Samarkand is an ancient city with many historic monuments and buildings, it is also a beautiful, green, clean city with spacious avenues and attractive buildings.
The currency gives one an inflated sense of wealth! Withdrawing 2 million som from the atm is the equivalent of $160!
Registan Square is a stunning sight of majestic, tilting madrassa portals – a near-overload of majolica azure mosaics surrounding a vast open space – it is the centrepiece of the city, and probably one of the most awesome sights in Central Asia. These grand edifices here are among the world’s oldest preserved madrassas – dating from the 15th century – having survived the destruction of Genghis Khan.
The Registan – ‘Sandy Place’ in Tajik – was medieval Samarkand’s commercial centre and was probably a bustling bazaar. The madrassas have suffered over the centuries due to frequent earthquakes that shake the region; that they are still standing is a testament to the incredible craftsmanship of their builders. Credible restoration was accomplished during the Soviet era and photos of the damaged and ruined madrassas are on display inside the Tilla-Kari Medressa.
The Ulugbek madrassa, on the western side, is the original medressa, finished in 1420 under Ulugbek who is said to have taught mathematics here (other subjects taught here included theology, astronomy and philosophy). The stars on the portal reflect Ulugbek’s love of astronomy. Beneath the little corner domes were lecture halls. At the rear is a large mosque with a beautiful blue painted interior. It is said that 5,000 workers built this 36m tall mosaic covered madrassa.
The other buildings are rough imitations by the Shaybanid Emir Yalangtush. The entrance portal of the Sher Dor ( lion) madrassa opposite Ulugbek’s and finished in 1636, is decorated with roaring felines that look like tigers but are meant to be lions. The lions, the deer, and the Mongolian-faced, Zorostrian-inspired suns rising from their backs are all unusual, flouting Islamic prohibitions against the depiction of live animals. It took 17 years to build but hasn’t held up as well as the Ulugbek Medressa, built in just three years. The pillars, minarets and walls are covered with mosaics containing suras from the Quran.
In between them is the Tilla-Kari madrassa, completed in 1660. The highlight here is the mosque, which is intricately decorated with blue and gold to symbolise Samarkand’s wealth. The mosque’s delicate ceiling, oozing gold leaf, is flat but its tapered design makes it look domed from the inside.
According to the legend, the majestic Bibi Khanym mosque was named in honor of Timur’s beloved senior wife. The construction of the building started after his victorious campaign in India. The mosque was to be built to accommodate 10,000 worshippers at the Friday prayer with a magnificence that would eclipse anything Timur had ever seen. Architects, craftsmen, artists and artisans from all over the East participated in the construction of the building.
In the 15th century, it was one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the Islamic world. It is considered a masterpiece of the Timirid period. By the mid-20th century, only a grandiose ruin of it still survived, but major parts of the mosque were restored during the Soviet era.
This little 9-year old girl wanted to practice her English on us.
We enjoyed a wine tasting of local Bagizagan wines.
Our last stop of the day was at the Siyab bazaar.
I saw this stunning looking woman at the necropolis yesterday. Her eyes were a very pale aqua color.
We returned to Tashkent via a high speed train.
