Oct 8 - 10 Samarkand, Uzbekistan Photos

Uzbekistan Flag

Leaving Tashkent for Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Our high speed train to Samarkand

Arrival at the Samarkand Railroad Station

 Beautiful Registan Square with its three madrasahs  (education centers) 15 - 17th centuries.
This was the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand during the Timurid dynasty.  Registan means "stand place" or "desert" in Persian.  Samarkand was the capital of Uzbekistan until the Soviets moved it to Tashkent

TilyaKori Madrash in the center of Registan Square

SherDor Madrasah on the right in Registan Square

Ulugh Beg Madrasah on the left in Registan Square

 

Right pillar on the Ulugh Beg Madrasah is tilted (I forgot why.....)

Inside the Tillya-Kori Madrasah

Traditionally dressed wedding couple

Islam Karimov was the (autocratic) leader of Uzbekistan from 1989 until his death in 2016.

Bibi-Khanym Mosque - In the 15th century it was one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world.

Stone Koran stand in the middle of the courtyard of the mosque

 We visited paper making mill & workshop.  Samarkand paper was known for its quality, durability and longevity. Persian and Arabic manuscripts of the 9th & 10th centuries were written on Samarkand paper.  First the bark is stripped off the mulberry tree which is abundant in Uzbekistan.

The bark fiber is boiled until it is soft and can be pounded into paper pulp then added to water.

Pulp is then taken out with a sieve, put under a press, then dried where paper is cut to size

Last step is polishing stage to create smooth long lasting paper

Difference in quality paper that lasts and regular paper

Clothing made from the Samarkand paper

Museum complex of Mirzo Ulugbek - Astronomer & mathematician, grandson of Tamerlane

Fakhri sextant built by Ulugh Beg - 118 feet radius - used to measure altitudes of the stars.

 Shah-i-Zinda Memorial Complex

Upper section of the mausoleum

In the evening we attended a show about the history of the country

Then we attend a beautiful laser light show at Registan Square - this was great!

We heard a story about the

Driviing thru the country alongside the Zavarashon mountains to the town of Shahrisabz

Locals vendors at our pit stop

Remains of the  "White Palace" built by Tamerlane

Mausoleum

Inside the mosque

 Mausoleum of the  prophet Daniel

Tomb is 18 meters long!