CityBuddy
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Best time to visit
Early morning at 08-09 when the sun shines directly on the portal and makes the blue tiles glow. Avoid midday when the heat becomes oppressive and the contrasts in the light disappear.
Budget tips
The entrance fee is about 30,000 som (around 25 SEK) and is not included in the Samarkand pass. If you want to save money, combine the visit with the adjacent Siab Bazaar market where you can have lunch for a tenth of the restaurant prices.
Recommended for
History enthusiasts, Architecture enthusiasts, Photographers, Adventure travelers
Plan your visit
45-60 minutes
About
Quick facts: Timur's favorite wife ordered the construction of the mosque while he was away on a military campaign, a story that gave the building its name. The 35-meter-high entrance portal was the tallest vault structure in Central Asia at the time, and the mosque could hold over 10,000 worshippers at once.
Highlights: Under the mosque's dome you can hear how a whisper from one side echoes clearly on the opposite side, an acoustic property that no one knows whether Timur planned or if it occurred by chance. The marble Quran pulpit in the middle of the courtyard is carved from a single stone from China and weighs over 12 tons.
Insider tips
- Sit for a while on the marble bench in the middle of the courtyard and look up at the portal, it gives the best view of the mosque's enormous scale.
- Bring a mirror or phone camera and lay it flat on the ground to capture the portal as a reflection against the sky.
- Check the weather forecast before your visit. Rain can make the mud brick foundations slippery and parts of the mosque may be closed off.
- Visit the mosque first and then the Hazrat Khizr mosque on the hill across the street for a view over the entire complex.
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