The Medieval Legend on the Death of Timur in Otrar in the Light of Modern Research research-article Bereket Karibayev, Yrysbek Omarbayev, Assel Taskarayeva Central Asiatic Journal, Volume 62 (2019), Issue 2, Page 277 - 286 The medieval city of Otrar in present-day Kazakhstan had an eventful history. It gained fame as the birthplace of the intellectual Abu Nasr al-Farabi. But it is also remembered as the venue of the “Otrar disaster”, the ill-fated events which led to Genghis Khan's invasion of western Eurasia. This article sheds light on the final days of Timur's life in this oasis city, where he died, en route to China, in February 1405. Local legends are critically compared with the historical and archaeological evidence of Timur's death, focusing on excavations within the palace of the local governor Berdibek.