The Guri Amir Mausoleum seems a strangely lovely final resting place for a man who cemented his enemies' skulls into victory monuments all across the continent from the Volga River in Russia to the Ganges in India.
It apparently was built by Temur in 1405 not for himself but as a resting place for his favourite grandson but, when he died that same year, the great conqueror was interred there beside several members of his family.
The mausoleum's elegance reflects the work of all the skilled artists and craftsmen this brutal warrior summoned from his vast empire to beautify his capital of Samarkand.
Above it stands one of the massive, fluted, azure domes, which seem to soar majestically on every corner of this city.
Inside, the dome is decorated with golden stucco, which reflects the light from the original door, now sealed with a grill, in a golden glow ... or at least it did until the custodian turned on the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
The walls are covered in delicate patterns which evoke images of flowers and birds; even the obligatory account of Temur's exploits is done tastefully, picked out in gold on a background of jasper.
The only crude note amid all this serenity is a rough wooden pole holding a horsetail aloft above a large gravestone in an alcove off to one side. Could this be the horsetail banner under which Temur conquered the great cities of the ancient world from Damascus to Delhi?
No, according to local guide Ramil. "This is the traditional way to mark the grave of a holy man. The holy man was already buried here when the mausoleum was built so Temur showed him respect by putting his grave inside."
But the focus of attention is under the centre of the dome where half a dozen gravestones of varying sizes signal that in the crypt below lie the bodies of Temur, some of his sons and grandsons, and his most respected teacher.
All are in white except for the dominant stone in the centre, which is, apparently, a block of solid dark green jade, so dark it actually looks black, though Ramil says "Sometimes when the sunlight enters it glows green and you can see how precious it truly is."
However, not all is perfection. Across the middle of the jade's cool, smooth surface is a great ugly crack and one corner of the block looks as though it has been broken off and stuck back rather clumsily.
The damage was the fault of a Persian warlord with delusions of grandeur, Nadir Shah who, in 1740, conquered Samarkand and carried off the gravestone, hoping thereby to acquire the mana of Temur.
Instead, the story goes, what he got was a run of very bad luck which the soothsayers told him would only be ended when he appeased the spirit of the mighty conqueror by returning his gravestone.
This he did, with profuse apologies, albeit returning the stone in a damaged state after it was accidentally dropped. And there's another story which suggests that was probably a wise decision.
Back in 1941, a Soviet anthropologist was allowed to open the coffins of Temur and his family and take the bodies to Moscow for study. Legend has it that on Temur's grave was inscribed the grim warning, "Whoever opens this will be defeated by an enemy even more fearsome than I."
The grave was opened and, as Ramil recounted with grim pleasure, "The very next day, June 22, 1941, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union."
I'm not sure whether Stalin consulted a soothsayer but, in any event, according to Ramil, the great dictator apparently heard the story, ordered the remains to be returned to their mausoleum ... and we all know the outcome.
However, the anthropologists did have the bones long enough to confirm that Temur was a big man for his time (1.7m), had suffered injuries to his right leg and right arm - hence his nickname Temur the Lame, or Tamerlane, as he is known in the West - and had a red beard.
They also found that his grandson Ulugbek, astronomer-ruler of Samarkand after Temur, had been murdered by having his head chopped off and was not wrapped in the customary shroud.
Several accounts I've read about the Guri Amir Mausoleum indicate that a small bribe to the custodian enables visitors to get access to the crypt to see the coffins. But, on this occasion, sadly, that was not on offer and the small wooden door, low down on the outside of the mausoleum, stayed locked.
I think I'm relieved. It would have been interesting to see the final resting place of one of history's most powerful figures. But I wouldn't want to upset his spirit by my intrusion. Better to let him rest.
Instead, I had a final look at his gravestone, peering through the grill from outside at its grim, cracked shape. Inside, a family of Uzbeks had arrived, a mother and father with two young daughters, gazing in awe at this hero of their nation.
I wonder if Mao will be receiving the same veneration 600 years after his death? Could Temur the Lame outlast them all?
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Singapore Airlines operates daily flights between Auckland and Singapore.
Details: World Expeditions' 'Silk Road to Samarkand' journeys travel from Beijing to Samarkand. The company celebrates its 40th birthday this year.
The writer visited Samarkand with help from Singapore Airlines and World Expeditions.
