# Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand > Bibi-Khanym is the colossal Friday mosque Timur built in 1399–1404, with a 35 m portal and a main dome about 40 m high. Entry is about **UZS 75,000** (unofficial), and it is open daily, roughly 8:00–19:00, or 9:00–17:00 in winter. Forty minutes is enough. It is a 10–15-minute walk from the Registan, with the Siab Bazaar right behind its walls. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/bibi-khanym-mosque - City: [Samarkand](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry (foreign visitors): ≈ UZS 75,000 - Hours: Daily, ≈ 8:00–19:00; winter ≈ 9:00–17:00 - Closed: Never — open daily - Payment: Cash in som is safest; Visa and Mastercard work only sometimes - Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum: Across the street, separate entry - Time needed: 40 minutes - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered - Address: Pedestrian Islam Karimov St (formerly Tashkent St), by the Siab Bazaar - Coordinates: 39.66056, 66.97972 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1399–1404** — built as Timur’s congregational mosque (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Welcome.kz) - **≈ 40 m** — height of the main dome over the prayer hall (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; History Hit) - **35 m** — height of the entrance portal (source: English Wikipedia; Welcome.kz) - **167 × 109 m** — the complex within its outer walls (source: English Wikipedia; encyclopedic dictionary “Islam in the Former Russian Empire”) - **78 × 64 m** — the open courtyard between the galleries (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **400 columns** — of stone once carried the galleries around the courtyard — barely any survive (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1897** — an earthquake brought down the inner arch of the portal (source: English Wikipedia; History Hit) - **1974** — large-scale restoration began — and is still going on (source: English Wikipedia; History Hit) - **Saray Mulk Khanum** — Timur’s senior wife, after whom the mosque is popularly named (source: English Wikipedia; Orexca) - **UNESCO** — part of the World Heritage site “Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures” (source: Orexca; Travel Cost Calculator, Samarkand section) ## Bibi-Khanym Mosque entrance fee and opening hours Foreign visitors pay about **UZS 75,000** (Uzbek som). Several independent sources from 2026 agree on that figure, though some guides still list 40,000. The official museum-reserve price list wasn’t reachable, so treat it as unofficial. There is no combined pass in Samarkand — the [Registan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/registan), [Gur-e-Amir](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/gur-e-amir) and Bibi-Khanym each sell their own tickets. Bring **cash in som**. A card terminal is sometimes there and Visa or Mastercard may go through, but don’t count on it. Bank ATMs in central Samarkand dispense som, and bank exchange desks change US dollars and euros. Small notes help — big ones are awkward to break. It opens every day. Unofficially, hours run roughly 8:00–19:00 in summer and 9:00–17:00 from November to March. Some listings claim it stays open until 22:00; don’t plan a late visit around that. Come in the morning, when the courtyard is empty and the sun is still gentle. > **What to wear** It is run as a museum, but locals treat it as a holy place. Cover shoulders and knees and skip see-through or tight clothes. Women should carry a light headscarf — useful here and needed at Hazrat Khizr and Shah-i-Zinda nearby. The courtyard has no shade: bring a hat and water in summer. ## Is Bibi-Khanym Mosque worth visiting? Yes, if you are walking from the Registan to the bazaar anyway — it is on the way and takes under an hour. Nowhere else in Samarkand shows Timur’s ambition so plainly: standing in the courtyard under that portal is the point. Be aware that the inside is largely empty and much of what you see was rebuilt, so there is less original fine tilework than at Shah-i-Zinda or Gur-e-Amir. Short on time and not keen on another ticket? The dome and portal are easy to see for free from the street, and best of all from the terrace of [Hazrat Khizr Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/hazrat-khizr-mosque) on the hill opposite. ## How to get to Bibi-Khanym Mosque from the Registan 1. From the Registan, join pedestrian Islam Karimov Street (still often called Tashkent Street), which runs north-east from the square. 2. Walk straight north-east past the souvenir shops — about 700 m. 3. After 10–15 minutes the mosque portal rises on your left and the Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum on your right, across the street. The ticket desk is at the main gate. 4. From the airport or the railway station, a Yandex Go taxi takes 15–20 minutes — ask for “Bibi-Khanym” or “Siab Bazaar”. 5. Next, the [Siab Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/siab-bazaar) is two minutes away and [Shah-i-Zinda](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/shah-i-zinda) 10–15 minutes on, past the bazaar. ## A short history Bibi-Khanym was **Timur’s congregational mosque**, begun in 1399 after his Indian campaign and meant to hold the whole male population of his capital for Friday prayers. Craftsmen were brought in from India, Khorasan, Fars and Iraq, and the main work was done by 1404, a year before Timur died. It was among the largest mosques of the Islamic world. Inside walls of 167 by 109 metres lay a courtyard ringed by galleries on some four hundred stone columns, with three domed buildings: the main mosque facing the gate and two smaller ones to the sides. It went up too fast and too high. The vaults began cracking soon after it was finished, later generations carted off stone and columns, and in **1897 an earthquake** brought down the portal arch. By the early 1900s it was a romantic ruin. Soviet restorers started rebuilding in 1974 — domes, portal and facing — and the work continues today. Much of the masonry is new, built to old plans. The best surviving 15th-century tiles are on the walls and drum of the main dome. ## What to see - **The main dome** — ribbed and turquoise, about 40 m tall. Step back to the far corner of the courtyard to take it in. - **The 35 m portal** — walk through, then turn around: from inside, its sheer size hits harder. - **The marble Quran stand (lauh)** in the middle of the courtyard. It dates from the Timurid era, and is widely said to have been placed here by Timur’s grandson Ulugh Beg. Local belief says a woman who crawls beneath it will have many children. - **The two side mosques**, each with its own portal and dome. - **Corner minarets** on the outer walls and the stumps of gallery columns. - The **Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum** across the street — an octagonal building left from a madrasa. ## The legend, briefly The story everyone tells is of an architect who fell for Timur’s wife and demanded a kiss in exchange for finishing the mosque before the ruler returned. It is folklore, not history — no chronicle backs it up, and even the wife’s name changes from telling to telling. What is solid: the name honours Timur’s senior wife, Saray Mulk Khanum. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Som in cash for the ticket, in small notes - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, a scarf in the bag - [ ] Water and a hat — no shade in the courtyard - [ ] 40 minutes set aside for the mosque - [ ] I’ll be there before the desk closes — around 17:00 in winter - [ ] Bazaar and Shah-i-Zinda next on the plan ## Bibi-Khanym vs the Registan and Gur-e-Amir | | Bibi-Khanym | Registan | Gur-e-Amir | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Timur’s Friday mosque | Square with three madrasas | Timur’s mausoleum | | Built | 1399–1404 | 1417–1660 | Early 15th century | | Highlight | Sheer scale of dome and portal | Three façades and the evening show | Gilded hall and the tomb | | Time needed | ≈ 40 min | ≈ 1.5 h | 40–60 min | If you only see one, make it the Registan. Bibi-Khanym is the natural second stop — same pedestrian street, and with the bazaar it takes about an hour. ## Samarkand’s mosques and shrines compared Mosques, mausoleums and shrines in Samarkand rated by YesGo. - [Gur-e-Amir](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/gur-e-amir) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial - [Registan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/registan) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors - [Bibi-Khanym Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/bibi-khanym-mosque) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial - [Shah-i-Zinda](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/shah-i-zinda) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 50,000 som for foreigners - [Tomb of Saint Daniel](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/tomb-of-saint-daniel) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial - [Hazrat Khizr Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/hazrat-khizr-mosque) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, donations welcome ## On foot from the Registan to Shah-i-Zinda The Registan in the morning, then up the pedestrian street to Bibi-Khanym, lunch at the bazaar, the Hazrat Khizr terrace and Shah-i-Zinda by late afternoon. YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Registan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/registan) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors 2. [Bibi-Khanym Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/bibi-khanym-mosque) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial 3. [Siab Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/siab-bazaar) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry 4. [Hazrat Khizr Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/hazrat-khizr-mosque) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, donations welcome 5. [Shah-i-Zinda](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/shah-i-zinda) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 50,000 som for foreigners > **The best shot is from above** For the whole roofline, walk ten minutes to the terrace of Hazrat Khizr Mosque on Afrasiab hill. In the late afternoon the low sun lights up the turquoise domes. ## Don’t confuse The Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum across the street is a separate building with its own entry, not part of the mosque. Shahrisabz has a mosque of the same name, and “Bibi Khanum” is a common name for cafés and guesthouses — in your maps app, pick the mosque by the Siab Bazaar. ## Tips - Walk from the Registan along the pedestrian street — you won’t need a taxi. - Pair it with lunch at the Siab Bazaar: the gate is two minutes from the portal. - Before 10:00 the courtyard is nearly empty — ideal for photos of the dome without people. - Skipping the ticket? The dome and portal are clear from the street and from the Hazrat Khizr terrace. - The desk closes earlier in winter — arrive by 16:00. ## Questions ### How much is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque entrance fee? Unofficially about UZS 75,000 for foreign visitors. Pay in som, in cash if you can. ### What are the Bibi-Khanym Mosque opening hours? Open daily, roughly 8:00–19:00, and 9:00–17:00 from November to March. These are unofficial hours. ### Is Bibi-Khanym Mosque worth visiting? Yes, as a stop between the Registan and the Siab Bazaar — it shows Timur’s scale better than anything else in town. Much of it is rebuilt, though, so don’t expect delicate original tilework. ### How long do you need at Bibi-Khanym Mosque? About 40 minutes for the courtyard, domes and Quran stand; an hour and a half with the bazaar next door. ### How do I get to Bibi-Khanym Mosque from the Registan? Walk about 700 m north-east along pedestrian Islam Karimov (Tashkent) Street — 10–15 minutes. ### Is there a dress code at Bibi-Khanym Mosque? Cover shoulders and knees. Women should bring a light headscarf — the working mosques nearby expect one. ### Who was Bibi-Khanym? The name honours Timur’s senior wife, Saray Mulk Khanum; “Bibi-khanym” is a respectful title for a noblewoman. ### Why did the mosque collapse? It was built very fast and very high, the vaults cracked early, and an earthquake in 1897 brought down the portal arch. Restoration began in 1974. ### Is the Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum the same place? No. The mausoleum stands across the street, survives from a madrasa and has its own entry. ## How we checked The Samarkand museum-reserve website was down on 02.11.2026, so fees, hours and payment are unofficial and marked “verifying”. Three independent 2026 sources agree on UZS 75,000; some guides still show 40,000. Closing times vary between sources, from 17:00–19:00 to 22:00, so we show the cautious one. Who placed the marble Quran stand is disputed: travel sources credit Ulugh Beg, English Wikipedia dates it to Timur’s time — we give both. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. The architect legend is presented as folklore. ## Sources - English and Russian Wikipedia: Bibi-Khanym Mosque; Wikidata Q679218 - History Hit: The Bibi-Khanym Mosque — dome, 1897 earthquake, restoration - Encyclopedic dictionary “Islam in the Former Russian Empire” — dimensions and craftsmen - Orexca: Bibi-Khanym Mosque — purpose, side mosques, UNESCO - Welcome.kz: Bibi-Khanym, 2026 — dates, portal, restoration - Indian Vagabond and Visit Silk Road — the Quran stand and the mausoleum opposite - Unofficial fee and hours: Eurasia.travel forum (February 2026), Wanderlog (2026), Travel Cost Calculator (2026) --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.