Ak-Saray Palace

Timur began the White Palace in Shahrisabz around 1380, and work went on for more than two decades. The Castilian envoy Ruy González de Clavijo passed through in 1404 and described courtyards, halls and decoration still being finished. Only the two pylons of the main portal survive today, but their height gives a sense of how large the gateway once was.

Look closely at the tilework on the inner faces of the pylons. Mosaic panels, glazed bricks and carved tiles form geometric patterns and lines of inscription, and some panels keep their gilding. Seen at the end of the long park, with a large statue of Timur in front of them, the ruins are the starting point of most walks through the historic centre.