Ak-Saray Palace, Shakhrisabz

Shakhrisabz, the “green city”, lies about 90 km south of Samarkand across the Zarafshan range. Timur was born nearby in 1336, and when he became master of Central Asia he set out to make his home town a second capital. The centrepiece was Ak-Saray, the “white palace”, begun in 1380 after his conquest of Khorezm, whose craftsmen were brought to work on it.

What the ambassador saw

Ruy González de Clavijo, the Castilian envoy, came here in 1404 and described an entrance arch of extraordinary height, courtyards paved in white stone, and halls covered in gold and blue tile. Inscriptions on the portal are often quoted in the form “If you doubt our power, look at our buildings.” The palace was largely destroyed in the sixteenth century, traditionally blamed on the Bukharan ruler Abdullah Khan.

What survives

Two massive pylons of the main portal still stand, about 38 metres high even in their broken state; the arch that once spanned them, thought to have been over 20 metres wide, has gone. They are faced with some of the finest tile mosaic of the Timurid period, including vast geometric and calligraphic panels in blue, white and gold. From the top of the remaining structure, or from the park in front, you sense the scale of the original gateway.

The setting today

In front of the ruins stands a large statue of Timur, unveiled in 1996, and a long landscaped park now runs through the historic centre to the Dorut-Tilovat and Dorus-Saodat ensembles. The historic centre of Shakhrisabz is a UNESCO World Heritage site; the extensive clearing of old houses to create the park led UNESCO to place it on its List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016.

Visiting from Samarkand

The usual route crosses the Takhtakaracha pass, at about 1,700 metres, with fine views in spring and autumn. The drive takes 1.5–2 hours each way; when the pass is closed by snow in winter, cars take a longer route around the mountains. A full-day trip covers Ak-Saray, Dorut-Tilovat and Dorus-Saodat comfortably.