Description of the attraction
Just a few dozen meters from the Gur-Emir mausoleum there is another interesting tomb called Aksaray. It is very simply decorated from the outside: walls without any decorations, a dome on a white drum, windows covered with bars. But the interior decor amazes visitors with its sophistication and luxury. Inside, the mausoleum resembles a beautiful box, decorated with mosaics and gilded paintings. Aksaray, which translates as "White Palace", consists of one cruciform room and three small rooms located at the entrance.
Accurate data in the historical archives about the construction of the tomb of Aksaray has not been preserved. Some scholars believe that it was built for the Emir Abd al Latif - the one who killed his father Ugulbek, who was buried in the Gur-Emir mausoleum. Accordingly, a new mausoleum should have been built for Abd al Latif, which Aksaray became. According to other historians, this building with its architectural style and decor resembles another famous mausoleum of Samarkand - Ishratkhon. Therefore, it can date from the second half of the 15th century. All researchers agree on one thing: the mausoleum was intended for men. They probably came from the royal family of Abu Said.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the building of the tomb was in a deplorable state. To prevent its further decay, the mausoleum was partially fortified in the 1920s. For another whole century, no one was involved in this historical monument. In the 21st century, it was renovated by a private company and opened to visitors.
