# Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand > Gur-e-Amir is the mausoleum of Timur (Tamerlane) in Samarkand, where the conqueror lies with his sons, grandsons and teacher under a ribbed turquoise dome. Inside are a gilded hall and the dark-green jade stone over Timur’s grave. Allow **40–60 minutes**. Entry is unofficially about **UZS 75,000**, and it is open daily from morning into the evening. It is a 15-minute walk from Registan. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/gur-e-amir - City: [Samarkand](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 59/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: ≈ UZS 75,000 — unofficial; no official fare published - Photography: A separate camera fee may be posted at the ticket desk — ask - Hours: Daily, morning to evening; closing time shifts with the season - Closed: No closing day - Payment: Bring som in cash — foreign cards don’t always work at the desk - Dress: Shoulders and knees covered; a scarf for women is a good idea - Address: 1 Oqsaroy (Aksaray) Street - From Registan: ≈ 1 km, 15 minutes on foot - Time needed: 40–60 minutes - Coordinates: 39.64833, 66.96889 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **Timur** — the main burial: Tamerlane was laid here in 1405 instead of his home town of Shahrisabz (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Welcome.kz; Turkestan Travel) - **1403–1404** — built, first as the tomb of Timur’s grandson Muhammad Sultan (source: Russian and English Wikipedia; Leiden University, Iran–Turan project) - **Jade** — the dark-green stone over Timur’s grave was laid under Ulugh Beg (source: Russian and English Wikipedia; Advantour) - **6 cenotaphs** — in the hall: Timur, Shah Rukh, Miran Shah, Muhammad Sultan, Ulugh Beg and Timur’s teacher Mir Sayyid Baraka (source: English Wikipedia; Leiden University; Advantour) - **Crypt** — the real graves are in a closed crypt below; upstairs are cenotaphs only (source: Leiden University; Russian Wikipedia; Advantour) - **15 m** — dome diameter; the shell itself is 12.5 m high (source: Russian and English Wikipedia; Turkestan Travel) - **≈ 30 m** — total height including the drum (source: Welcome.kz; Russian Wikipedia) - **Muhammad ibn Mahmud Isfahani** — the architect named in the building’s inscription (source: Russian and English Wikipedia) - **1740** — Nadir Shah carried off the jade, it cracked in two, and he sent it back (source: English Wikipedia; Turkestan Travel; Russian Wikipedia) - **19 June 1941** — Soviet scientists opened Timur’s tomb; three days later Germany invaded the USSR (source: Russian and English Wikipedia) - **1996** — the lost minarets were rebuilt (source: Russian Wikipedia; Leiden University) - **Prototype** — for Mughal tombs such as Humayun’s Tomb and the Taj Mahal (source: English Wikipedia; Eurasia.travel) ## Gur-e-Amir tickets and opening hours There is no official published fare. Unofficially, foreign visitors paid **UZS 75,000** in 2026, with a lower rate for Uzbek citizens; older guides quoting UZS 30,000–40,000 are out of date. A separate photography fee is sometimes posted at the ticket desk, so ask before you get your camera out. The mausoleum is **open every day** — there is no closing day. It opens around 8:00–9:00; closing time varies, earlier in winter and around 22:00 or later in the warm season. Check with your hotel or at the desk if you plan an evening visit. Payment: bring Uzbek som in cash. Small ticket desks don’t always take foreign Visa or Mastercard, so withdraw som in town before you come. ## Is Gur-e-Amir worth visiting? Yes — it is one of the shortest and most rewarding stops in Samarkand. In under an hour you see the dome that defines the skyline, the gilded hall and the tomb of the man who built the city you walk through at [Registan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/registan). It is smaller than Registan and calmer than Shah-i-Zinda, so it fits easily at the start or end of a day. Short on time? See it lit up from the outside after dark — the dome is floodlit and it is on the way to dinner from University Boulevard. > **Dress code: this is a tomb** Cover shoulders and knees; women may want a light scarf. If you arrive in shorts or a short skirt, staff may hand you a wrap at the entrance. Keep your voice down, don’t lean on the marble screen, and leave the flash off. ## What to see at Gur-e-Amir - **The dome** — ribbed and clad in turquoise mosaic on a tall drum. It looks best from the courtyard and from the Timur statue. - **The gilded hall** — a dado of hexagonal onyx tiles, with painted and gilded papier-mâché relief in gold and blue above. - **Timur’s jade cenotaph** — a near-black, dark-green stone in the centre, cracked in two, surrounded by the marble cenotaphs of his family behind a carved marble screen. - **The tiled entrance portal** — the classic photo. Behind it lies the courtyard where Muhammad Sultan’s madrasa and khanqah once stood; only foundations remain. - **The minarets** — rebuilt in 1996 on the surviving bases. - **Rukhabad and Aksaray** — two small neighbouring mausoleums: Rukhabad on the way from the Timur statue, Aksaray on a quiet street behind Gur-e-Amir. ## How to get to Gur-e-Amir from Registan 1. Stand facing Registan and turn left — walk west along Registan Street towards University Boulevard (Universitet xiyoboni), about 600 m or 8–10 minutes. 2. At the boulevard you reach the seated [Amir Timur Monument](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/samarkand-amir-timur-monument); the turquoise dome is already in view. 3. Walk south-west behind the statue, past the small Rukhabad Mausoleum, to Oqsaroy Street — another 300–400 m, about 5 minutes. 4. Buy your ticket at the desk by the entrance and ask about the photo fee there. 5. From the railway station or Samarkand airport, a Yandex Go taxi takes 15–20 minutes. City buses cost UZS 2,000 by card and UZS 4,000 in cash, and Samarkand is phasing out cash fares. ## Who is buried in Gur-e-Amir? Gur-e-Amir — Persian for “tomb of the emir” — began as a grief project. In 1403 Timur’s grandson and heir, **Muhammad Sultan**, died suddenly, and a mausoleum was added to the madrasa and khanqah he had founded. Timur meant to be buried in Shahrisabz, but he died on campaign towards China in February 1405; the passes were snowed in, so he was laid to rest here. His sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah followed, then his grandson **Ulugh Beg**, the astronomer-ruler who finished the complex. Timur’s spiritual teacher, Mir Sayyid Baraka, lies beside them. The marble and jade stones you see are cenotaphs; the actual graves are in the crypt below, closed to visitors. ## A short history, and Timur’s curse The building was finished in 1404 by **Muhammad ibn Mahmud Isfahani**, whose name appears in an inscription. Ulugh Beg added the gallery that now serves as the entrance and placed the jade over his grandfather’s grave. In 1740 the Persian ruler Nadir Shah carried the stone off; it cracked, and his advisers talked him into returning it. The famous chapter is June 1941. A Soviet expedition including the anthropologist **Mikhail Gerasimov** opened Timur’s tomb on 19 June; on 22 June Germany invaded the Soviet Union. That coincidence created the legend of Timur’s curse — treat it as a legend. The remains were later reburied with Islamic rites. Restorers worked on the dome and portal in the Soviet years, and the minarets were rebuilt for Timur’s jubilee in 1996. The tall drum and ribbed dome went on to shape Mughal tombs, from Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi to the Taj Mahal. > **Best photos: after dark** By day the sun hits the portal from the side; after sunset the mausoleum is floodlit and the turquoise glows. Go inside an hour before sunset, then shoot the dome after dark from the courtyard or the Timur statue. Mornings are the quietest time at the entrance. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, scarf in the bag - [ ] Som in cash for the ticket and photo fee - [ ] Checked today’s closing time - [ ] Allowed 40–60 minutes for the hall and courtyard - [ ] Flash off inside - [ ] Coming back after dark for the lights ## Gur-e-Amir vs Registan vs Shah-i-Zinda | | Gur-e-Amir | Registan | Shah-i-Zinda | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Tomb of Timur and his family | Square with three madrasas | Street of tombs on a hill | | Entry | ≈ UZS 75,000 | ≈ UZS 100,000 | ≈ UZS 50,000–80,000 | | Time needed | 40–60 min | 1–1.5 h | ≈ 1 h | | Highlight | Gilded hall and jade | Scale and evening lights | Tilework on every façade | | Dress | Covered | Casual | Covered | Fares are unofficial 2026 figures. With one day, do all three — they sit on one line across the centre. Gur-e-Amir is the quickest of the three. ## Samarkand’s historic sights compared Every historic sight 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 - [Amir Timur Monument](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/samarkand-amir-timur-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [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 - [Ulugh Beg Observatory](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/ulugh-beg-observatory) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · UZS 40,000–75,000 (unofficial) - [Hazrat Khizr Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/hazrat-khizr-mosque) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, donations welcome - [Afrasiab Museum](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/afrasiab-museum) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ UZS 40,000–80,000 (unofficial) ## Timur’s Samarkand in half a day The Timur statue, his mausoleum, Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Shah-i-Zinda — all on foot along one line. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Amir Timur Monument](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/samarkand-amir-timur-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 2. [Gur-e-Amir](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/gur-e-amir) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial 3. [Registan](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/registan) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors 4. [Bibi-Khanym Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/samarkand/bibi-khanym-mosque) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial 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 ## Good to know Several Samarkand hotels and restaurants also use the name Gur-Emir, so search results mix them up. The Amir Timur Museum is in Tashkent, not here. Locally the site is signed as Amir Temur maqbarasi, and official papers also call it the Tomb of the Timurids. ## Tips - Start at the Amir Timur Monument — five minutes away, and it sets the scene. - Go inside by day and come back after sunset for the floodlit dome; it is a short detour from University Boulevard. - Small som notes cover the ticket, the photo fee and the bus in one go. - Inside, look up before you look at the jade — the painted dome is best seen from the centre of the hall. - Don’t photograph people praying at the cenotaphs close up without asking. ## Questions ### How much is the entrance fee to Gur-e-Amir? There is no official published fare. Unofficially, foreign visitors paid about UZS 75,000 in 2026; a camera fee may be extra. ### What are Gur-e-Amir opening hours? Daily from about 8:00–9:00. It closes late in the evening in season and earlier in winter, so check on the day. ### Is Gur-e-Amir open at night? In the warm season it stays open into the evening, and the dome is floodlit after dark. Confirm the closing time before you go. ### Who is buried in Gur-e-Amir? Timur (Tamerlane), his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah, his grandsons Muhammad Sultan and Ulugh Beg, and his teacher Mir Sayyid Baraka. ### How long do you need at Gur-e-Amir? 40–60 minutes for the hall and courtyard, plus 10–15 minutes if you return for the lights. ### Is there a dress code? Yes. Cover shoulders and knees; women may want a scarf. A wrap may be handed out at the entrance. ### Can I pay by card? Don’t count on it. Bring som in cash; foreign Visa and Mastercard don’t always go through at small ticket desks. ### How far is Gur-e-Amir from Registan? About 1 km — a 15-minute walk west along Registan Street to the Timur statue, then south-west to Oqsaroy Street. ### What is Timur’s curse? A legend: the tomb was opened on 19 June 1941 and Germany invaded the USSR three days later. Historians see it as coincidence. ## How we checked Gur-e-Amir has no official website with fares or hours, so both are unofficial and marked “verifying”. UZS 75,000 comes from the Eurasia.travel forum (January and April 2026) and the Sailing Stone Travel guide (2026); older listings give UZS 30,000–50,000 from 2023–2025. Hours disagree: 8:00–18:00 or 9:00–18:00 in older guides, 8:00–22:00 on Trip.com, “until midnight” in spring 2026 traveller posts — so we say morning to evening and advise checking. The photo fee is based on the sign at the desk reported by Sailing Stone Travel. Historical facts are checked against at least two sources. Sources give different dates for Timur’s reburial, so we leave it out. The walking route uses Wikidata coordinates and OpenStreetMap; the bus fare is from Kun.uz. ## Sources - English and Russian Wikipedia: Gur-e-Amir; Wikidata Q1256223 - Leiden University, Iran–Turan project: The Gur-i Amir Mausoleum - Advantour: Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum - Welcome.kz: Gur-Emir, 2026 - Turkestan Travel: Gur Emir Mausoleum - Eurasia.travel: mausoleum page and traveller forum on Samarkand entry fees, 2025–2026 - Sailing Stone Travel: Samarkand guide, 2026 - Sputnik8: Gur-Emir Mausoleum; Trip.com listing - Kun.uz, 1 May 2026 — Samarkand public transport fares --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.