# Shakhrisabz: Timur's white palace ruins

> Shakhrisabz is Timur's birthplace and the site of his ambitious Ak-Saray palace, whose 40-metre-tall gate towers still stand as UNESCO-listed ruins.

Shakhrisabz ("green city" in Persian) is 90 km south of Samarkand, on the far side of the Zeravshan mountains via the 2,000-metre Takhta-Karacha pass. Timur was born in the nearby village of Khoja Ilghar in 1336 and treated Shakhrisabz as his ancestral home throughout his life.

**Ak-Saray** ("White Palace") was Timur's most ambitious commission: a summer palace intended to overshadow anything in Samarkand. Construction began in 1380 and continued for 24 years.

Its scale was staggering:
- Entrance gate towers: 65 metres tall as built (only 40 m of one tower survives).
- Main iwan span: 22 metres wide — larger than anything in Samarkand.
- Palace footprint: 500 × 240 metres.

Timur's ambition here was so plain he had the outer wall inscribed with: *"If you doubt our power — look at our buildings."* The line is still readable on the surviving tower.

The palace was largely demolished in the 16th century by Abdullah Khan of Bukhara during a punitive raid against a Shakhrisabz uprising. The Soviet 20th century added another restoration and then partial de-restoration.

Nearby also worth visiting:
- **Dorus-Saodat complex** — where Timur intended to be buried (his son Jahangir is here).
- **Kok-Gumbaz Mosque** — Ulugh Beg's contribution to his grandfather's hometown.
- **Dorut-Tilyavat complex** — 14th-century tombs of Timur's spiritual advisors.

Shakhrisabz is a comfortable day trip from Samarkand.

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Keywords: Shakhrisabz, Ak-Saray, Timur, Kashkadarya, UNESCO
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: destinations
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-kashkadarya-shakhrisabz-ak-saray