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this unfair treatment with wonderful jewels that were given to her by her
next ruler Timur (Tamerlane).
Samarkand became the capital city of the Timur State in 1369 after
the Mongol invasion (Aka, 2000). The Timur (1370-1405) period was
to become the most brilliant period of Samarkand that were to last for
three hundred years. He gathered all the best architects and artists to the
city making it the science and the art center of the world. Timur erected
magnificent architectural monuments (madrasahs, palaces, tombs, com-
plexes etc.) so as to redefine the appearance of the city. Spanish voyager
Clavijo has seen these works of art being built. This is what he wrote
about Samarkand: “The soil is very fertile and cotton is well-grown. There
are gardens, fruit trees and vineyards that exist between all the houses in
the city. Timur's shield is a triangle that is formed by three small circles,
meaning he possess three-fourths of the world. This shield is stamped on
the coins and on every building commissioned by him. In all cities under
his domination palaces, madrasahs are being built. Most of these palaces
are huge; decorated with blue and gold colored tiles, marble floors, fitted
with courtyards and pools.”
Clavijo continues: “Six elephants welcomed us at Timur's palace in
Samarkand. The riders were sitting in wooden castles on the top of the
elephants. There was a fountain in Timur's court with apples in it. Timur
was wearing a silk robe, and a crown decorated with pearls and rubies.
Inside the palace towards the way to the bedrooms there stood two golden
tables with seven golden wine jugs inlaid with pearls and emeralds and
golden glasses.”(Clavijo, 2007) Clavijo is talking about Timur's Dilkusha
palace, which did not survive, to our times. Clavijo being in Samarkand
as an envoy, visited the army camp system applied and the marquee of the
khan installed outside the city, which is a Turkish military tradition of hun-
dreds of years. The marquee and all of the tents along with surrounding
high walls and towers were made out of colorful silk fabrics. Each tent had
an owner's totem on top. Clavijo describes the wealth of Samarkand as
astonishing and claims that two Turkish words “semiz” and “kand” mean-
ing “fat” or “wealthy” and “city” comes together to give Samarkand its
name “Wealthy city.” The true wealth of Samarkand was the beauty of the
silk and gold brocade fabrics woven, gold and blue tiled structures and the
most talented artists and scholars that were brought to the city from the
conquered countries.
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