Mausoleums9 km away
Polish War Cemetery, Shahrisabz
A cemetery of Polish soldiers who died in 1942 while the Anders Army was being formed near Shahrisabz.
Kitab International Latitude Station
An observatory in Kitab opened on 14 November 1930 to track the wobble of the Earth's axis along the 39°08′ N parallel.
Museums1930
About the place
The station opened in Kitab on 14 November 1930 as part of the International Latitude Service, a chain of observatories on the same parallel, about 39°08′ north, that measured how the Earth's pole slowly wanders. Watching the same stars from several longitudes let astronomers separate that motion from local error.
Observers here also tracked comets: during the 1985–1986 return of Halley's comet the station made 540 measurements. It now belongs to the geodynamics department of the Uzbek Astronomical Institute. Visits are best arranged in advance; plan about an hour, and combine it with nearby Shahrisabz.
Why go
- Opened 14 November 1930
- On the 39°08′ N latitude chain
- 540 observations of Halley's comet
Sources (2)
Nearby
- Mausoleums
Ensembles9 km awayUNESCO World Heritage
Ak-Saray Palace
The remains of Amir Timur's summer palace in his home town: two huge fragments of the entrance arch, still covered in blue, white and gold tilework.
Ensembles10 km awayUNESCO World Heritage
Amir Timur Monument, Shakhrisabz
A statue of Amir Timur in the historic centre of Shakhrisabz, his home town, unveiled in 1996 for the 660th anniversary of his birth.
Ensembles10 km awayUNESCO World Heritage
Chubin Madrasa
A 16th-century madrasa facing Ak-Saray in Shahrisabz, named after the old timber market and now home to the city's history museum.