Ak-Saray Palace — Attraction in Shahrisabz City

The Ak-Saray Palace (= White Palace) in Shakhrisabz.

A partially ruined monumental iwan from the Aq Saray is all that remains of Timur’s legendary palace complex, the construction of which began in 1380 during his reign (1370–1405) and was completed in 1404. It was likely destroyed in the 16th century by Bukharian Khan Abdullah II.

The surviving iwan is among the largest ever built in the Islamic world. Standing 30 meters tall today, it is estimated that the original vaulted height reached 50 meters. The remaining structure consists of two consecutive rectangular chambers with collapsed vaults. The larger iwan is framed by a monumental portal and flanked by two truncated cylindrical towers. At the heart of the palace was the large pool in the grand central courtyard.

Fragments of glazed-tile revetments and literary accounts attest to the palace’s extraordinary and distinctive decorative scheme. The Aq Saray is a remarkable example of the use of vibrant color in eastern Islamic architecture, with richly ornamented surfaces and complex epigraphic inscriptions. Timur employed artisans and craftsmen from Tabriz (in present-day Iran) and Kharazm, who brought their skills to Shahrisabz to contribute to the palace’s construction and ornamentation.

Overall, the scale of the building is truly superhuman, even by...

The place is truly incredible, the history and the maintenance is great.

However the facilities really need to be improved: limited western toilets and they were incredibly dirty.

Additionally, you ideally need to go with a guide if you want context on what you’re actually seeing. There are no sign posts / boards which provide the background so without a guide it’s just a pretty looking place.

I do recommend undertaking a day trip here but (1) go with an empty bladder (the toilet situation is no joke), and (2) go with a guide.

Other points: The whole area (statue, mausoleums, mini bazaars etc) is about a 2km round trip. They have tuktuks that can do the pick / drop to each point of interest.

There’s a few shops deep inside the complex run by locals and the goods there are...

The construction of Oksaroy began in 1380 and was completed in 1386. But the decoration work lasted until 1404. The palace was built in memory of Amir Temur's mother Takinahotun. Craftsmen from Khorezm, Iran and many other countries took part in the construction of the palace. In particular, it is recorded in the dome inscriptions that the stone cutter Muhammad Yusuf Tabrizi participated in the construction and decoration of the dome arch. The building was supposed to be 73 meters high. A small pool of water was placed on its roof, and the water passing through the pipes formed a waterfall. Golden sand was used to build the foundation of the palace. The foundation of the building...