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Siab Bazaar

Samarkand's main food market, next to Bibi-Khanym, known for its round stamped bread, dried fruit, nuts and spices.

BazaarsUNESCO World HeritageAbout 1.5 hours to see

About the place

The bazaar takes its name from the Siab stream that runs nearby, and trading here goes back many centuries. Today it is a working market where city families do their shopping, not a show for visitors.

Look for Samarkand non, thick round loaves stamped with patterns, sold from carts and stalls. Long rows of dried apricots, raisins, almonds and pistachios fill the covered halls, along with spices, sweets, fresh fruit and vegetables in season.

Traders usually offer tastes. Prices for visitors are often a starting point for friendly bargaining.

Sources (1)

  1. 1.Wikidata

Nearby

  • Bibi-Khanym MosqueEnsembles

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Bibi-Khanym Mosque

    The great Friday mosque that Timur built after his campaign in India, with a vast entrance portal and blue domes beside Siab Bazaar.

  • Maddokhi MosqueEnsembles

    Under 1 km away

    Maddokhi Mosque

    A small late 19th-century neighbourhood mosque behind Bibi-Khanym in Samarkand, with a carved wooden porch and a courtyard pool.

  • Bibi-Khanym MausoleumMausoleums

    Under 1 km away

    Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum

    The domed tomb of Saray Mulk Khanum, Timur's senior wife, across the street from the great Bibi-Khanym mosque in Samarkand.

  • Hazrat Khizr MosqueEnsembles

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Hazrat Khizr Mosque

    A small mosque on a hill between Afrasiyab and the old city, with painted wooden porches and a view over Bibi-Khanym and Siab Bazaar.