The Curse of Tamerlane's Tomb
Soviet scientists opened the tomb of the conqueror Tamerlane in June 1941. Two days later, Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
What was reported
Timur, known in the West as Tamerlane, built an empire across Central Asia in the 14th century and was buried in the Gur-e-Amir, a domed tomb in Samarkand. In June 1941 a Soviet team led by the anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened his grave to study his remains.
Local elders are said to have warned them of an inscription: whoever disturbed the tomb would unleash an invader more terrible than Timur. The tomb was opened on 19–20 June. On 22 June, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Timur was reburied with Islamic rites in late 1942, shortly before the Soviet victory at Stalingrad.
Explanations offered
The German invasion had been planned for months and had nothing to do with Samarkand. Historians doubt the curse inscription existed in the form usually quoted; the story of the warning was told mainly afterwards. The coincidence is still striking.
- When
- June 1941
- Where
- Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Witnesses
- The Soviet expedition that opened the tomb
- Status
- Coincidence
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.