Gur-i Amir, Samarkand

Gur-i Amir, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Visited September 2008

The Gur-i Amir is the mausoleum of Timur, historically known as Tamerlane or Timurlane, who died in 1405 CE. Tamerlane was a great Persian ruler and conqueror, who founded the Timurid Dynasty and Timurid Empire in Persia and Central Asia.

Although the building is greatly restored, you can see from the shape and decoration how it became the influence for later tombs in Asia, in particular those of Mughal India (such as the Taj Mahal).

The mausoleum contains the tombs not only of Tamerlane, but also two of his sons, two of his grandsons and his teacher, and it was the family crypt of the Timurid Dynasty.

The mausoleum has wonderful tiled decoration in vivid blues and greens. Much of it was restored during the period Uzbekistan was part of the USSR (during this time, Tamerlane was exhumed in 1941 and reburied in the mausoleum in 1942).

A lovely place - if you go to Samarkand, then do make sure you get to this site as part of your visit.

Persian manuscript showing Tamerlane on a throne.