Built at the height of Timur’s power with the spoils of his Indian campaign, Bibi-Khanym was meant to be the grandest mosque in the Islamic world. Its colossal portal and cracked, weathered domes still convey that ambition: a monument so vast its builders pushed medieval engineering past its limits.
Don't miss
- The enormous entry portal, one of the tallest of its era
- The giant marble Quran stand in the courtyard
- The neighbouring Siyob Bazaar, perfect for fruit and fresh non bread
Good to know
Getting there
An easy walk from Registan; pair it with the Siyob Bazaar right next door.
Local tip
Buy a round of Samarkand non (bread) at the bazaar; it’s famous across Uzbekistan.
A Legend of Love and Stone
Folklore says the mosque was a gift from Timur’s wife, Bibi-Khanym, who let the smitten architect steal a kiss to finish it on time, a kiss that left a mark and, the story goes, led Timur to order women to veil. History is murkier, but the building genuinely strained the technology of its day, and parts began to crumble within decades of completion.
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