Gur-Emir — "the tomb of the emir" — is the resting place of Tamerlane and the Timurid dynasty. History has its irony: the mausoleum was built for the conqueror's beloved grandson Muhammad Sultan, who died on campaign in 1403, yet two years later Tamerlane himself was buried here — the winter road to his native Shakhrisabz proved impassable.
The Dome That Inspired the Taj Mahal
The ribbed turquoise dome, almost 13 metres high, became the model for a whole line of great mausoleums — from Humayun's Tomb in Delhi to the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timurid descendants who remembered Samarkand. Inside is restrained magnificence: onyx panels, gilded ornament and Tamerlane's tombstone of dark-green jade, one of the largest jade monoliths in the world.
The actual graves lie in the crypt beneath the hall — the upper stones merely mark them. Beside Tamerlane rest his sons and his grandson Ulugbek, the great astronomer.
Guide's tip: come an hour before sunset, when the low sun gilds the dome, and stay for the illumination. There is an audio guide inside, but the story of "Tamerlane's curse" and the opening of the tomb in June 1941 is best heard from a live guide.