"For lust of knowing what should not be known
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand."
-James Elroy Flecker
The Gur-E-Amir Mausoleum houses the remains of Timur, along with two of his sons and two of his grandsons. Timur didn't mean to be buried here; he originally built this in 1404 for his grandson and heir. But when Timur died suddenly, they seized the moment and buried him here.
These structures have all been rebuilt, a guide told us that when she originally started working, these monuments were just ruins. But now they are beautiful.
The actual crypt is below this level, these are empty tombs.
Some fellow tourists.
The Ulugbek Observatory was originally built in the 1420s - the ruler built his own astronomy lab that was used to observe star positions.
The entrance to the Observatory.
After I asked them to smile...
On the way to the Avenue of Mausoleums, we passed a modern cemetery.
The Shah-i-Zinda is a complex of mausoleums, full of stunning tile work. The holiest shrine is the gave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed, who is credited with bringing Islam to this part of the world in the seventh century.
Close ups of the tile work.
The grave of Qusam.
The Avenue of Mausoleums.
A visit to the market...
Decorative bread.
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