Samarkand’s Shah-i-Zinda is a towering necropolis which features an avenue of over twenty mausoleums. The name means “Tomb of the Living King”. This refers to its original and most holiest shrine which is a complex of cool, quiet rooms around the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas. Qusam is said to have brought Islam to Samarkand from Mecca in the 7th century and he was a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed.

The avenue itself is over 650 feet long with buildings all along it. The complex houses the remains of numerous people, both famous and unknown. That, in large part, is probably why the place has remained intact for so long. There seems to have been some respect or fear of disturbing the dead. The complex is a multi-teared design with the avenue, staircases, archways, and dusty paths. Along with this being hallowed ground, continual improvements and additions and restorations have managed to keep this place well preserved and protected.

The earliest mausoleums date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Most of the buildings and the most impressive tile work dates to the 14th and 15th centuries. The portal and few buildings at the foot of the hill were built in the 19th century.

Besides Qusam, Timur (Tamerlane) and his grandson Ulugbek buried some of their family, noblemen, and generals here. I’m sure that had a lot to do with the complex’s preservation. For all these people, Shah-i-Zinda is an important place of pilgrimage. The complex also opens up at the back into Samarkand’s main cemetery of today which was also a fascinating place to see.

I was never in a location to get a decent photo of the complex. We were dropped off very near it and it is large and high. These will just be some exterior photos to try and give a glimpse of this place.

The first photo was probably about the middle of the complex and about midway along the main walkway. There were lots of people making a pilgrimage here and also tourists.

The tile work here was stunning to say the least. In the second photo, I believe this beautiful tomb is the Shodi Mulk Oko Mausoleum, built in 1372. It was the resting place of a sister and niece of Timur. The majolica and terracotta tile work here with the miniscule amount of space between the tiles is of such exceptional quality that it has merited almost no restoration – since 1372. Vicky is blending in at the bottom of the stairs.

The third photo is farther along the main walk, looking back at the beginning. You can see some restoration work on a dome but there was not much work being done here.

The fourth photo is at the back of the main walkway and around the corner from it. I was up at the regular main cemetery to take this photo. Vicky is at the bottom and you can get a sense of how vertical is the complex.

The last photo is just back around the corner from the fourth photo. This is the end of the main walk. Pilgrims, tourists, and everyone else was taking photos, and who could blame us.