Samarkand — Riddle of the Sundial

Your journey in Samarkand begins in front of the Sher-Dor Madrasah, erected between 1619 and 1636 by Yalangtush Bahadur. Its iconic facade, adorned with tiger and sun motifs, rises above a 23m high gate, decorated with 12,000 majolica tiles. This site, which included a mosque and cells for 100 students in the 17th century, immediately challenges you to decipher the celestial symbols that might indicate the location of a mythical sundial. Opposite, the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, built between 1417 and 1420 by Tamerlane's grandson, reveals its 368,000 bricks and 14,040 turquoise ceramic tiles. Used as an astronomy and Islamic teaching center in the 15th century, it was restored by UNESCO between 1997 and 2003.

Continue your investigation towards the Tilya Kori Madrasah, built from 1646 to 1660 under the order of Imam-Quli Khan. Its name, meaning 'covered with gold', makes perfect sense with the 200 m² of gilding adorning its grand mosque. This madrasah, featuring an inner courtyard of 36 x 30 m with 48 student cells, connects the three main madrasahs of the Registan. It represents a crucial milestone in your quest, as its sumptuous decorations could house hidden clues about the sundial's function or location. Every architectural detail of Samarkand, from the 15th to the 17th century, is a piece of this great historical puzzle.

Your path then leads you to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, founded between 1399 and 1404 by Tamerlane to commemorate his victory over Delhi. This complex, measuring 167 x 109 m with a 38m high pishtaq portal, was once the largest building in Central Asia. Although its main dome, 40m in diameter, collapsed before being restored in 1997, a Quranic inscription on its portal dated 1399 could hold keys to your mission. The grandeur of this site, dedicated to Tamerlane's wife, testifies to the power of the Timurid empire and its influence on the Silk Road.

A detour through the Ancient Chorsu Market, active since the 14th century near the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, offers a glimpse into Timurid trade. Famous for its melons and traditional breads, this market spans 5 hectares and maintains a historical link with the caravans of the Silk Road. This vibrant place of life and exchange, though not a religious monument, is a nerve center of Samarkand where legends and information circulate, and where a merchant might hold a fragment of the sundial's enigma. Uzbek culture reveals itself here in its most vivid aspects.

Your investigation concludes at Gur-i Amir, the mausoleum built in 1403-1404 by Tamerlane as a family burial place, and enlarged for his own tomb (died in 1405). Its turquoise dome of glazed brick, 40m high, decorated with muqarnas, also houses the sarcophagi of Ulugh Beg (executed in 1449) and other Timurids. Restored in 1967, this site is the highlight of your exploration of Samarkand's Timurid heritage. It is here, at the heart of the builders of these wonders, that the truth about the sundial's enigma could finally be revealed, completing your thematic circuit through the history of Samarkand.