Guri Amir is a mausoleum of Timor built in 1404. It fell into disrepair in the late 1700’s, and much has been restored since the 1970’s.

There is an interesting legend around “The Curse of Timor.” The tomb is inscribed with two warnings. The first states “When I rise from the dead the world will tremble.” The second says “Whosoever disturbs my tomb will unleash an invader more terrible than I.”

A Soviet archeologist opened the tomb two days before the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. Apparently, Stalin believed the curse and ordered Timor to be reburied. The burial occurred one month before the Soviet victory at Stalingrad.

We then moved on to Registan Square, which was the heart of the original city of Samarkand. It is framed by three madrasahs (Islamic schools). They were built between the years 1440 and 1660.

The Sher-Dor madrasah is particularly unique, due to the depiction of tigers with suns on their backs.

This beautiful domed ceiling is actually an optical illusion – the ceiling is really flat.