Samarkand

Temples & religious sites

Bibi-Khanym Mosque

This mosque in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, is named after the wife of Amir Timur, founder of the 14th-century Timurid Empire. It stands as an iconic example of Timurid-era architecture.

Heritage & monuments

Afrasiyab

An ancient archaeological site north of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, situated on a hill near the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The Afrasiyab murals uncovered during excavation can be viewed at a nearby museum.

Museums & galleries

Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand

A museum located at the Afrasiab archaeological site in northeastern Samarkand. Its artifacts from the ancient city, destroyed by the Mongols, reveal the region's long history.

Temples & religious sites

Hazrat-Hyzr Mosque

This historic mosque sits on a hill in Samarkand, facing the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. It was built on the site of an earlier mosque, and the grounds also hold the tomb of Uzbekistan's first president.

Heritage & monuments

Afrasiab painting

Discovered in Samarkand in 1965, these Sogdian-era palace murals are believed to have been completed around the 7th century. The western section depicts figures thought to be envoys from the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, making the site especially interesting to Korean travelers.

Temples & religious sites

St. John the Baptist Church, Samarkand

The only Catholic church in Samarkand, under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Administration of Uzbekistan based in Tashkent. It offers a rare piece of religious architecture in a city known for its Islamic heritage.

Heritage & monuments

Kafir-kala

Ancient fortress ruins on the banks of the Darghom River, south of Samarkand. The mudbrick citadel and surviving traces of a moat reveal the old defense system that once protected this oasis city.

Temples & religious sites

Kuk Mosque

Kuk Mosque is a small mosque tucked in an alley not far from Registan Square, its modest garden and wood-pillared gallery evoking the feel of an old village. Unlike the grand, showy mosques nearby, it remains quiet and low-key — a nice way to soak up the local atmosphere while wandering Samarkand's old town.