Azerbaijani journalists visited Amir Timur’s mausoleum in Samarkand as part of a media tour of Uzbekistan.

The journalists were briefed on the life and activities of Amir Timur, who was born near Samarkand in 1336 and made the city the capital of his empire. It was noted that Samarkand held an important position on the Great Silk Road, along which major trade caravans passed, Report informed.

Participants of the media tour were told that Amir Timur had prepared a burial site for himself in Samarkand during his lifetime. Following his death in 1405 during a campaign toward China, his body was brought to the city and buried there. The mausoleum was initially known as Gur-e-Amir, meaning "tomb of the rulers" or "mausoleum of the emirs."

The journalists also familiarized themselves with the architecture of the mausoleum and the burials located beneath its large dome. During the tour, they were briefed on the historical area surrounding the complex, where Amir Timur's palace, Saray, once stood. The palace did not survive, but various stone artifacts were discovered during archaeological excavations carried out by Samarkand archaeologists in 1953.

In particular, participants were shown surviving stone elements associated with Amir Timur's palace complex. Among them was a dark granite stone that was located in the palace and used during receptions for ambassadors and various event