October 31: Khujand to Samarkand
(Note: portions in italics and quotes are descriptions of activities from the tour brochure)
After breakfast, we got on the bus for a drive back across the border to Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
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| Tajikistan countryside |
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| Tajikistan countryside |
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| Back in Uzbekistan--more cotton fields |
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| Farm workers in Uzbekistan |
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| Government housing in a town in Uzbekistan |
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| Rural scenery in Uzbekistan |
Somewhere between the border and Samarkand, we entered the "melon zone", which consisted of long areas on the side of the road where people were selling melons. They were giving out samples, and the melons were incredible. And, of course, they wanted to have their pictures taken.
Uzbekistan has more gas stations per square mile than any place on earth (or so it appears). However, about 2/3 of them were closed. Here is an open station, near the melon stands.
After our melon break, we headed towards Samarkand.
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| The gap is the space between two separate mountain ranges |
After another hour or so, we encountered another collection of roadside stands, selling fruit and other things. We got out to investigate.
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| These are cheese balls |
After investigating the fruit stands we got back in the bus. About 5 miles down the road we noticed that one of the tour members wasn't on the bus. Unfortunately, we were on a limited access highway with a concrete median, so we couldn't turn the bus around, and there were no turnarounds for 20 miles. The bus driver stopped the bus and hopped over the median and flagged down a car going the other way. When he got to the fruit stands, he got out, crossed the median and found our missing passenger. Two problems--the bus driver didn't speak English, and our tour member didn't recognize him, so she refused to go with him. Fortunately, Jama had called the police, and a police car arrived in a few minutes to bring her back to the bus. Just another day in the Stans....
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| Rural area outside Samarkand |
"Arrive this afternoon in perhaps the most well known of Silk Road
towns, Samarkand, fabled oasis on the fringes of the Kyzyl Kum Desert
that has been settled since the 6th century BC. Because of its location
on the plains where the Zeravshan River spills out from the Pamir
Mountains, Samarkand became a major Silk Road crossroads. It has been
visited through time by many of the world's conquerors - Alexander the
Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. Alexander said of Samarkand,
"Everything I have heard about the beauty of the city is indeed true,
except that it is much more beautiful than I imagined." Tamerlane made
it his capital city and gathered the finest architects, builders and
artisans of the time to enhance its beauty."
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| Shopping plaza in Samarkand |
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| Hard at work on the streets of Samarkand |
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| On the streets of Samarkand |
Lunch was at a very nice restaurant. The picture below shows the facilities in the bathroom. Not entirely to my standards, but it was clean!
After lunch we headed to
Gu-Emir Masoleum, the final resting place of Tamerlane, who conquered wide swaths of Central Asia in the 14th and 15th centuries.
"Visit Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the final resting place of Tamerlane, built at
the turn of the 15th century. The interior of the mausoleum has been
restored and is brilliant in gold leaf and fresh tile. The heavily
gilded central dome opens over the set of tomb-markers resembling
sarcophagi. All are marble, with the exception of Tamerlane's, which is a
slab of solid jade reportedly from Mongolia."
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| Gu-Emir Masoleum |
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| Another view |
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| Inside the mausoleum (picture stolen from the internet) |
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| Some locals posing for the camera |
After visiting the mausoleum, we drove through central Samarkand to a studio, where we were treated to tea and a fashion show (I was so excited....)
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| Music and Drama Theater |
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| Olympia Sports Center |
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| If anyone knows what this is, let me know |
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| Arriving at the studio for the fashion show |
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| The fashion show |
After dinner, Jama and a couple of us took a walk to see Samarkand by night. As it turns out, they were having a sound and light show at the Registan (the main attraction in Samarkand), so I got a few shots.
November 1: Samarkand
The next day, we started our touring with a walk back to the
Registan, the most famous landmark in Samarkand (and maybe all of Central Asia).
"Discover Registan Square, the centerpiece of Samarkand and the most
recognizable landmark for visitors. Three emblematic madrassahs frame
the square and loom over the empty space in the center. It was this
central space that originally gave the place its name, for "registan"
simply means "place of sand." This sandy place was at the center of
ancient Samarkand and was a public square and marketplace before Ulug
Bek built the Ulug Bek, Tillya-Kori, and Shir Dor madrassahs. In its
reconstruction, the square maintains the majesty that it has radiated
through the ages."
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| Panoramic view of the Registan |
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| Ulugh Beg Madrasah, built in 1471 |
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| Tower of Ulugh Beg |
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| Inside the courtyard of one of the madrasahs |
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| In one of the courtyards |
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| Uzbek women just love me! |
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| Another courtyard view |
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| Panoramic view inside a courtyard |
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| Inside one of the madrassahs |
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| Another courtyard view |
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| Some local tourists |
From the Registan, a pedestrian street led to the Bibi Khanum Mosque, which at one time was the largest mosque in the world.
"Bibi Khanum Mosque, built by Tamerlane to be the largest mosque in the
Islamic world, and dedicated to the memory of his favorite wife.
Architects from India and Persia were brought in to build the mosque,
and 95 elephants were used to transport the marble and other building
materials from India to Samarkand."
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| Along the pedestrian street |
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| A school along the way |
The next few pictures are from the Bibi Khanum Mosque complex. The mosque is only partially restored.
Next to the mosque was a bazaar, which I was obligated to visit and see if anyone wanted their picture taken. I wasn't disappointed.
Next stop was the
Ulugh Beg Observatory, which was built in the 1420's, then destroyed, and rediscovered in 1908. Most of the remains consist of an arc in the ground that held a huge sextant.
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| Observatory remains on left, and museum on right |
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| Observatory Museum |
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| Underground arc that housed the sextant |
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| Inside the Observatory Museum |
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| View of part of Samarkand from the museum |
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| Wedding party next to the museum |
From the museum, we headed across town to a workshop where hand-crafted paper is made.
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| Exterior of a typical house in Samarkand |
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| Typical residential street in Samarkand |
"Visit the workshop where hand-crafted paper is made according to
traditions handed down from the 8th century, when paper making began in
Samarkand. Founded in 1997 with the support of UNESCO, the workshop of
Abdurakhim Mukhtarov produces lovely paper crafts and stationery as you
watch."
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| Waterwheel at the paper shop |
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| Exterior of the paper shop |
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| Grinding wood pulp for paper |
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| Pressing the paper |
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| Example of the finished product |
After the paper demonstration, we headed back to central Samarkand for lunch.
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| Greetings from the citizens of Samarkand |
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| Downtown Samarkand, such as it is |
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| Uzbekistan's biggest Chevy dealer (maybe) |
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| Our lunch destination |
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| Inside the restaurant |
After lunch, we headed to the Shah-I-Zinde mausoleum (see description below).
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| On the road in Samarkand |
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| Intersection in central Samarkand |
"The row of tombs and mausoleums collectively called Shah-I-Zinde, or
"place of a living king," stretches between the present and the past. At
its front is living Samarkand, and at its back the dusty slopes at the
edge of ancient Afrosiab. Even on hot summer days the mausoleums remain
shady and cool, and seem to lure the traveler to approach the oldest
tomb at the far end. Behind the complex and set into the hill lies an
active cemetery with gravesites dating back as far as the ninth century,
and as recently as the present day. "
The cemetery next to the mausoleum consisted of Islamic, Korean, and Jewish sections.
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| Islamic section |
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| Jewish cemetery |
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| This type of tombstone was common in the Soviet Union |
From the mausoleum/cemetery, we headed to a carpet factory, which is a requirement for all tours to the Middle East and Central Asia.
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| We did not stop to go bowling at the supermarket |
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| At the carpet factory |
Next we returned to the Registan, where we saw some Uzbek folk dance in one of the madrassahs.
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| Ceiling in the madrassah |
After the performance, I was able to get some good shots of the interior courtyards of the Registan at night (without a light show).
Dinner was at a local home. Most of the houses in Samarkand are very plain from the outside--just a wall with a door in it. If you go inside, there is a big courtyard and then you get to the main entrance of the house.
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| In the courtyard |
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| Entrance to the house |
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| Our dinner table |
Next:
Days 10-12: Bukhara, Uzbekistan
