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Bibi Khanym Mosque

City Center, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Ranked #4 of 13 attractions in Samarkand
Type: Religious Sites, Ancient Ruins
Description: Built between 1399 and 1404, this was one of the Islamic world's biggest mosques which crumbled for centuries before collapsing in an 1897 earthquake.
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34 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    15
    13
    6
    0
    0
Date Rating
reno
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2013 NEW

It costs 14,500 Sum to get in, so stay there till you have had your fill, as you will have to pay again! Well worth a couple of hours exploring. Try and find the shop of "Boris" the Russian guy in the corner of one of the 3 buildings. He's Funny and will try and sell you lots of stuff,... More

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Islamabad
Top Contributor
54 reviews 54 reviews
33 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
32 helpful votes 32 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2013

Ironically, nowhere in the world is one asked to pay for prayers in a mosque except in uzbekistan, a muslim country with rich islami heritage. probably the authorities are not even aware that such practice is strictly prohibited in islam and also in most of other religions in the world. bibi khanym is a typical example of misinformed authorities asking... More

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See 7 more reviews by Inam k for Samarkand
Toronto, Canada
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
15 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 24, 2013

We visited early our last morning in Samarkand, when there were no tourists around, just a handful of respectful locals. It is a much larger complex that we anticipated, a bit different feel to it, and quite amazing. It was a short walk from the market. From the road you can also see part of the modern walls separating the... More

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See 2 more reviews by 123163 for Samarkand
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
18 attraction reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 22, 2013

Bibi khanym mosque is the most historical monument in Samarkand. Timur started to construct it in 1399 and it was ready in 1404. Entering the mosque you will feel the ancient mystique and will be amazed by the stillness and quiet atmosphere. People mostly read a prayer inside . It is nice to see and learn the history of your... More

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See 2 more reviews by Зухра З for Samarkand
Brisbane, Australia
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 27, 2012

What an impressive building this must have been. Even today you cannot help but be impressed. The garden is a most peaceful and serene place.

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See 6 more reviews by Russnorm for Samarkand
Los Angeles
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
32 helpful votes 32 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 27, 2012

I was wowed by Bibi Khanym's size and beauty. I felt that the tile work was more beautiful than that at e Registan and it was a more appealing sight.

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See 4 more reviews by jahlie for Samarkand
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 29, 2012

i heard many story about this place before i visited and all talk about love and revenge and power .. my guid couldnt confirm which story is corect :) but what is corect that this tempel or mausk has been distoyeded by temorlunk >>but why !!!? maybe you can find the corect answer .. so let me know :) i... More

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See 3 more reviews by sou295424 for Samarkand
Wellington, New Zealand
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
11 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed August 18, 2012

To get the most out of this place, you really need a guide that understands and can relate some of the history behind the building of the place. It is also great to see some monuments partially restored so that we can all appreciate firstly how bad things were in Soviet times, and secondly the effort that it takes to... More

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See 6 more reviews by SENEKB for Samarkand
Seattle, Washington
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
34 helpful votes 34 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed July 13, 2012

Not a very big place, and somewhat off the beaten track - next to a fantastic market. It was a good change of pace after seeing the Registan.

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See 3 more reviews by FlySeeFly for Samarkand
NYC
Top Contributor
106 reviews 106 reviews
19 attraction reviews
Reviews in 41 cities Reviews in 41 cities
62 helpful votes 62 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed June 5, 2012

The site is in a bad condition. They charge for the entrance but it doesn't seem that the money is used for the restoration of the site. It might be lost completely very soon. Take the local guide - it may make the tour more exiciting.

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See 3 more reviews by MagusRU for Samarkand

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