AMonumentIndependent states
Gur-e-Amir
The mausoleum of Amir Timur and his descendants, regarded as a model for India's Taj Mahal.
Gur-e-Amir ("Tomb of the Amir") was built in Samarkand in the early 15th century; Amir Timur, his sons and his grandson, the great scholar Ulugh Beg, are buried here.
Its ribbed turquoise dome, blue-and-white tilework and gilded interior hall make it a masterpiece of Timurid architecture, and Timur's grave is covered with a dark green jade stone.
It served as a model for the tombs of Timur's Mughal descendants — the Bagh-e Babur in Kabul, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra.
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Updated: October 3, 2026