Timur seizes Samarkand

April 1369

The Barlas chief, having outmaneuvered his brother-in-law Husayn at every turn, took the great trade city as his capital. He would adorn it with mosques, observatories, and tile work imported from a half-dozen conquered civilizations, creating a showcase of imperial power and artistic synthesis. Samarkand was about to become the most splendid city in fourteenth-century Asia.