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Statue of Amir Timur before the ruins of the Ak-Saray palace, Shakhrisabz

Amir Timur’s birthplace · Uzbekistan

Shakhrisabz travel guide

The ruins of the Ak-Saray palace, over the mountains from Samarkand.

Shakhrisabz, the "green city", is the town where Amir Timur was born in 1336. He planned his greatest palace here, the Ak-Saray, and the surviving fragments of its entrance arch are still enormous.

The drive from Samarkand over the Takhtakaracha Pass is part of the experience, with views over the Zarafshan range and roadside stalls selling honey and dried fruit.

Time needed
Day trip from Samarkand
Best time
April–May and September–October
Getting there
About 90 km south of Samarkand over the Takhtakaracha Pass, or a longer, easier road via Kitab.
UNESCO World Heritage
Inscribed 2000
ShakhrisabzDushanbeSamarkandBukharaTashkentFann MountainsSeven Lakes (Haft Kul)IskanderkulNurata & Lake AydarkulKhujandShymkent

Don’t miss

Sights in Shakhrisabz

Statue of Amir Timur before the ruins of the Ak-Saray palace, Shakhrisabz sightsAk-Saray Palace, Shakhrisabz: the giant portal of Timur’s summer palaceThe ruins of Ak-Saray, Timur’s summer palace in his home town of Shakhrisabz, its colossal surviving portal, the famous inscription, the Spanish ambassador’s account and how to visit. sightsDorus-Saodat, Shakhrisabz: Jahangir’s tomb and Timur’s empty cryptThe Dorus-Saodat complex in Shakhrisabz, with the mausoleum of Timur’s eldest son Jahangir, the Hazrati Imam mosque, and the crypt Timur prepared for himself but never used. sightsDorut-Tilavat, Shakhrisabz: Ulugbek’s Kok-Gumbaz mosque and family tombsThe Dorut-Tilavat complex in Shakhrisabz, with Ulugbek’s blue-domed Kok-Gumbaz mosque, the tomb of Timur’s father and spiritual teacher, and the Gumbazi Seyidon mausoleum.

Plan your visit

Shakhrisabz guides

Don’t miss

What to see in Shakhrisabz

  1. 01

    Ak-Saray Palace

    The colossal remains of Timur’s summer palace gate.

  2. 02

    Dorut Tilovat

    A complex of mosques and mausoleums including Kok Gumbaz.

  3. 03

    Dorus Saodat

    The crypt Timur built for himself, though he was buried in Samarkand.

  4. 04

    Takhtakaracha Pass

    The mountain road from Samarkand, open most of the year.

Tours

Tours that include Shakhrisabz

Nearby

Continue your journey

All of Uzbekistan
Domed tombs and a turquoise portal in SamarkandUNESCO UzbekistanSamarkandRegistan, Shah-i-Zinda and the blue domes of Amir Timur. 2–3 days UNESCO TajikistanPenjikentAncient Sogdian ruins and the gateway to the Fann Mountains. 1 day TajikistanSeven Lakes (Haft Kul)Seven lakes of changing colour in the Shing valley. Day trip, or 1 night in a homestay UzbekistanKarshiThe capital of Kashkadarya, with a 16th-century brick bridge and mosques from the age of Abdullah Khan. Half a day

Tour to Uzbekistan · Koshona street 75/1, Khiva, Uzbekistan · WhatsApp +998 91 920 94 20 · tours.uzbekistan@gmail.com · tourtouzbekistan.com/destinations/uzbekistan/shakhrisabz/

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