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The Shah-I-Zinda - ‘Tomb of the Living King’ - complex, Samarkand
The Shah-I-Zinda - ‘Tomb of the Living King’ - complex, Samarkand
Women gossip on the streets of Samarkand
Sher Dor (Lion) Madrassa, the Registan, Samarkand. In a definitively Uzbek twist, the lions are actually tigers.
Lepyoshka - unleavened bread revered as holy - for sale in the Siob Bazaar, Samarkand

The Golden City of Samarkand: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

By VoiceMap
4 out of 5
Price is €6 per adult
See tickets
Features
  • 1h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
Overview

As the author of an award-winning book about Central Asia, let me take you on a voyage of discovery, exploring Samarkand’s rich heritage and unearthing the stories of the people and places of this fascinating land.

Starting at the dazzling majolica and terracotta tile-covered 9th Century Shah-I-Zinda, the “Tomb of the Living King,” our route proceeds to modern-day Samarkand's major market, the vibrant Siab Bazaar. We'll visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, learning about local folklore, history and present-day politics en route to the turquoise domes and tapering minarets of the Registan, the Holy Grail of most visitors to Uzbekistan. This tour also allows for more exploratory detours and the possibility of stops at popular local chaikhanas (tea houses).

The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.

Activity location

  • Shah-i-Zinda Street
    • Shоhi Zindа ko'chasi
    • Samarqand, Samarqand viloyati, Uzbekistan

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Shah-i-Zinda Street
    • Shоhi Zindа ko'chasi
    • Samarqand, Samarqand viloyati, Uzbekistan

Check availability

The Golden City of Samarkand: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in English
  • Activity duration is 1 hour1h1h
  • Opening hours: Wed 00:00-23:59
  • English

As the author of an award-winning book about Central Asia, let me take you on a voyage of discovery, exploring Samarkand’s rich heritage and unearthing the stories of the people and places of this fascinating land.

Starting at the dazzling majolica and terracotta tile-covered 9th Century Shah-I-Zinda, the “Tomb of the Living King,” our route proceeds to modern-day Samarkand's major market, the vibrant Siab Bazaar. We'll visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, learning about local folklore, history and present-day politics en route to the turquoise domes and tapering minarets of the Registan, the Holy Grail of most visitors to Uzbekistan. This tour also allows for more exploratory detours and the possibility of stops at popular local chaikhanas (tea houses).

The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.

Language options: English
Price details
€6.45 x 1 Adult€6.45
Total
Price is €6.45

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's includedVoiceMap Application
  • What's includedWhat's includedLifetime access to The Golden City of Samarkand tour
  • What's includedWhat's includedOffline access to audio, maps, and geodata
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedSmartphone
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedTransport
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedFood/Drink
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedTickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route

Know before you book

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transport options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • In accordance with EU regulations about consumer rights, activities services are not subject to the right of withdrawal. Supplier cancellation policy will apply.

Activity itinerary

Shah-i-Zinda (Pass by)
The Shah-I-Zinda complex originally dates from the ninth century. The tiny doorways to the mausoleums ensure by design that bowing to Allah is compulsory. The plain white graves are laden with pilgrim’s gifts of bank notes for comfort in the afterlife. The sheer scale of the site’s majesty, the busyness and the minutia of the architecture is dizzying, as is the dry heat through much of the year.
Siab Bazaar (Pass by)
At the Siab Bazaar, girders hold aloft a two-tiered corrugated monster of a roof, an over spill of traders hunkering under bleached gazebos and parasols selling a wide array of goods. Everything can be found here. From children’s toys to hard, round, bagel-like lepyoshka. Look out for necklaces of wolves teeth, mixed in with Chinese imports piled high.
Bibi Khanym Mosque (Pass by)
The Bibi Khanym Mosque was commissioned by Timur, following his campaign in India in 1399. It was built using treasures plundered from the subcontinent. Ignoring his architect’s advice, Timur’s very specific design ensured that the mosque has collapsed repeatedly. For four centuries, it lay as a windswept ruin. The latest restoration efforts began in 1974 and continue to this day.
Registan (Pass by)
Registan is most people's holy grail when visiting Uzbekistan. Here you can get a real sense of how steeped in history the region is. These are the lands of Al-Khorezm, the mathematician whose name Westerners morphed into the word algorithm. His al-jabr still forms the basis of schoolchildren’s nightmares.
Ulugbek Madrasah (Pass by)
Although it was built as an imitation of the original Ulugbek Madrassa, the Sher Dor features a quirk which makes it a favourite of photographers. The mosque was completed in 1636 under Shaybanid Emir Yalangtush. Its mosaics feature a Zoroastrian hangover flouting the Islamic prohibition on the depiction of living beings. Although, the name Sher Dor translates as "lion" most agree that the roaring beasts in each corner above the entrance arch more closely resemble tigers.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIESShah-i-Zinda Street
    • Shоhi Zindа ko'chasi
    • Samarqand, Samarqand viloyati, Uzbekistan

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLEShah-i-Zinda Street
    • Shоhi Zindа ko'chasi
    • Samarqand, Samarqand viloyati, Uzbekistan

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