After a brief stop at the hotel to store our belongings and change clothes, our group immediately departed in the same vehicle for downtown Samarkand. Our first stop was the Statue of Amir Timur, located on University Boulevard, or Universiteti Xiyoboni.
This area appears expansive at first glance, with pleasant gardens adorned with fountains and shady trees flanking the wide boulevard. At first glance, it resembles the National Monument (Monas) area, except without the monument, the intersection, or the tall buildings surrounding it.
As its name suggests, this area also houses many of Samarkand’s leading universities, including the campus where Daniyor—our guide—studied: Samarkand State Medical University.
University Boulevard, built in the late 19th century during the Russian Empire, serves as the boundary between the old city and the new city built by the Russians.
“Please don’t leave your belongings in this vehicle, as we will be walking and using public transportation,” Daniyor explained as our vehicle stopped at the side of the road.
In the distance loomed the majestic dome of Gur-e-Amir, the mausoleum complex of Amir Timur—the ruler of the Timurid Empire, who had made Samarkand his capital since the 14th century. However, our first destination that afternoon was not the mausoleum, but rather to visit, or “ask permission” to enter Samarkand by visiting the statue of the ruler, which stood in the middle of a park at a wide, busy intersection.
We crossed the highway in droves following the traffic lights. Drivers in Samarkand are quite disciplined and respectful of pedestrians, although their driving can often be heart-pounding—especially when turning and pressing the brakes, producing a distinctive screeching sound. This same sound often accompanied our journey through the city once known as the jewel of the Silk Road. The wide highways, rows of white Chevrolets, and screeching brakes seemed to say: welcome to Amir Timur’s throne.
But who was Amir Timur?
In my high school world history lessons, I learned little about Timur Leng, another name for Amir Timur, better known for his ruthlessness in seizing and expanding his empire in Central Asia. At that time, Uzbekistan itself didn’t even exist, as it was still part of the vast Soviet Union.
It was here that I learned more, firsthand and in detail, about Amir Timur and the Timurid Empire—which turned out to be the ancestor of the Mughal Dynasty kings in India, including Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal.
Daniyor fluently recounted the origins of Amir Timur, now considered an iconic hero of Uzbekistan. He is remembered as a great conqueror of Central Asia, whose rule spanned from India, the Mediterranean, and Europe.
Timur, known in the West as Tamerlane (from Timur Leng, meaning “Timur the Lame”), was of mixed Turkic and Mongol descent. He began his military career under one of Genghis Khan’s descendants, Chagatai, in the Transoxiana region—the region that now encompasses Uzbekistan and its surroundings.
Around the 1360s, Timur succeeded in seizing power and slowly expanding his territory. At the end of the 14th century, the Timurid Empire was established with Samarkand as its capital.
It is also said that Timur had a famous wife named Bibi Khanum, a woman of Chinese or Mongol descent. Amir Timur himself died in 1405, during his journey to conquer China. He died in Otrar, a small town now located near Chimkent, Kazakhstan—about 500 kilometers from Samarkand—and was later buried in the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, which we can see in the distance.
Listening to Amir Timur’s story makes us wiser in our understanding of history. The same figure can be remembered as a hero, a conqueror, or a villain, depending on which perspective we view him from. There is only a thin line separating “hero and traitor,” “conqueror and liberator.”
“In Uzbekistan, there are three statues of Amir Timur,” Daniyor added sweetly.
“One in Samarkand, one in Tashkent, and one in Shahrisabz, his hometown.”
Daniyor also explained the significance of each statue. The statue in Shahrisabz depicts Amir Timur standing upright, symbolizing his birth and rise. The statue in Tashkent, located in Amir Timur Square, shows the conqueror on horseback. The statue in Samarkand, where we were standing, depicts him seated on a throne—a symbol of his glory. The statue in Samarkand is the largest and most imposing.
We approached the statue and admired its might. Our bodies seemed tiny in front of it. Amir Timur looked dashing, crowned, seated on a throne with a sword at his left side. There were few visitors around that afternoon. Besides being decorated with colorful flowers, there was also a small fountain, adding to the cool atmosphere.
We took a group photo in front of the statue, greeting Amir Timur—as if asking permission to explore his capital for the next few days.
According to Daniyor, this spot—like the statues of Amir Timur in Shahrisabz and Tashkent—is often used as a pre-wedding photo location for young Uzbek couples. He even joked,
“Who knows, for those who are still single, taking a photo in front of this statue of Amir Timur might help you find your soulmate faster!”
Hearing that, we laughed. But behind the laughter, I remembered the book Garis Batas (Border Lines) by Agustinus Wibowo, which I had once read. Mr. Agus wrote that the current borders in Central Asia are not absolute, having been drawn by the Soviet rulers in the past.
That’s why Kazakhstan claims Turkistan as its civilizational heritage, while Tajikistan still laments the glory of Samarkand and Bukhara—two cities now in Uzbekistan—because they are considered part of Ismail Somoni’s legacy.
The borders created during the Soviet era feel even more relevant when we stand within them. In Samarkand, the center of Amir Timur’s glory, all borders feel blurred by the aura of history.
Now, in front of the statue of the great conqueror, we still feel in the shadow of Amir Timur, along with the magnificent buildings he left behind for the world.
Welcome to Samarkand.
