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Gur-e Amir (Amir Timur, Tamerlane) mausoleum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The Gur-e Amir is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan). It occupies an important place in the history of Islamic Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored. When we just approached it at this early June morning, all the surroundings was quite empty, and it appeared to us as follows:





Gur-e Amir is Persian for "Tomb of the King". This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandson Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan.

You can watch this video below and also listen our guide comments on Amir Timur itself.



Dome itself at the time we came has been under process of renovation.



The monument is divided into three equal parts: a bulbous double dome of 35 meters high with 64 ribs, flanked by minarets 26 meters high.





The earliest part of the complex was built at the end of the 14th century by the orders of Muhammad Sultan. Now only the foundations of the madrasah and khanaka, the entrance portal and a part of one of four minarets remains.



entrance portal to the Muhammad Sultan ensemble is richly decorated with carved bricks and various mosaics. The decoration of the portal was accomplished by the skilled craftsman (ustad) Muhammad bin Mahmud Isfahani.





The exterior decoration of the walls consists of the blue, light-blue and white tiles organized into geometrical and epigraphic ornaments against a background of terracotta bricks.





Blue sign says - Fast Photo.

Inwardly the mausoleum appears as a large, high chamber with deep niches at the sides and diverse decoration. The lower part of the walls covered are by onyx slabs composed as one panel. Each of these slabs is decorated with refined paintings. Above the panel there is a marble stalactite cornice. Large expanses of the walls are decorated with painted plaster; the arches and the internal dome are ornamented by high-relief papier-mache cartouches, gilded and painted









The ornate carved headstones in the inner room of the mausoleum merely indicate the location of the actual tombs in a crypt directly underneath the main chamber. Under Ulugh Beg's government a solid block of dark green jade was placed over the grave of Tamerlane.





Formerly this stone had been used at a place of worship in the Chinese emperor's palace, then as the throne of Kabek Khan (a descendant of Genghis Khan) in Karshi. Next to Tamerlane's grave lie the marble tombstones of his sons Miran Shah and Shah Rukh and also of grandsons - Muhammad Sultan and Ulugh Beg. Tamerlane's spiritual teacher Mir Said Baraka, also rests here.



This place was used to be a water reservoir for camels. Now, it's souvenir shop. We can go in:



More pictures from back side of the mausoleum follows below:











Also a shot from a nearby street. Again note, all the cars except old Soviet Lada are Daewoo.



And we are saying bye to Amir Timur Mausoleum!

Read more about Uzbekistan:

Road from Tashkent to Samarkand - Uzbekistan 2009

Road from Tashkent to Samarkand - Uzbekistan 2009

Since today I am starting to share our trip impressions to Uzbekistan, where we was in July 2009. As a first introduction port - a bit about one of the central highways in Uzbekistan, heading from Tashkent to Samarkand.

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This is one of the best quality roads in Uzbekistan, quality is good enough, as it's one of the most busy used roads for cars traffic. 99.999 % cars in Uzbekistan consist or of Daewoo or old soviet union models still in exploitation.



Situation with speed is quite odd, as in all former soviet union. Limit is 90, but those Daewoo's drive as fast as 160 - 170 km/h, to get stopped 3 - 4 times on a road by police, which then get's bribed and then journey can continue.



WC's are available mostly in road cafe's and restaurant's as well as fuel stations. As this one.



Local's having meal near Samarkand - Tashkent highway.



You can also always stop by to buy a drink or snacks while on a road - you will for sure need a water if you can in summer to Uzbekistan - temperatures can reach as high as 40 - 45 degrees Celsium. And remember NOT to drink any water which you are not sure it's boiled. Never ever in Uzbekistan. It's not Taiwan.



Yellow ones are honey, while white one is a special, salty tasted snack popular in Uzbekistan called "khurt" - made from milk.



I bought to try them, salty. My wife did not risked eat them. Our guide all the time was telling us that you should not eat even the soups in smaller rural restaurants, as they may add there unboiled water. It can end by serious sick, and end your travel in hospital.



We ate on a road in this small restaurant.



Prepare for a much of insects and flies in Uzbekistan. This picture is what you are definitely going to see in front of your eyes, in virtually every restaurant in Uzbekistan.



We are invited in VIP room, with a sofas and separate table.



No matter where - you will be offered this kind of bread in Uzbekistan. Uzbek's eat very very fat food, plov - traditional rice & meat dish is very fat, and in case you do not eat it together with bread, you are under the risk to get stomach aches.



Very tasty milk based soup with green vegetables and egg, called "okroshka". But, again! I physically felt that there is water along with milk and that means, that you should be sure when order soup it's boiled.



This does not needs comments I guess



Uzbek's themselves prefer to sit in such chairs & tables on a carpet, and always outside of building. It's hot a way much more hot than in Taiwan.



Owner invites us come again - note the russian letter COMCA - it means - "somsa", another traditional food in Uzbekistan, bread with meat inside



Somsa get's prepared in such oven, see inside.

Stay tuned, in my next post, I am going to talk about Samarkand itself.