Gur-e-Amir from outside

Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand

Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum · Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Foto: Bgag · CC0

Timur's resting place: an imperial mausoleum beneath a ribbed blue dome.

Antes de ir · Know before you go

  • Don't touch the tombstones or interior decoration
  • whether flash is allowed inside follows the signs on site.

Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.

Stories & people

Historias y personajes

Historia

A tomb built for a grandson became the resting place of three generations

In 1403 Timur's heir and favourite grandson, Muhammad Sultan, died suddenly, and Timur ordered a mausoleum built for him. Two years later Timur himself was buried here, and later his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and his grandson Ulugh Beg were buried here too. During his reign Ulugh Beg placed a single block of dark-green jade on his grandfather's tomb.

Timur1320s–1405Ulugh Beg1394–1449

Fuente: Wikipedia: Gur-e-Amir

Leyenda

Timur's curse

On 19 June 1941 the Soviet anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened Timur's tomb to study his remains and reconstructed his face from the skull. Legend says the coffin bore the inscription: 'Whoever opens my tomb shall unleash an invader more terrible than I.' People around Gerasimov said this was a made-up story, but by coincidence, three days after the tomb was opened, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

Timur1320s–1405

Fuente: Wikipedia: Timur

Culture

Cultura y costumbres

Contexto cultural

Gur-e-Amir means 'Tomb of the King'. In 1403 Timur began building it for his grandson and heir, Muhammad Sultan, who had died suddenly; Timur himself was buried here in 1405, and it became the Timurid family mausoleum. The towering ribbed turquoise dome outside complements the jade tombstone and gilded paintings inside, and its design deeply influenced later Mughal mausoleums.

Costumbres locales

  • It is quite dark inside, so tread softly. On-site guides mostly speak English
  • you can book a guide in other languages in advance if needed (check official websites).

Religión y creencias

The mausoleum holds the remains of several Muslim rulers and is a religious site. Dress respectfully, women are advised to cover their hair, and don't speak loudly inside.

Etiquette

Normas y tabúes

Normas que se aplican aquí

Línea rojaModales cotidianosUzbekistan

Uzbekistan: change money only at official outlets

  • Change money at official exchange points, and get cash in big cities before heading to smaller places
  • Changing money on the black market

Black-market currency exchange is illegal.

Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Uzbekistan travel advice

Línea rojaModales cotidianosUzbekistan

Uzbekistan: always carry your passport

  • Carry your original passport at all times
  • Leaving your passport at the hotel

The law requires you to carry it; police check often, and you may be fined or arrested if you don't.

Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Uzbekistan travel advice

No lo haga DON'T

  • Don't touch the tombstones or interior decoration
  • whether flash is allowed inside follows the signs on site.

Lo que aprecian los locales DO

  • Locals feel deep national pride in Timur, whose equestrian statue stands in the city centre
  • the blue dome has become a symbol of Samarkand.

Plan your visit

Información práctica

Consejos de viaje

The mausoleum is in the old city, within walking distance of Registan Square. At dusk the dome glows gold and blue in the setting sun — a great time for photos.

Eat nearby

Qué comer cerca

Imprescindible

  • Plov
  • Brochettes (kebabs)
  • Manti

Plov, shashlik, manty (large steamed dumplings), shurpa (lamb soup), non

Dónde comerOld-town restaurants around the mausoleum, restaurants and cafés along University Boulevard
Normas en la mesaKeep quiet, dress properly and don't eat or drink inside the mausoleum
Precio orientativo por personaUZS 60,000–120,000 ≈ CNY 33–66
ConsejosThe mausoleum's exterior lighting is beautiful at dusk — have dinner first, then visit at night.

Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.

Manti (large steamed dumplings)
Manti (large steamed dumplings)
Peretz Partensky from San Francisco, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

Photos

Fotos

Fuentes y notas de verificación

Wikipedia:Gur-e-Amir