05/07 – Samarkand and Tamerlane

This morning we headed to the train station...

where we caught a bullet train to Samarkand...a place of legends and history, of mosques and madrassahs, of Tamerlane (the Great or the Terrible, depending on your perspective), and the Great Silk Road.  Beautiful and fascinating and exotic and in the center of Central Asia.

Samarkand was a major stop on the Silk Road and the home of Tamerlane.  Tamerlane was a great military leader in the 14^th century.  He conquered much of the Middle East, Southern Russia, parts of India and was on his way to China when he died.

Random photos around Samarkand.

Our first place we visited was the Amir Emir (Tamerlane) Mausoleum.  Much of it has been restored.  The gate is huge and the buildings are covered with many beautiful tiles.

In the courtyard was a large stone bath that had been found on the property.  Per the guide it was also used to fill with wine and when Tamerlane was ready to start a campaign he had all of his leaders come to a ceremony where he gave them each a goblet of the wine.  In the process they each looked directly into his eyes.  This apparently helped give them a direct connection with Tamerlane and committed them to his cause.

The was a small attached to the mausoleum.

The main chamber was beautiful with a lot of gold.

There was a small museum in the complex.

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More Amir Temir Mausoleum Complex
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Statue of Tamerlane in one of the parks.

We had plov for lunch again.  Everyone in the group seems to like it.

After lunch we went to the Mitzi Ulugbek Observatory.  Ulugbek was born in the late 14^th century and was a dedicated scientist and astronomer. 

Archaeologists have excavated part of what was a great sextant.

There was also a nearby museum about his work.

Astrolab

Cross Section of the Sextant

Map of the Silk Road

  

While in the plaza by the museum a bridal couple walked by.  They were on a photo shoot.  They graciously allowed us to take pictures.  And Peiyeng pulled out Leo for photos.

Next stop was a complex with many mausoleums and beautiful buildings.

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More Mausoleums
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Then we stopped at the Registan Madrasahs (Islamic schools).  There are three large madrasahs facing a large square…

Ulugbek Madrasah,

Tilla-Korum Madrasha,

which had a beautiful mosque attached,

and the Sherdor Madrasha. 

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More Madrasahs
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There was a bridal couple in one of the madrashas for a photo shoot.  

After taking many, many photos of these beautiful buildings we walked over to a square where we caught a buggy to the nearby bazaar. 

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More Samarkand Bazaar
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Eventually we made it to the hotel which had a lovely, covered courtyard area in the middle.