The Ulugh Beg Observatory was built in 1428-1429 by Ulugh Beg, grandson of Timur and ruler of Samarkand. It was a three-storey circular building housing a giant meridian sextant of about 40 metres radius, one of the largest of its kind. Ulugh Beg gathered astronomers including Qadi Zada al-Rumi and Ali Qushji, and in 1437 they completed the Zij-i Sultani, a catalogue of 1,018 stars that remained a standard reference for two centuries and was translated and printed in Oxford in the 17th century.
After Ulugh Beg was killed in 1449 by order of his own son, the observatory was left to decay and was eventually destroyed, its location forgotten. In 1908 the Russian archaeologist V. L. Vyatkin identified the site and uncovered the underground part of the sextant trench, which survives today. A small museum nearby displays models of the instruments, manuscripts and portraits.
Visitors can descend to the trench and see the marble-lined arc marked in degrees. The site illustrates the scientific as well as architectural achievements of Timurid Samarkand.
| Admission | About 35,000-75,000 UZS (~$2.90-6.25) for foreign visitors |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily, about 09:00-17:00 |
| Address | Ulugbek Observatory, Ulugbek Street, Samarkand, Uzbekistan |
Why it matters
One of the great observatories of the medieval Islamic world, where the Zij-i Sultani star catalogue of 1,018 stars was compiled by Ulugh Beg and his team.
Location
Ulugbek Observatory, Ulugbek Street, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
39.6752, 67.0055 View on map
Highlights
- Surviving underground trench of the meridian sextant
- Zij-i Sultani catalogue of 1,018 stars (1437)
- Rediscovered by Vyatkin in 1908
- Museum with instrument models
Tips for visiting
- Allow 40-60 minutes.
- Combine with Shah-i-Zinda and the Afrosiyab Museum.
- Read the museum panels for the star-catalogue story.
When to visit
Weekday morning.
Accessibility
Trench reached by steps; museum partly accessible.
Frequently asked questions
Who built the observatory?
Ulugh Beg, in 1428-1429.
What survives?
The underground part of the giant sextant trench and a museum.
Who rediscovered it?
V. L. Vyatkin in 1908.