Uzbekistan: Samarkand – Islam Karimov Mausoleum
Samarkand is known for its medieval mosques and mausoleums, but there is also a rather recent edition – the Mausoleum of the First President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov. The Mausoleum is constructed of lavish tables and blue tiled elements to look like the traditional medieval Timurid architecture for which Samarkand is so famous. There are multiple quotes from Koran inscribed all around the mausoleum and the entrances. The complex was constructed after Karimov died from a stroke in 2016 during his 25th years as President, on his fourth seven-year term. Prior to presidency, he was the leader of the communist party in the Uzbek SSR. Besides the mausoleum, Samarkand also has a massive statue of him on the city’s center, just outside the UNESCO’s Registan.
