Who was Shamsiddin Kulor?

The "Dor ut-tilovat" complex, located south of the central square of Shahrisabz, also includes the mausoleum of Shamsiddin Kulor (died around 1350).

His m oniker i s often m istakenly written as "Kulal." This individual and the circumstances of his mausoleum's construction are reported by one of the historians of Amir Temur and the first Temurids, Sharaph ad-din 'Ali Yazdi. According to him, sheikh was a spiritual advisor (pir) to Amir Taragai, the father of Amir Temur, who also deeply respected that elder. Amir Taragai took part in meetings with Shams addin Kular and expressed his respect to him. According to Yazdi, his family could trace its roots back to the famous Sufi sheikh Shikhab ad-din Abu Khafs 'Umar Sukhravardi (1145–1234).

After his death from illness in the year 762/1360–61, Amir Taragai was buried in Kesh, next to his father Amir Barkul and other relatives. As soon as Amir Temur took the throne (1370), he ordered that the remains of his father (in 775/1373–74) be taken to the tomb of Shams ad-din Kular and that a dome construction be built there (evidently on top of the tombs of the sheikh and his father). It was located not far from the Cathedral
Mosque.

Amir Temur ordered that all his relatives and descendants be buried there, wherever they might die. Each time Amir Temur visited Kesh, he would follow the obligatory rituals of pilgrimage to the tombs of Shams ad-din Kular, his father Mir Taragai, Amirzad Jahangir and other his relatives, handing out generous alms to the poor.