Ulugh Beg's (Ulugbek) observatory

Ulugh Beg's (Ulugbek) observatory, Samarkand

Ulugh Beg was a grandson and heir of Tamerlane. He was an intellectual, a patron of the Arts, a Scientist, Mathematician, and an Astronomer. Ulugh Beg, unlike his grandfather, was not interested in warfare. In fact he was much more interested in exploring the stars than in conquering nations. In 1428 he founded a three-story observatory with a gigantic marble sextant measuring 40,212 meters and with an arc length of 63 meters. The underground portion of the marble sextant can still be seen by visitors who tour Central Asia and Uzbekistan, despite the destruction of Ulugh Beg's observatory after his death. Ulugh Beg created "Star Tables", or "Catalogue of Stars", in which he calculated with amazing precision the position of the sun, moon, planets, and over one thousand stars. These calculations are even more amazing when we consider the fact that Ulegbek did not have the advantage of optical instruments, only his naked eye. He also calculated the length of a star year almost exactly the same as the calendar we use today.

Being an intellectual, Ulugh Beg was perceived at times as challenging religion. This may have led to his death by beheading, confirmed in 1941 when the Gur-Emir crypt was opened and the remains examined. The historical and scientific value of Ulugh Beg's observatory makes it a popular site for travelers to Central Asia.

List of other historical monuments of Samarkand

Reqistan Square
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Shakhi-Zinda Mausoleums
Gur-e Amir Mausoleum
Afrasiab museum