Gur-Emir Mausoleum (“the tomb of the king»)
Gur Emir Mausoleum – is, bearing the cylindrical tower topped with fluted dome. Walls of the octagonal building trimmed with white, light blue and blue tiles, on the background of unglazed bricks, combined in geometric ornament. The apparent simplicity of design guessed solemnity and monumentality of the architecture of the family tomb of Tamerlane.
The mausoleum was built in the south-eastern part of Samarkand and became a part of the complex of Sultan Muhammad, who was planning it as a center of Islamic education, which follows from the remnants of the destroyed buildings: madrasah, khanaka and four minarets. Unfortunately, ambitious plans went awry, and Sultan Muhammad died in a campaign being quite young. His all-powerful grandfather (Timur), saddened by the sudden loss of beloved grandson in 1403 began the construction of the tomb, which was finished by his another grandson Ulugbek. Tomb became the shrine of Tamerlane family.
The interior of the tomb is royal magnificence and luxury. The walls painted by blue with gold paint and finished to the bottom with the marble panel and a frieze of carved inscriptions. At the tomb of Tamerlane, even during Ulukbek there was set jade plate of dark green color, which previously served as a place of worship at the court of the Emperor of China, and earlier it was the throne of Kabek Khan (a descendant of Genghis Khan).
The real tombs of Tamerlane, his sons — Shah Rukh and Miranshah, and also his grandchildren Ulugbek and Muhammad Sultan locate under the floor of the crypt. Timur’s teacher Mir Said Baraka also had the honor to be buried next to the famous pupil. In 1941 scientific expedition uncovered burial. Only then historical data on how Timur looked like, that the death of Uligbek was violent and the authenticities of graves of other Timurids were confirmed.