Our next stop was the complex of Royal Tombs known as Shah-i-Zindah. These were many of the aristocrats, noble families, and royal persons. I'm not sure if they know the identity of all the tombs now.

From street level I didnt know what to expect. You can see a couple of domes but by this point there were domes everywhere.

First you go up a long staircase which brings you to an archway. Once going thru the archway there is a street lined with tombs.

The street is not that wide and is made of tombs lining both sides of the street. Each tomb is beautifully decorated with its own ceramic tilework over the entire structure. It felt like somewhere in Iran.

Once again there is very detailed tilework around the entrance archway and some design work in the interior dome

I'd known about streets like this in Ancient Greece or Rome but this is the first time I'd seen one intact. It was very impressive the lavish work that had been laboured on each of the tombs to make each one unique

The tombs and elaborate architecture continue for the entire length of the street which runs for a few hundred metres.

Towards the end is another archway that brings you to a small dead end courtyard with three tombs.

People were taking group photos in the small courtyard next to the beautiful tilework

I was surprised to know that one of the tombs here was of the cousin of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) who was killed after first bringing Islam to Central Asia

To enter is a candlelit corridor that brings you to an inner chamber. Again there are candles and behind an ornate wall and wooden doorway lies the tomb, though this is as far as you can go

Here is also a short video I made of the entire corridor

Shah-I-Zindah : Tomb of the Prophet pbuh Cousin
http://youtu.be/6qZauRF_jQw

I was surprised they let anyone go in and that photography was allowed. Normally in such religious sites it is restricted to only persons of that faith and no photos are allowed.

It was a very impressive site and I originally thought this was an original site that had survived all the earthquakes. However since coming back I found an old documentary I watched a few years back.

This shows the restoration of Shah-i-Zindah and the rather brutal way in which the tiles were just being hacked off.

Youtube Video : Paradise Lost
http://youtu.be/lCiUGb9f7hI

Some of the concerns in that documentary seem a bit unfounded now. To the novice observer they have done an impressive restoration job and I wouldnt have known the difference

This was certainly one of my favourite places in Samarkand after the Registan and somewhere I hope to visit again