The Golden City of Samarkand: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
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Things To Know
- VoiceMap Application
- Lifetime access to The Golden City of Samarkand tour
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Smartphone
- Transportation
- Food/Drink
- Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What's included in the package
Itinerary
Shah-i-Zinda (Pass-by Only)
The Shah-I-Zinda complex originally dates from the ninth century. The tiny doorways to the mausoleums ensure by design that bowing to Allah is compulsory. The plain white graves are laden with pilgrim’s gifts of bank notes for comfort in the afterlife. The sheer scale of the site’s majesty, the busyness and the minutia of the architecture is dizzying, as is the dry heat through much of the year.
Siab Bazaar (Pass-by Only)
At the Siab Bazaar, girders hold aloft a two-tiered corrugated monster of a roof, an over spill of traders hunkering under bleached gazebos and parasols selling a wide array of goods. Everything can be found here. From children’s toys to hard, round, bagel-like lepyoshka. Look out for necklaces of wolves teeth, mixed in with Chinese imports piled high.
Bibi Khanym Mosque (Pass-by Only)
The Bibi Khanym Mosque was commissioned by Timur, following his campaign in India in 1399. It was built using treasures plundered from the subcontinent. Ignoring his architect’s advice, Timur’s very specific design ensured that the mosque has collapsed repeatedly. For four centuries, it lay as a windswept ruin. The latest restoration efforts began in 1974 and continue to this day.
Registan (Pass-by Only)
Registan is most people's holy grail when visiting Uzbekistan. Here you can get a real sense of how steeped in history the region is. These are the lands of Al-Khorezm, the mathematician whose name Westerners morphed into the word algorithm. His al-jabr still forms the basis of schoolchildren’s nightmares.
Ulugbek Madrasah (Pass-by Only)
Although it was built as an imitation of the original Ulugbek Madrassa, the Sher Dor features a quirk which makes it a favourite of photographers. The mosque was completed in 1636 under Shaybanid Emir Yalangtush. Its mosaics feature a Zoroastrian hangover flouting the Islamic prohibition on the depiction of living beings. Although, the name Sher Dor translates as "lion" most agree that the roaring beasts in each corner above the entrance arch more closely resemble tigers.
Where to meet and pickup
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
Ticket Redemption
Tickets will be delivered post-booking by email; or, physically delivered to you or your hotel
Reviews By Other Travelers
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Operated By
VoiceMap Audio ToursPayment Methods
Search Availability
Things to know
- VoiceMap Application
- Lifetime access to The Golden City of Samarkand tour
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Smartphone
- Transportation
- Food/Drink
- Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels