Southern Uzbekistan
Kashkadarya
Timur's birthplace — Shakhrisabz — and the emerald Hissar foothills.
Best months
Typical stay
From Tashkent
Elevation
Status
South of Samarkand, over the Takhtakaracha pass, lies Shakhrisabz — 'Green City' — where Timur was born and where he built the palace that was meant to eclipse everything else he had. The gate still stands, ten stories high.
Timur was born in Shakhrisabz. Locally-made suzani here uses distinctive dark indigo backgrounds, quite different from Bukhara.
History
A layered past
The Ak-Saray palace, begun by Timur in 1380, was the largest building in Central Asia when finished. Only the entrance portal survives, but it is astonishing. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Best time to visit
When to come
April–May and September–October.
What we do here
Ways to experience Kashkadarya
01
Ak-Saray portal
The remaining fragment is still 38 metres tall. The tilework is the finest Timur ever commissioned.
02
Dorut Tilovat & Dorus Saodat
Timur's family mausoleum complex — quieter and, some say, more moving than the Gur-e-Amir.
03
Kitab drive over the pass
The old road from Samarkand climbs through walnut forests and Tajik villages.
Go next
Tours that go here
1 departure touching Kashkadarya.
Pairs well with
Where travellers go next
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
How does it compare to Samarkand?+
Quieter, fewer tour groups, and the Ak-Saray portal is genuinely staggering.
Day trip or overnight?+
Day trip from Samarkand works if you leave by 8am. Overnight gives you sunset and dawn at the portal.
