils of Timur's invasion of India and must have been…

On the northern side of the Registan is the Tilla-Kari (Gold-Covered) Medressa, completed in 1660, with a pleasant, gardenlike courtyard. The highlight…

The Ulugbek Medressa, on the western side of the Registan, is the square's original medressa, finished in 1420 under Ulugbek who is said to have taught…

The entrance portal of the Registan's Sher Dor (Lion) Medressa, opposite the Ulugbek Medressa and finished in 1636, is decorated with roaring felines that…

The Afrosiab Museum was built around one of Samarkand’s more important archaeological finds, a chipped 7th-century fresco of the Sogdian King Varkhuman (r…

The remains of Ulugbek’s 15th-century observatory is one of the great archaeological finds of the 20th century. Ulugbek was probably more famous as an…

Across Shahizinda ko'chasi from the Siob Bazaar, the Hazrat-Hizr Mosque occupies a hill on the fringes of Afrosiab. The 8th-century mosque that once stood…

Hidden in the Old Town on unmarked Denau is this working 19th-century synagogue, built in 1891 for Samarkand's Jewish community. The atmospheric hall has…

Those with adventurous taste buds can sign up for a tasting of eight wines, balzams and cognacs from the Hovrenko Wine Factory, which has been producing…

Across the street from Ishratkhana Mausoleum is the blue-domed Hoja Abdi Darun Mausoleum, which shares a tranquil, shady courtyard with a mosque and a…

Behind the ugly wall surrounding Gur-e-Amir is this unexpected 15th-century mausoleum, with some stunningly restored blue and gold decoration under the…

This glowering statue of Timur seated on his throne marks the boundary between the old Uzbek town and the Russian-designed new town. It's a major landmark…

The small, 19th-century Imon Mosque has an open porch, tall carved columns and a brightly restored ceiling. Respectfully dressed visitors are always…

The restored tomb of the Old Testament prophet Daniyar (Daniel) is a long, low structure topped with five domes, containing an 18m sarcophagus – legend…

If you prefer your ruins really ruined, it’s worth the slog out to the crumbling 15th-century Ishratkhana Mausoleum, newly topped by a tin roof. With a…

This brick mausoleum, dated 1380 and possibly the city’s oldest surviving monument, was renovated in 2015 and now serves as a souvenir and craft shop. The…

The Regional Studies Museum occupies an old Jewish merchant’s house, and has a lavish wing devoted to Jewish history, with old photos of Samarkand’s once…