Samarkand and Shakhrisabz (2004, 2006, and 2012)
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Both Samarkand and Shakhrisabz
have changed significantly between my visits (and may have changed even more
since then). A number of historical buildings have been restored (often too
much) and the bazaar of 2004 has been moved to a more modern setting. For that
reason, each of the photos below is labeled with the year when it was taken.
Samarkand
Statue of Amir Timur:
One of the greatest military leaders in history, Amir Timur
(1336-1405) was born some 80km south of Samarkand near Shakhrisabz.
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2004 |
2012 |
Gur-e Amir mausoleum:
The name ″Gur-e Amir″
translates to ′′Tomb of the King″. The mausoleum contains the
tombs of Amir Timur, his sons Shah
Rukh and Miran Shah, and his
grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan. The ensemble also includes the
madrasah of Muhammad Sultan.
2012
2004
2004
2012
2012
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2012
Registan:
- Panoramic view of the square and its
three madrasahs. From left to right: Ulugh Beg madrasah, Tilla-Kari mosque-madrasah, and
Sher-Dor madrasah.
2004
- Ulugh Beg madrasah.
2004
- Tilla-Kori mosque-madrasah.
2012
- Inside the mosque of the Tilla-Kori complex: mirhab and
golden dome ceiling.
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- Sher-Dor
madrasah.
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2004 |
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2012
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2012
2004
Modern statues erected next to the Registan, reminding the tourists that
Samarkand was one of the most important cities on the Silk Roads.
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2004 |
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Bibi-Khanym Mosque:
- View from the Khujar
Khidr mosque.
2012
- Mosque′s massive entrance portal
(35m high).
2004
- Central iwan.
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- Side iwan
and its dome.
2012
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Shah-i Zinda
necropolis:
- Uzbek women entering the necropolis.
2012
- View from the entrance of the necropolis.
The stairs lead to a long, almost straight alley bordered on both sides by old
buildings (mostly mausoleums) distributed over three levels.
2004
- Entrance of the necropolis seen from
the middle layer.
2012
- Three photos
showing about the same buildings near the entrance of the necropolis. I took
the first photo in 2004 (before restoration) and the other two in 2006 (after
restoration), all from a location west of the entrance of Shah-i Zinda. The differences are striking.
2004
2006
2006
- In the necropolis′ alley. Eleven
mausoleums stand on the two sides of the alley.
2006
2012
2012
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- Portal of the mausoleum of Timur′s niece, Chadi Moulk Aka.
2012
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- Dome ceilings in mausoleums.
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- View from the modern cemetery adjacent
to Shah-i Zinda.
2012
Khujar Khidr
mosque:
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Ulugh Beg observatory:
- Under the
reign of Ulugh Beg
(1394-1449), a grandson of Timur, Samarkand became a
major center for astronomical study and an observatory was built around 1320 on a hill
north of Samarkand. Only the
lower part of the observatory′s huge so-called ″sextant″
(actually, more likely, a quadrant) remain today: two circular rails in
polished marble in a trench.
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- Uzbek women visiting the observatory.
2012
Khoja Akhror Wali
madrasah and mosque:
It is located about 4.5km southwest of the Registan next to the road
toward Shakhrisabz.
2006
In the bazaar:
- Photos of 2004.
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- Photos of 2012.
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Left: two
generations of women near the bazaar. Right: carpet weaving.
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Shakhrisabz
Men in a traditional restaurant, along the road between Samarkand and Shakhrisabz, near Shakhrisabz.
2012
2012
Statue of
Amir Timur erected in front of his Ak Saray palace and remains of this
palace. (Amir Timur was born in a village near Shakhrisabz.)
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The Dorut Tilovat madrassah (the
building with the two smallest domes in the two photos) and the Kok Gumbaz mosque (the building
with the largest dome in the photo on the left).
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Portal, interior, and dome ceiling of
the Kok Gumbaz mosque.
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2006
Jahangir mausoleum.
2006
In the bazaar:
- Photos of 2006.
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Photos of 2012.
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