Uzbekistan 3: Samarkand

My fascination with Samarkand began the first time I heard of it.  I was in college,  studying ancient trade routes,  and it sounded like the most exotic place in the world.  As I got older and learned more,  through teaching the Mongols and Timur,  Samarkand jumped to the top of my "someday I'll go there" list.  I even looked up plane tickets a few times- very expensive and long layovers from Boston!

However,  if I had a year to travel,  I was gong to go there.  It was the last stop on the Uzbekistan tour and did not disappoint.  We arrived by van from Bukhara at sunset,  just able to see the dome of Timur's  mausoleum peeking above the trees.  The large statue of him sat regally nearby. After dinner we walked over to see it lit up at night.  It was magical!  Like something out of a fairy tale.  

In the morning we returned,  to visit the tombs inside and walk through the complex.  I couldn't believe I was seeing the cursed tomb I teach about every year.   The tiles were so beautiful on the gate and on the done.  Standing at the grave of such an influential world leader was humbling.   This man shaped the world in the 1300s. 

Next up was the famous Registan, where three huge tiled madrassas faced a massive  open square. Each had its own unique tile patterns, with fantastical animals and floral motifs.  I could have stared at the tile for hours.  I took a lot of photos.   From there we walked to the Bibi Khanym mosque which has-- wait for it-- more tiles and turquoise domes. You'd think I would be sick of it,  but it was just too pretty. Much of this site was still unrestored, but some parts were cry impressive,  especially the huge dome. 

After lunch we went to the market, to see the dried fruit,  nuts,  cheese,  candy,  and fresh produce available.   It was fun to walk around.   Our last stop of the day was a necropolis, the Shah-i-Zinda.  The guide promised the ultimate example of tiles,  and he was not wrong.  Huge mausoleums lined the street up the hill in dazzling walls of blue and teal.  Every time you thought you had  seen the best,  another corner led to more beauty.  In the late afternoon sun,  it was spectacular. 

That evening,  we walked up to see the Registan at night.  It was lit beautifully.  They also had a short light show about the history of the region.  It was really well done,  Disney quality!  It highlighted a lot of the themes I teach. 

Our last day in Samarkand we saw some smaller sites.   We visited the history museum with incredible frescoes showing foreign visitors to the city.   We walked up to the old city,  now a deserted field since the Mongol invasions.   We went to the site of the astrological observatory and saw the small museum there.   After lunch,  it was just shopping and then boarding the train back to Tashkent.

Overall I loved my time in Uzbekistan.  I had a great group and guide,  which helped,  but everywhere people were friendly and helpful.  The food was delicious,  the sites powerful and pretty,  and the accommodations much better than expected.  It was a dream come true to go, and my trip will be a treasured memory forever. 

Uzbekistan 2: Bukhara

We arrived late in Bukhara and checked into this old palace hjotel.  The rooms were decorated like a 19th century Ottoman home, full of fancy plaster and carving.  The beds were so comfortable!  The next day we set out early to see the sites.  Bukhara has preserved or restored much of its trading history.  We entered the city through a trade gate, walking past caravan sarais that onced houses horses and camela.  The domed trade gates are still trader centers but now thwy sell souvenirs. 

We saw some of the madrasses on that end of town, then rode across town ro one of the oldeat buildings, a place with simple terra cotta decor, no color.  It was a mausoleum from the 11th century.  Then we walked across a park to a mosque and the old palace.  This was once the capital of the city.  It's now mostly a museum.   Only part of the palace is restored from the Bolshevik era destruction.  I loved seeing the old clothing on display there, and the photos of what it looked like with a  huge market outside in the past.  We heard a lot about early European contacts that occurred here.  

Next we walked to the grand madrassas nearby.  They faced each other  imposingly, with the towering minaret in between.   It was breathtaking.  Inside the tiles just kept getting more and more beautiful.  I leaned about the different Arabic scripts used and started being able to spot the difference.   I can inky read two words in Arabic-Muhammad and Allah- so finding them in the decor made a fun game.   Inside there was still an active school,  which was pretty cool.  I want to go to school in a half millenia old building!

After a lunch of shashik (meat on skewers), we went to another trade dome to see local crafts in a historical setting.  The embroidered fabrics were beautiful, as were the scissors that looked like storks.  In the afternoon we saw the Jewish synagogue near our hotel,  a reminder of the city's diverse past.  In the evening we saw some traditional dancing.  

Day two began at the Chor Minor mosque (the cover of Lonely Planet Central Asia) and continued to the Summer Palace, a 19th century residence of the Khan. It was still being restored but the plasterwork was beautifully detailed.  They used mirrors to reflect light in the rooms.  

That was the end of our time in Bukhara.  Off to Samarkand!

Uzbekistan 1: Tashkent and Khiva

I don't evenknow where to begin.  I'm wiring this on a bullet train,  racing from Samarkand to Tashkent at the end of the most amazing week.  It's always been a dream to see the cities of the Silk Road.  This week had seen that dream come true.

I decided to use Advantour for this journey, because l  knew this was not a trip to take alone. I couldn't have been happier with my small tour (5-7) total, amazing guide, easy transit, lovely accommodations,  and a superb office staff who made the entire trip so smooth. 

I arrived in the evening on Thursday,  and was met by a tour rep.  He helped with customs,  and then the driver stopped at the bank so I could get local currency.  Last month the government devalued the money to match the black market rate,  stabilizing the economy.  I checked into the hotel,  which was basic but fine.   The next day I'd planned to exile in my own a bit,  but it rained.  A lot.  So I caught I up on work instead.

I met the tour on Saturday morning,  and we set off around Tashkent.  The city was nothing like what I'd expected.  Wide boulevards stretched through the city,  connecting a mix of Soviet era brutalist style buildings with modern ones.   There were shiny monuments to the 1991 independence of Uzbekistan, commanding to Timur, and somber memorials to those lost in war.  Their tomb of the unknown soldier has a statue of a grieving mother rather than a symbol of war.   I find it very powerful.  We also got our first taste of Timurid tile work and saw the oldest Qu'ran in existence.  Lunch was a traditional meal of plov, a mix between stew and fried rice.  I feel in love,  it was so good and filling.   I can't wait to make it at home.   Our last stop was a museum of applied crafts where we learned about making traditional embroidered fabric called suzani.  It is really cool to see how a people who had been forced to give up their traditions while under Soviet rule are now making efforts to revive and celebrate those crafts. 

We took and evening flight to Urgench and then drove through the night to Kiva.  The hotel was just outside the city wall, a cute little inn with a central dining room. 

In the morning,  we started our tour at the gate.   There's so much more from this area than I realized! Many of the scientists from the Golden Age of Islam were from this part of the world.  It was so surprising to see statues and pictures of them in museums! Kiva is a small city,  still wrapped in is city walls.  It was not raised by the Mongols so many old buildings remain.   The palace looks like simple mud brick,  but when you turn the corner you are in a courtyard decorated with the most beautiful blue and aqua tile.  Kiva tile is majolica, different colors applied with glaze.   I could have stared for hours and still not seen all of the details.   We walked from site to site,  from the half finished but fully decorated minaret to the old mosque with wooden columns to the mausoleum across town.   For lunch I had gumma, a kind of fried dumpling, and pumpkin soup.  In the afternoon we had free time to climb the city walls.  Scary! Crumbly mud walls, no railing, no hope of you lose your balance. But,  man,  the views! We ended the day by climbing the tower to see  whole city bathed in golden sunset.   Then it was a race to the airport for a night flight to Bhukara.