Around and behind Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand's frenetic, colourful main market is a great place for both vegetarians and photographers (vegetarian photographers will be in heaven!). There are a few souvenir stalls by the entrance, a section specialising in skullcaps and an entire quarter devoted to halva (fudge-like sweet).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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This ensemble of majestic, tilting medressas – a near-overload of majolica, azure mosaics and vast, well-proportioned spaces – is the centrepiece of the…
1.09 MILES
The beautiful portal and trademark fluted azure dome of the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum marks the final resting place of Timur (Tamerlane), along with two sons…
0.41 MILES
Samarkand’s most moving and beloved site is this stunning avenue of mausoleums, which contains some of the richest tilework in the Muslim world. The name,…
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0.08 MILES
The enormous congregational Bibi-Khanym Mosque, northeast of the Registan, was financed from the spoils of Timur's invasion of India and must have been…
0.48 MILES
On the northern side of the Registan is the Tilla-Kari (Gold-Covered) Medressa, completed in 1660, with a pleasant, gardenlike courtyard. The highlight…
0.58 MILES
The Ulugbek Medressa, on the western side of the Registan, is the square's original medressa, finished in 1420 under Ulugbek who is said to have taught…
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The entrance portal of the Registan's Sher Dor (Lion) Medressa, opposite the Ulugbek Medressa and finished in 1636, is decorated with roaring felines that…
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The Afrosiab Museum was built around one of Samarkand’s more important archaeological finds, a chipped 7th-century fresco of the Sogdian King Varkhuman (r…
Nearby Samarkand attractions
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The enormous congregational Bibi-Khanym Mosque, northeast of the Registan, was financed from the spoils of Timur's invasion of India and must have been…
0.13 MILES
Across from the Bibi-Khanym Mosque is Bibi-Khanym’s surprisingly plain 14th-century mausoleum, home to five tombs and some lovely interior painted…
0.19 MILES
Across Shahizinda ko'chasi from the Siob Bazaar, the Hazrat-Hizr Mosque occupies a hill on the fringes of Afrosiab. The 8th-century mosque that once stood…
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The gloriously faded Qoraboy Oqsoqol Mosque is hidden down an alley just off Abu Laiz Samarkandi ko'chasi in the old Jewish Quarter of the Old Town.
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This small neighbourhood mosque in the Old Jewish Quarter is part of a charming ensemble with a hauz (pool) and small minaret.
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This restored Old Town gem is 100m east of the Registan. If it's locked ask the caretaker to let you in for a glimpse at the lush ceiling tilework.
0.41 MILES
Samarkand’s most moving and beloved site is this stunning avenue of mausoleums, which contains some of the richest tilework in the Muslim world. The name,…
0.44 MILES
Hidden in the Old Town on unmarked Denau is this working 19th-century synagogue, built in 1891 for Samarkand's Jewish community. The atmospheric hall has…