The portal pylons
About 38 m.
Hassan Gangu — CC0 · SAKRI — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Asadbek Abdivayitov — CC0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 4.0 · Jean Housen — CC BY-SA 4.0 · O'zimning ishim — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Khakberdiev — CC BY-SA 4.0 · RuslanAkhmedov — CC BY 4.0
The ruins of the great summer palace Timur built in his home town of Kesh, today's Shahrisabz; the name means «White Palace». Work began in 1380 and went on for 24 years until 1404, shortly before Timur's death, by craftsmen he brought from Khwarazm after conquering it. Only the two pylons of its colossal portal survive, about 38 m high, and the arch that once joined them spanned some 22 m. They are faced with glazed brick patterns in dark and light blue and ochre, including large calligraphic inscriptions. Abdullah Khan II of Bukhara destroyed the palace in the 16th century, the ruins were conserved between 1994 and 1998, and a colossal statue of Timur now stands on the palace site. Legend says the entrance bore the words «If you doubt our power, look at our buildings». The palace is part of the Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz, a World Heritage Site since 2000 and on the «in danger» list since 2016 because of modern building around it. Tickets are about 40,000 som for foreigners, per visitor guides. Shahrisabz lies about 80 km south of Samarkand over a mountain pass and is usually visited on a day trip together with Dorut Tilavat and Dor us-Siyodat.
About 38 m.
Blue and ochre.
On the palace site.
North of the historic centre, Shahrisabz
About 80 km south over a mountain pass; a day trip usually covers Ak-Saray, Dorut Tilavat and Dor us-Siyodat.
