Hotel Legende Samarkand

... sometimes as a mosque so we couldn’t go to the prayer niche, the one that shows the direction of Mecca which in Uzbekistan is often westerly. There were three carpets on the floor in front of the niche and a rope to keep us from going into it. Also the minbar which I had been forgetting. It is the set of steps that the imam climbs to sit on the second from top step to deliver his message.

The mosque ...

... religious so they have forgotten what prayers are supposed to be used for what occasion so they will come to a mosque and ask the imam to do the proper prayer for them and then give a donation. Seems to work well.

There are some wide steps up to the first mausoleums. Supposedly you count the steps as you climb and then you count them when you come down and if the number of steps is the same, then your sins ...

Early in the morning we go back to the police station. There are more forms to sign. I get a statement and the bike and my documents are released. We go to the hospital to have my wound dressed again. It is still bleeding and the ankle is very swollen. The dressing is a waste of time but it is clean and I redo it myself. The bike is a cosmetic mess and it loses a little oil but it runs OK. Rustam ...

... each was orange with thick black stripes – which had given the medressa its name. In the centre of the square was a large stage, where groups of performers (including a large number of soldiers were rehearsing for one of the "sound and light" shows performed in front of the Registan. The huge number of Central Asian and European flags on display made us think this show may have been for some kind of political summit. We had read in the guidebook that the police ...

Awoke this morning the most horrendous odour emitting from the bathroom. We'd come to expect the sewage-esq stench but this was on a whole other level. So off we totted along the old silk road to Tamerlane's mystical captial, Samarqand.

As we'd come to expect they're not overly big on their road signs here and as we don't have a map, it's a case of placing our trust in the compass and numerous stops to ask the locals. This seems to be working pretty well thus far and we once again ...

As we approached the city my heart gladdened. At last after weeks in dusty dirty towns we were approaching what looked like a modern city. Hordes of tiny Van taxis flew around us as we climbed past the ancient city walls, now simply piles of unexcavated dirt with dusty canyons and empty caves.

Samarkand is the evocative city of the Silk Road and it deserves it. The modern city has welded itself around the ancient monuments in a manner unlike any other city we ...

... the local Uzbekistan person. From what we were told and could observe, tourism in Uzbekistan is doing well and this was again confirmed by Lola as she pointed out the increasing number of guest houses that were being opened in this part of Samarkand.

Just as we were certain that the tour HAD to be close to finishing, Lola suggested that we visit her “very special” place the Shah-i-Zinda, a group of mausoleums and funeral mosques located on the southern slope of ...

... trees. Cherry trees were also in abundance. Watering the parks was by flood irrigation. There was certainly seemed to be no shortage of water.

University students approached us on many occasions, interested to find out what country we were from and using their conversations to practice their English skills. They were genuinely friendly and a delight to talk with.

The architecture of the local government buildings was interesting. It was ...

We arrived in Samarkand after a good days driving from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. We succesfully negotiated the border crossing with only a 5 dollar fee to the Tajik border guard. Samarqand was a surprıse at fırst: almost none of the 'orıgınal fabrıc of the old town remaıns- only a few old gems ın a sea of modern cıty. But they were gems. The ınterestıng geometric motifs that constanly appear ın the photo's are the ...

... Certament, la feina d arquitectes i artesans portats de tots els racons de l imperi a Samarcanda, es impressionant. La joia de la corona, el Registan, es un conjunt monumental de tres madrasses, totes elles enrajolades, amb les seves cupules, mesquites i minarets. Es presenten a lexterior aixecant les seves portes en tres grans plans fondos, majestuosos, formant un plassa d un costat obert. Les dues mes grans encarades ...