Samarkand was the capital of a large empire in the latter 1300s, spanning from the Persian Gulf, through Central Asia and Northern India. Timur (known in English as Tamerlane), of Turco-Mongolian ancestry, assembled the empire by force of arms using his multi-ethinc army. His legacy depends on one's perspective: the local Uzbeks (1) have a favorable view, while Iranians consider him a brutal conqueror.
A free walking tour (2) was on offer this warm afternon (low to mid 60°s F). The tour started at the Tomb of Timur, construction of which began 2 years before Timur's death for a son, who had predeceased him. The complex is impressive, with elaborate golden inlays in the ceiling and walls. Despite a warning written at the tomb "When I rise from the dead, the world shall tremble," the Soviet/Russian archeologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened the tomb on 20 June 1941. Two days later, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union (3).
In 1420, the Ulugh Beg Madrasa (school) opened at the nearby Registan (4). In addition to Islamic studies, the school offered courses in the sciences and mathematics (5). The observatory here measured the angles between the stars throughout the year using something akin to a sextant. In the pre-telescope era, the measurements were accurate to within less than 0.5°. By 1650, Ulugh Beg's observations made their way to Europe in a Latin translation and his were used by by scientists such as Gaileo.
In the 1600s two other Madrasas were open at the Registan, focusing on Islamic studies: the Sher-Dor and Tilya Kori Madrasahs. The Sher-Dor, is known as the two tigers madrasah, because of the depictions of the animals above the entrance. Tilya Kori also contains a mosque. The architecture of the complex is mainly of Persian design.
The next stop is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Mausoleum. Bibi-Khanym was the eldest wife of Timur. The grand mosque pushed the limits of architecture and engineering beyond their limits at the time (c. 1405). As a result, the bulding was unsound and abandoned in the late 1500s. Restoration of the ruins began in 1974. The Siyob (6) market next closed is closed on Mondays.
North of old town is the ancient city, originally called Afrosiyab. The colorful Hazrat Khizr Mosque was built here on the site of a former Zoroastrian Temple. The tour ended at the Shah-i Zinda Mosque.
As we departed, I told the tour guide I planned to go Panjikant (in neighboring Tajikistan tomorrow) but I had no definitive plan. "Could I come with you if I can find a reasonable price?" came his unexpected reply. He messaged me later that he could arrange a car and driver for the whole day less than half the cost I had seen elsewhere (7).
(1) Samarkand (a) is in the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan (b) in Central Asia, gaining independence in 1991 upon the dissolution of the USSR.
(a) One of the European low cost carriers recently began flying here from Abu Dhabi (i). A flyer can easily perceive North while flying on this late winter day because of the snow remaining on the north-facing mountain slopes over Northern Iran and Turkmenistan.
(i) An enormous new terminal at Abu Dhabi (AUH) opened in November of last year, touting fancy shopping, biometric boarding, etc. (*). Unfortunately, the airport cannot accept digital or print at home boarding passes. One must stand in line to get a physical boarding pass; old school. I presume (and hope) this is a temporary glitch.
(*) Flying in from Europe yesterday, the line through immigration was short and they captured my biometrics (picture and finger prints) so I could clear outbound immigration via electronic gates and can re-enter the United Arabs Emirates through e-gates should I come again.
(b) One of only two "double-land-locked" countries in the world (ii) from which one must travel through two other countries to get to the open ocean (iii).
(ii) The other is Liechtenstein, which became double landlocked after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918.
(iii) The Caspian sea, reachable through one other country (Kazahkstan) doesn't count. It is actually more of a large lake without an outlet (the surface of the Caspian is actually below sea level).
(2) A common type of tour in which you pay the guide what you want at the end of the tour.
(3) Stalin, apparently superstitious, had Timur re-buried in December 1942. Two months later came the Soviet victory at Stalingrad, a key turning point point on the eastern front of World War II.
(4) The name means sandy place in Persian.
(5) The English words Algebra and Algorithm both derive from Arabic.
(6) Siyob means black water, a valuable resource here on the deserts edge.
(7) My plan at this point had been to take an Uzbek cab 40 kms to the border, cross on foot, then grab a Tajik cab the 22 kms to Panjkant. Taxis are inexpensive (and fares are negotiable here).
