Handpicked experience · Samarkand
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
A private day by car from Samarkand over the mountains to Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Amir Temur: the Aman-Kutan gorge and Takhta-Karacha pass, the tomb of Jahongir, the Kok-Gumbaz mosque and the Ak-Saray palace.
The Aman-Kutan gorge and Takhta-Karacha pass
Teshiktosh rock
Dor-us Saodat and the tomb of Jahongir
The Kok-Gumbaz mosque
The Ak-Saray palace
<section><h2>Overview</h2><p>Shakhrisabz is where Amir Temur was born, and before Samarkand it was where he built first and on the grandest scale. It lies 85 kilometres to the south, across a range of mountains, and the drive there is half the pleasure.</p></section><section><h2>The day</h2><p>The road climbs through the Aman-Kutan gorge to the Takhta-Karacha pass, with stops at Teshiktosh, a rock worn right through, and at the stalls on the pass.</p><p>In Shakhrisabz you visit the Dor-us Saodat complex with the tomb Temur built for his son Jahongir, the blue-domed Kok-Gumbaz mosque, and the two surviving pylons of the Ak-Saray, Temur’s summer palace, before driving back to Samarkand.</p></section><section><h2>Highlights</h2><ul><li>The Aman-Kutan gorge and Takhta-Karacha pass</li><li>Teshiktosh rock</li><li>Dor-us Saodat and the tomb of Jahongir</li><li>The Kok-Gumbaz mosque</li><li>The Ak-Saray palace</li></ul></section>
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No. This is a private car or minivan with a driver who knows the route; the driver may not speak English. An English-speaking guide can be added on request for an extra charge.
In winter the Takhta-Karacha pass can close after snow; the driver then takes the longer road round, which adds time but still makes a comfortable day.