# Shakhrisabz

Shakhrisabz (Uzbek and Tajik: Шаҳрисабз; Persian: شهر سبز‎; Russian: Шахрисабз) is a city of 100,000 people (2014) in Qashkadarya, Uzbekistan. The Historic Centre of Shahrisabz was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000.

## Understand

Shakhrisabz is the hometown of Temur (also transliterated "Timur" and known as Tamerlane) and everything in Shakhrisabz is connected with his name. Temur was born in 1336 at the village of Hoja Ilghar, about 13 km south of Shakhrisabz. Temur's father Amir Taragai, his spiritual adviser Shamsedin Kulyol, and his eldest sons Jahangir and Omar Sheikh were buried here. The name Shakhrisabz is Tajik and means "green city".

### History

Archaeological excavations have found traces of occupation by farming communities in the 1st millennium BC. In the Middle Ages the town was called Kesh. It became important in the 14th century. Temur (Tamerlane) was born in a village nearby and the tribe to which he belonged controlled the city. Temur was already governor of Kesh at the age of 25. He defeated the Turkish sultan Bayezid and the Golden Horde and led triumphant campaigns in Iran, the Caucasus, India and Asia Minor. At the height of his power his kingdom stretched from Egypt to Kashgar and Kyiv and Moscow were its protectorates. Timur created the vast state of Movarounnahr and became its absolute emir. He made Samarkand his capital and Shakhrisabz his second capital.

## Get in

Shakhrisabz is about 60 km from Samarkand over the 1,780 m high Takhzakaracha Pass. From January to March the pass may be closed, which makes a detour of about 3 hours necessary.
Shared taxis leave Samarkand from just outside the Registon Supermarket on So'zangaron ko'chasi (Suzangaran St), just south of the Registan. The cost of a seat in a shared taxi is about 20,000 som (2017) and the travel time is about 90 minutes. Taxis might go to Kitab only, so that you have to take another taxi for the last 10 km.
Shakhrisabz is about 280 km from Bukhara via Qarshi (Karhsi). At Bukhara shared taxis leave from across the Sharq Bus Station east of the city center. The trip takes about 4 hours and costs about 12,000 som (2007). Sometimes you will have to change taxis at Qarshi (Karhsi), 120 km from Shakhrisabz.

## Get around

* Jadgar Valomi Medressah, Mosque and Ark at Eski Jakkabog
* Temur's Cave and Dinosaur Tracks in the Hisor Mountain Range on the border to Tajikistan

## See

* 39.06077666.8294751 Ak Saray Palace (White Palace). 09:00-18:00. Ak Saray means "white palace". The term "ak" has also the meaning "generous", "aristocratic" or "majestic". Temur's chronicler Sherif Eddin Ali Yezdi reported that the world has not seen a similar building before the point of which extends from earth to the height of heaven. The palace was founded in the hours predicted by astrology. Its construction was begun in 1380 after Temur's conquest of Konye Urgench in Khorezm. Artisans from Khorezm were brought here to work on the palace and create its rich decoration. In 1396 the construction works were almost completed. The Spanish ambassador Clavigo reports that the decoration works still continued in 1404. The dimensions of the building can be perceived when looking at the gate towers: the two towers were 50 m high and had an arch with a span of 22 m. The buildings were destroyed in the 16th cent. by order of the ruler of Bukhara, Abdullah Khan. The legend tells that Abdullah Khan was riding to Shahrizabs and saw the palace at a distance. He sent a messenger to the city as he thought that he was already near of it. The messengers nearly died of exhaustion, but the palace was still far away. The khan got angry and ordered the palace to be destroyed. The architecture of the palace is similar to Khoja Ahmed Yasavi Mausoleum in Turkestan/Kazakhstan which was built on the orders of Temur. Archaeological excavations south of Ak Saray have revealed the rich decorated cover of the floor and rich architectural decoration consisting of majolica, marble and combination of terracotta and ornamental mosaic. Only the piles of the portals are left from Ak-Saray. The piles were built as 50-m-high round towers with spiral stairs inside. Today, the towers are 38 m high. The size of the palace is impressive: the main courtyard was about 120 m wide and 240 m long. Calculations from the proportions of the surviving elements let us assume that the length of the main portal was 70 m and that the towers at the corners were more than 80 m high. The 22 m wide span of the arch of the main entrance was the largest in Central Asia. The mosaic and majolica work in the niche of the portal is particularly refined. The delicate foliage ornamentation also contains calligraphic inscriptions of verses from the Quran as well as a few secular inscriptions. In the middle of the decoration an inscription gives the date of the completion 798 (1395/1396) and the name of the craftsman Muhammad Yusuf Tebrizi from Tabriz/Persia. The legend tells that the architect after Temur had explained his plans started to make foundations blocks from clay mixed with gold. When Temur asked why he did that, the architect answered that he wanted to be sure that Temur was determined to construct a building that required vast expenditures. 1000 som.
* 39.0499166.829812 Dorus Saodat Complex. Dorus Saodat means "repository of power". This vast complex was the burial place of the ruling family and contained a prayer hall, a mosque and accommodation for the religious community and pilgrims. The main facade was decorated with white marble and the tomb of Temur is a masterpiece of art of this period. Dorus Saodat Complex dates from the same time as Ak-Saray. Construction works began in 1379. The idea was to create a monumental building combining tomb, ziaratkhona (common hall for morning ceremonies), mosque, room for clergy, Quran readers and pilgrims. The main facade of the building had a powerful portal and its dome was only a little bit smaller than Ak-Saray. The building of Ak-Saray was intended to turn Shahrizabs into the second capital of the empire. The creation of the Dorus Saodat expressed Temur's wish to turn Shahrizabs into the spiritual center of Movarounahr. Each pile contained a mausoleum. Today only the left part of the portal is preserved, containing the tomb of Jahangir. The buildings of the Dorus Saodat Complex were destroyed by the forces of the Sheybanid ruler Abdullah Khan in the second half of the 16th century, but the mausoleum of Jahangir survived.
* Tomb of Jehangir. Jehangir was Timur's eldest son who died at the age of 22. The mausoleum consists of a high square room with the arch on the axis. The prototype of this construction was the Mausoleum of Turabekh Khanum in Konye Urgench, dating from the 1360s. The mausoleum is also the resting place of Timur's second son Umar Sheikh who was killed at the age of 29 during the siege of Kurd in Iran.
* 39.0495866.831743 Crypt of Temur (behind Jahangir's mauseolum). Temur's crypt was discovered in 1963 in an underground room. The room is plain except of inscriptions from the Quran on the arches. In the middle of the room is a large stone casket with inscriptions about Temur. It is therefore supposed that the crypt was intended for him. Temur, however, is buried in the Gur Emir Mausoleum in Samarkand. The marble sarcophagus has a large space on the top which was left for the future epitaph of Temur.
* 39.0495666.827184 Dorut Tilavat (west of Dorus Saodat complex). The Dorut Tilavat ensemble is part of the remains of Temur's memorial ensemble of burials and religious buildings. The buildings were erected mainly during the reign of Ulugbek. This complex contains the graves of Temur's father Taragay and his spiritual tutor Sheikh Shamsaddin Kulyal.
* Mausoleum of Sheikh Shamseddin Kulyal (behind Kok Gumbaz). Timur's father Taragay died in 1360. When Temur came to power 10 years later he ordered the body of his father to be moved near the grave of the much respected Sheikh Shamsaddin Kulyal. It is said that Temur explained his military success by Sheikh Shamsaddin Kulyal's prayers, Zaynuddin Havasi's care and Sayid Bereke's blessing. Sheikh Shamsaddin Kulyal died in 1371 and Taragay was placed near his grave two years later. Sheikh Shamsaddin Kulyal was a famous Sufi teacher. He was also called "Amiri Kalyaon (Great Emir)" and was the teacher of the famous Sheikh Bahauddin from Bukhara and of Temur's father Taragay.
* 39.0549366.831755 Kok Gumbaz Mosque (Friday Mosque), Ipak Yoli. 09:00-18:00. The mosque was built in 1435 under the reign of Ulugbek opposite the mausoleum of Kulyal on the same axe. It is a large Friday mosque used for public prayers at Fridays. The name Kok Gumbaz means "blue dome". It was built by Temur's grandson Ulug Bek in honour of his father Shah Rukh. Inscriptions from the Quran cover great parts of the dome. 2500 som.
* Gumbazi Seydon Mausoleum (south of Kulyal Mausoleum). This mausoleum was built by order of Ulegbek in 1437/38 - according to the inscriptions on the walls for his own descendants. It is not clear whether any of his relatives are buried in it. The mausoleum contains several marble gravestones of the 15th to 17th cent. They mention names of seyids from Termiz and the monument was called Gumbazi Seydon ("Seyids' Cupola"). The design of the interior is typical for the time of Ulugbek with decorations of blue colours on a white background.
* 39.0535466.827666 Chorsu Bazaar and Baths. The covered bazaar was built in the town center at the crossroads of two main streets in the form of an octagon with a central cupola. The octagon has entrances into corner rooms. Along the perimeter of the octagon were shops. The building is dominated by the high central dome. As the other markets in the Middle East Chorsu has no decorations. Its effect is defined by its architectural forms. The building dates from the 18th century. The baths were rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of the 15th-century baths. They are heated by an elaborate network of underground conduits and are still in use today.
* 39.0568566.83027 Amir Temur Museum, Ipak Yoli. 09:00-17:00. The museum has a model of Temur's empire from Egypt to Kashgar and some artefacts from Buddhist and Zoroastrian times. 2000 som.

## Buy

Shahrizabs is renowned for a distinctive type of embroidery, a very flat stitch that covers the base fabric entirely. Purses and pillows with embroideries are famous throughout Uzbekistan.

## Eat

* Kulolik Chaikhana, Ipak Yoli.
* Kafe Sharqona, Opposite Hotel Shahrisabz Orient. Grill restaurant serving chicken, lamb and rice dishes. Meal for two including beer less than 30,000 som (2017). (updated Oct 2017)

## Sleep

* 39.0576266.827931 Schachrisabz Orient Star Hotel, 26, Ipak Juli Str, ☏ +998 7552 20638. In the center of the old town, 30 rooms. The hotel is frequented by tour groups, advance reservation is advisable.
* 39.0505266.85172 Hotel Bek, Ok Saroi, 58/1, Shakhrisyabz, 181305, ☏ +998 755 224 700. A family-run hotel just outside the centre of town, nice clean rooms with en-suite bathroom, TV, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. English spoken by the manager. Lovely people, very helpful. It is possible to get marshrutka number 9 just outside the hotel to/from the centre for 1000 som per person. 140,000 som for a double room, breakfast included. (updated May 2018)

## Connect

As of Sep 2024, Shakhrisabz and its approach highways have 4G from all Uzbek carriers, though the signal is poor crossing the mountains from Samarkand. 5G has not reached town.

## Go next

Buses and shared taxis leave from the long distance bus station south of the town. There are about 6 buses to Tashkent per day, travel time 8 hours, costs 4000 som (2007). Shared taxis need about 5 hours and a seat costs about 12000 som (2007).
Shakhrisabz is about 60 km from Samarkand over the 1780 m high Takhzakaracha Pass. From Jan to Mar the pass may be closed, which makes a detour of about 3 hours necessary. The cost of a seat in a shared taxi is about 20,000 som (2017) and the travel time is about 90 min. You might have to take a taxi to Kitab, about 10 km from Shakhrisabz and change taxis there. Shared taxis arrive at Samarkand at Suzangaran, about 100 m south of the Registan marshrutka stop.
Shakhrisabz is about 280 km from Bukhara via Qarshi (Karhsi). The trip takes about 4 hours and costs about 12,000 som (2007). Sometimes you will have to change taxis at Qarshi (Karhsi), 120 km from Shakhrisabz. At Bukhara shared taxis arrive across the Sharq Bus Station east of the city center.