Shahrisabz

Set south of Samarkand across a scenic mountain pass, Shahrisabz — literally “green city” — is the hometown of Amir Timur (Tamerlane).

Here he raised the colossal Ak-Saray, the “White Palace”, whose surviving gateway still towers to nearly forty metres and hints at the staggering scale of his ambition. The town's mausoleums and quiet, tree-shaded streets add up to a UNESCO World Heritage site with a very different rhythm from the great Silk Road cities.

We usually visit on a half-day from Samarkand, taking the beautiful drive over the Takhtakaracha pass and pairing the monuments with a relaxed local lunch.