Uzbekistan: Samarkand – Shah-i-Zinda
Shah-i-Zinda is a collection of mausoleums and tombs from 11-18th centuries in three groups – lower, middle, and upper. The lower groups has a massive blue domed 16th century mosque, in the middle part there several 14th century tombs with blue-tiled iwans facing each other. And finally the upper part contains the oldest tombs from the 11-13th century. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The place itself is sacred – supposedly, according to a legend, this is where one of Muhammad’s cousins was buried according to a legend. The architecture, tiles, and colors are all absolutely incredible and overwhelming.
