Tamerlane Gardens
Samarkand is the tourist capital of Uzbekistan, the capital of the Timurid state, an open–air museum city shrouded in legends. One of the brightest rulers of Samarkand is certainly the great Sakhibkiran Amir Timur, who made Samarkand the capital of his state. A historical figure, known not only as a commander and urban planner, but also as the founder of the tradition of greening cities. It was under his leadership in the period from 1378 to 1404 that 14 large-scale gardens were planted in Samarkand, which received a generalized name - Tamerlane Gardens. The names of only ten of his gardens have survived to this day:
"Bog-i Dilkusho" is a garden that enchants hearts.
"Bog-i Shamol" – The Garden of winds.
"Bog-i Chinor" – The Garden of sycamores.
"Bog-i Beshicht" – The Garden of Eden.
“Bog-i Maidan" – A garden on the square.
"Bog-i Jahonnamo" – Garden - mirror of the world.
“Bog-i Nau" – A new garden.
"Bog-i Amir-zadeh Shohrukh" – Prince Shahrukh's Garden.
“Bog-i Baland" – High garden.
“Bog-i Davlatabad” is the Garden of a well–maintained state.
All the gardens were divided into two types.
The first type was called “Chorbag”, which was a square, each adobe wall of which was equal to 1km. The garden from the inside was divided into four equal parts by four streams that intersected in the center near the palace. Minarets were located in the corners of the garden.
The second type of gardens did not have clearly defined geometric boundaries. The purpose of the garden was to preserve nature in its original form, where numerous tents and a palace were located among the untouched vegetation. At the same time, it was in these gardens that the richest flora and fauna was represented.
Palaces of both types abounded with shady alleys, fountains, houses (reservoirs), fruit and non-fruit trees, ornamental shrubs, and palaces in each of them were built of Tabriz white marble. To create the architectural decoration of the gardens, Tamerlane invited the best masters from Iran and Azerbaijan.
The names of Tamerlane's gardens are preserved today in the names of the districts of the city where these gardens flourished centuries earlier. The largest and most densely populated district of Samarkand is Bagishamal, from the name of the Bag-i Shamol garden. The Bag-i Zagan Garden gave the name to the Bagizagan district, where the vineyards and the center of winemaking are located.
Thus, Amir Timur laid the foundation for the tradition of greening cities, which for many centuries was supported not only by the Timurids, but also by representatives of other dynasties. And today, walking through the numerous residential quarters of the city, you can find that almost every house is surrounded by a green garden around.