In the 13th century, Genghis Khan laid the city to waste.
It was Timur, the founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire, who had the city rebuilt.
The Bibi-Khanym mosque before restoration (left) and after restoration in 1974 (right).
At times he would throw coins at them when they worked to his satisfaction.
This great period of reconstruction lasted for 35 years until Timurs death in 1405 CE.
Centuries of war and a couple of nasty earthquakes had left many of the buildings in ruins.
Others, such as the Shah-i-Zinda cemetery, was restored as recently as ten years ago.
The aggressive restoration work has been controversial to some, for it has lost the authenticity of the monuments.
A late-19th or early-20th century painting of the Bibi-Khanym mosque by artist Richard-Karl Karlovitch Zommer.
Photo credit:Christie/Wikimedia
Bibi-Khanym mosque.
Photo credit:Richard Towell/Flickr
Bibi-Khanym mosque.
Photo credit:Mr Hicks46/Flickr
Bibi-Khanym mosque.
Photo credit:Adam Jones/Flickr
Bibi-Khanym mosque: Then and now.
Photo credit: RFERL.org
The Amir Temur mausoleum was originally built in the 14th century.
Before and after restoration.
Photo credit: RFERL.org
The Amir Temur mausoleum.
Photo credit:Christopher Rose/Flickr
The Amir Temur mausoleum.
Photo credit:Adeel Anwer/Flickr
The Shah-i Zinda mausoleum complex, before and after restoration.
The complex includes more than 20 buildings and the earliest parts date from the 11th century.
Photo credit: RFERL.org
The Shah-i Zinda mausoleum.
Photo credit:Fulvio Spada/Flickr
The Shah-i Zinda mausoleum.
Photo credit:Sergio Tittarini/Flickr
The Shah-i Zinda mausoleum complex, before and after restoration.
Photo credit: RFERL.org
Sources:The Guardian/Reuters/RFERL.org
