Shahrisabz

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Shahrisabz or Shahr-e Sabz (شهرسبز) (from the Persian for "green city"), is a city in Uzbekistan, located approximately 80 km. south of Samarkand. It is located at latitude 39° 3' 28N; longitude 66° 50' 3E; and altitude of 622 m. Once a major city of Central Asia, it is primarily known today as the birthplace of Timur.

[edit] History

Formerly known as Kesh (i.e., "heart-pleasing"), and tentatively identified with the ancient Nautaca, Shahrisabz should be counted among Central Asia’s most ancient cities. Alexander the Great's general Ptolemy captured the satrap of Bactria and pretender to the Persian throne, Bessus, at Nautaca thus ending the once great Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great chose to spend his winters and met his wife Roxanna in the area in 328-327 BC.

Shahrisabz was the birthplace of Timur on April 9, 1346, to the family of a minor local chief, and during the early years of the Timurid Dynasty, enjoyed its considerable patronage. Timur regarded Shahrisabz as his “home town” and planned it eventually to be the location of his tomb. However, during the Timurid period, the center of activity shifted to Samarkand instead.

The Emir of Bukhara, Abdullah Khan II, mostly destroyed the city in the 16th century during his attempt to seize the Shaybanid throne. According to legend, he had the city destroyed in a fit of rage over the death of his favorite horse from exhaustion on a steep approach the city, but was later overcome with remorse for the damage he had done.

The city struggled for autonomy under Bukharan rule. The Russians conquered the city in 1870, allegedly in revenge for the murder of a tsarist tax collector.

[edit] Monuments

Several remaining impressive monuments from the Timurid Dynasty have enabled the old part of the city to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Aq-Saray Palace

Timur's Summer Palace, the “White Palace” was planned as the most grandiose of all Timur's constructions. It was started in 1380 by artisans deported by Timur from the recently-conquered Khwarezm. Unfortunately, only traces of its gigantic 65 m gate-towers survive, with blue, white and gold mosaics. Above the entry of the Ak-Saray are big letters saying: "If you challenge our power - look at our buildings!"

Kok Gumbaz Mosque / Dorut Tilyovat Complex

A Friday mosque built in 1437 by Ulugh Beg in honor of his father Shah Rukh, its name meaning “Blue Dome”. Located immediately behind the Kok Gumbaz Mosque is the so-called “House of Meditation”, a mausoleum built by Ulugh Beg in 1438 but apparently never used for burials.

Khazrati-Imam Complex

East of the Kok Gumbaz is another mausoleum complex called Dorussiadat (Seat of Power and Might), which contains the Tomb of Jehangir, Timur’s eldest and favorite son. The adjacent mosque is said to house the tomb of a revered 8th century imam from Iraq, Khazari Imam.

Tomb of Timur

Behind the Khazrati Emsemble is a bunker with a door leading to an underground chamber, discovered by archaeologists in 1943. The room is nearly filled with a single stone casket, on which inscriptions indicate that it was intended for Timur. However, the conqueror was buried in Samarkand, not at Shahrisabz, and mysteriously, his tomb in Shahrisabz contained two unidentified corpses.

Also of interest are medieval baths and an 18th century bazaar.