Not far from the amazing Bibi Khanum mosque, on the slope of the Afrosiab hill, there is another magnificent monument of medieval architecture - the Shahi Zinda necropolis, which means “a living king” in Persian, the first buildings of which date from the 11th-12th centuries.
Locals call this place “street-cemetery” because there are 11 mausoleums in the necropolis that make up a very harmonious composition, where the remains of royal persons and nobles of Samarkand, many of which were elevated to the rank of saints, rest. In the center of the necropolis of Shahi Zinda is an unfinished building, which was the last refuge of the warlord Great Timur. The main mausoleum of the entire complex is the grave of Kusam ibn Abbas, known as the cousin of the Prophet Mohammed. For more than 13 years he was in the area and preached Islam. Every year hundreds of Muslims from all over the world make pilgrimages here, not to mention tourists.
The majestic necropolis, remarkably preserved to this day, delights with its beauty and rich design, thanks to which it was even listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its main feature, which enraptures not only tourists, but also historians, is that in a relatively small area, buildings that are completely different in their architectural design, decor and interior decoration, which clearly demonstrate the development of architecture from different eras - the time of government Emir Timur and for many years before him.
