UZBEKISTAN · 12 DAYS
Silk Road in depth
The four cities plus the Fergana Valley's silk and ceramics, Timur's birthplace at Shakhrisabz, and a night in a yurt in the Kyzylkum.
Guide price from US$2,190 per person
Uzbekistan · A day trip from Samarkand
Shakhrisabz
Timur's birthplace, over the Takhtakaracha pass from Samarkand, with the ruined gate of his Ak-Saray palace still forty metres high.
Why go
Why Shakhrisabz
Shakhrisabz is a day trip from Samarkand that most itineraries skip, which is why it is worth doing. The drive over the pass is beautiful, the town is quiet, and the gateway of the Ak-Saray palace, which Timur built to outdo anything in Samarkand, gives you a sense of scale nothing else does.
See and do
What to see
- Ak-Saray
- Only the gate towers remain, and they are enormous. Built 1380 to 1404.
- Dorut Tilovat
- The Kok Gumbaz mosque and the mausoleums beside it.
- Dorus Saodat
- The crypt Timur built for himself and never used.
- The Takhtakaracha pass
- The road itself, with views back over the Zarafshan valley.
Practical
When and how
- How long
- A day trip from Samarkand
- Best time
- April to June and September to October. The pass can close briefly after winter snow.
- Getting there
- About ninety kilometres from Samarkand by road, two hours each way with stops.
Tours
Trips that go to Shakhrisabz
Plan a trip
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