Hotel Grand Samarkand

... br> Iron bars have been placed across the tops of many of the arches and this apparently helps the water evaporate from inside the walls and such and also many thousands of tiny pinpricks because before that, there were problems with the tiles falling off as the walls were too moist. Several of the tiles looked like they were about ready to fall as we were watching.<br><br> It didn&#8217;t seem like many of the ...

... ruler he was much more interested in science than in being a ruler or conqueror. As such, he gathered wise men and clever students about him and one of his accomplishments was to build an observatory on a hill top here. There are only the ruins left of this huge instrument which might have been a sextant or a quadrant but his notes indicated that they mapped the stars then, knew we revolved around the sun, and was ...

... everywhere which is the only way to get things done in Uzbekistan.<br><br>I am Xrayed again. Three days after the even I discover the ankle is broken. The wound is stitched and the leg plastered and then comes the issue of a statement from me to the hospitql authoritie. The problem is we are in another region in Uzbekistan and the hospital have to know what happened. If I say I was knocked down the whole process will start again ...

... for the Lonely Planet's accommodation recommendation, the Antica Guesthouse, and dropped our bags. The Antica was another charming old residence that had been converted into a bed and breakfast, and was another great result for us. Inside the gate there was a leafy courtyard full of fruit trees, many of which provided the raw materials for the amazing jams that littered the dining tables. We were taking to the Central Asian jams like a couple of ducks to water &#8211; they were ...

... the Bibi-Khanym Mosque where we finally began to get the hang of haggling, getting in for half price. We wandered on through a small covered bazaar towards Shah-I-Zinda. Dave and Damien decided to wait outside as I headed in to explore, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Shah-i-Zinda is the name for a collection of mausoleums, including the tomb of Qusam ibn-Abbas, cousin of the Prophet Mohammed, constructed by Timur in the 14th century. From whichever angle you looked ...

... lots of new friends,exchanged email/addresses with them and mostly had a great time.<br><br>When the roads opened again (at 7.30) the Uzbeks treated us to a hilarious (and dangerous) demonstration of central Asian CRAZY driving. As soon as the rope barrier was moved, they were off at breakneck speed along the gorge - the road running alongside a white water river with precipitous drops. Patience was quickly exhausted and people began ...

... to nothing after an earthquake in 1897. Bibi, the Timurs wife ordered the Mosque to be built as a surprise to her husband while he was away bashing up the neighbours. The Architect fell in love with her and only promised to finish it if she gave him a kiss when it was finished. Timur found out about this kiss, killed the architect and then ordered all women to wear the veil from here on in. I wonder if the rest of the Islamic world followed his lead as there is ...

... given their time in history.<br><br>In a nearby museum we were absorbed by old photos of the ruins of the Bibi-Khanym. Since the earthquake serious reconstruction has taken place, as it has for many of the ancient buildings of Samarkand. We were aware that there has been a lot of criticism of the various reconstructions, with one school of thought being that the ruins should be left as they were. One look at the crumbling mass of the Bibi-Khanym&#8217;s former glory and it was not ...

... tradicionals districtes urbans en que s organitza la ciutat, i l aksakal ( literalment, barba blanca) en vindria a ser l autoritat moral, laica, que els regula. Als barris antics de la ciutat, les Mahalles son agradables punts de reunion del barri, petits espais arbrats i oberts amb la tradicional porxada de fusta d esbelts pilars, i vells al voltant de jocs de tauler, en la tupida trama de cases pati. La nostra mahalla es ...