Shahrisabz and the Ak-Saray Palace

Shahrisabz ("green city"), 80 km south of Samarkand, was known in antiquity as Kesh, an important Sogdian town; by the officially accepted date, Amir Timur was born here in 1336.

Between 1380 and 1404 Timur built the magnificent Ak-Saray ("White Palace") here. Only the remains of its colossal entrance arch survive, but even they convey its grandeur.

The town also has the Dorus-Saodat and Dorut-Tilovat complexes and the Kok-Gumbaz Mosque, and the Economic Cooperation Organization named it its tourism capital for 2024.