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Crypt of Amir Timur

A small underground chamber with a single stone sarcophagus that Timur had prepared for himself in Shahrisabz, though he was buried in Samarkand.

MausoleumsUNESCO World Heritage14th centuryAbout 15 minutes to see

About the place

Timur died in 1405 on a winter campaign towards China. Snow blocked the passes to Shahrisabz, and his body was taken to Samarkand instead, where he lies in the Gur-e-Amir. The crypt he had built at home was left unused.

Steps lead down to a plain vaulted room with a stone sarcophagus in the middle. The chamber was rediscovered in the 20th century behind the Dorus Saodat complex. It is small and simple, and the contrast with the scale of Ak-Saray is part of what makes it worth a short visit.

Sources (1)

  1. 1.Wikidata

Nearby

  • Dorus Saodat ComplexMausoleums

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Dorus Saodat Complex

    The family burial ground Timur planned for himself and his sons; today the tall mausoleum of his eldest son Jahangir is its main surviving building.

  • Shamsuddin Kulol MausoleumMausoleums

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Shamsuddin Kulol Mausoleum

    The brick tomb in Shahrisabz's Dorut Tilavat complex traditionally linked to Timur's teacher Shamsuddin Kulol and his father Amir Taragay.

  • Mausoleums

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Gumbazi Sayyidon Mausoleum

    Small domed mausoleum built in 1437–1438 by Ulugh Beg in the Dorut Tilovat complex of Shahrisabz, part of the World Heritage historic centre.

  • Dorut Tilavat ComplexEnsembles

    Under 1 km awayUNESCO World Heritage

    Dorut Tilavat Complex

    A quiet religious quarter in Shahrisabz with Ulugbek's Kok Gumbaz mosque, the tomb of the Sufi teacher Shamsiddin Kulol and the Gumbazi Seyidan mausoleum.