Last year this time I would not have believed you if I
was told that I would be visiting Uzbekistan. But I have done it and so here I
am with a tale to tell. Uzbekistan is probably not the highest priority on many
travellers’ lists but it is worth a visit especially if you are a history buff
and also if you love shopping, as there is enough to suit both tastes. Be
warned though that in September it is still quite hot and it is not for the
delicate darlings.
It all started with a WOW Sumitra newsletter informing me
of their upcoming trips. Uzbekistan caught my eye as it looked a lot like Iran.
The budget also felt reasonable. Altogether I felt I could do this one and so I
contacted WOW with my endless questions. They were friendly and helpful. Thus
began the long process of preparing for the trip. There is a bit of
documentation work involved such as NOC from the employer or bank statements.
But I did it all. Came September and I found myself all ready to go tripping.
I began my journey on September 3rd from Kochi
airport. I had booked an afternoon flight for Delhi with a stopover in
Hyderabad. I ate some uppuma
(pre-booked meals) and soon found myself in Delhi airport. I took a pre-paid
cab to the airport terminal T3 which was a bit of a distance away from T1.
Since my passport was with WOW, I could not enter the lounge area and was stuck
at the entrance with nowhere to go. Luckily I got a seat and I spend the time
reading Twinkle Khanna’s Mrs. Funnybones.
It kept me entertained and when I finished reading the book, it was time for
our meet up.
I met some of the others in front of Gate 8. We were
dressed in pink for easy identification. Once we were all there, we proceeded
to the check-in area for our flight, with our WOW Buddy, Shreya. As we went
through the process of check-in we got to know each other as well. Pretty soon
we were seated in the plane and were on our way to our destination. The flight
left 2 hours late and so we reached about 5 a.m. instead of the scheduled time.
I admired the early morning view from outside the
airport. Our guide Was Anver and he greeted us with red roses. I held on to mine quite happily. Once out
suitcases were piled in and we had taken our seats, we left for the hotel. All
the hotels we went to had free wifi in the lobbies. We checked in and soon fell
asleep after a continental breakfast. My roommate was Bhishaka Ghose and even
though we had not initially connected much, we soon became fast friends. Post
lunch, we began our city tour.
Our first visit was to the Hazrati Imam complex, located
in the old town of Tashkent. This was a once a madrassa – a place of learning
and boarding for boys who needed to study the Quran and the Muslim religion. We
walked around admiring the sights and I happily clicked away on my camera. Moreover,
the complex has a rich library of oriental manuscripts. The world famous Quran
of Caliph Uthman - Ottoman has been preserved here. Ottoman Koran is the
primary source of Islam holy book that was written in the middle of VII
century. We also came across several craftsmen and I snapped away of course. I
also managed to buy some souvenirs, and yes I did bargain too.
Our next destination was the Memorial Complex of
Repression. It was like a pretty garden with lots of flowers and some doves as
well. The memorial is in place of those who died in Uzbekistan during the Soviet Union times – those people
who fought for the independence of Uzbekistan and who were killed by the
government. The location of the monument was near the Television Tower.
We saw the tower from the gardens of the
memorial. Anver explained to us that the Tashkent Television Tower is 375-metre-high and is the 11th tallest
tower in the world. The tower has an observation deck and a restaurant. . It is
the tallest structure in Central Asia.
After admiring the tower and the gardens, we moved to our
next stop – the Lal Bahadur Shastri Monument.
Because of the extreme heat, most of us were not inclined to getting out of the
bus and instead saw it through the bus windows. We learnt that not only was
there a memorial but also a road named after Shastriji.
Our next stop was Independence Square. By now the
temperature had cooled down slightly. So we ambled down Broadway Street looking
at some of the shops and the mall. At Memory Square there were artisans busy
painting away. I got my first taste of Uzbek ice-cream which was like any other
ice-cream. It was a great refresher to our tired-out selves.
After the group met up we moved along to Independence
Square. There we saw a picturesque
entryway with the national symbols and took pictures
among the fountains. Anver explained to us the statue of the happy mother and
then we proceeded to see the statue of the sad mother which was very moving. In
front of the statue there burnt an endless flame. We also saw huge books made
in metal, that contained the names of the country’s martyrs.
Following this we went back to the hotel to freshen up
for dinner. Dinner was in a slightly noisy restaurant with dancing as
entertainment. I thus got to see my first belly dance live. We enjoyed the food
and the performances. There was also a laser light dance to wrap up the
evening. After that it was back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
Next morning, we rushed to get ready and
prepare for departure to see the Chimgan Mountains. After a good continental
breakfast, we boarded our bus. During our two-hour journey we stopped on the
way at some roadside stalls to buy Uzbekistan chikki, sour cheese and nuts.
When finally reached the hills, we had to get
into a chair lift. This seemed highly unsecure and Bishakha and I held on for
our dear lives. We finally managed to jump off the chair in one piece at the
arrival section. After enjoying the view and taking pictures, we came across a fence
tied on which were tired all sorts of materials. Apparently if you tied something
to the fence you would be lucky in love. I tried it out but I am not sure how
lucky I will be. We finally all managed to get down in one piece.
Our next stop was the restaurant for
lunch. Following lunch we were given
some free time to explore the Charvak Lake, which we did. We then returned to
the hotel. Dinner was on our own. Bishakha and I did our own exploring of the
streets a bit and decided on dinner at the restaurant.
Next morning, following a quick, early breakfast,
we loaded our luggage and checked out of the hotel. We began our journey to
Samarkhand.
We travelled by the bullet train – the
Samarkand Afrasiyab fast train that left at 8am. It was a very comfortable
ride. They even served free tea and biscuits on the train. Pretty soon we found
ourselves getting off the train. Another bus awaited to transport us. We piled
in and met our guide Rayhana.
Our first stop was at the Amir Temur
Mausoleum. We wandered around taking more pictures. I came across a lady who
tried to speak to me. Since neither of us could understand the other’s
language, communication became a fun process. She gave me a peck on the cheek
and took a picture with me.
The Amir Temur Mausoleum is where the great
leader Timur is buried. He was an Asia conqueror who did much for building up
Uzbekistan. One fact we noticed was that much of the historical sites are
restorations, with very little of the original left behind unlike India or
Iran.
We passed by the statue of Islom Karimov. He was the leader of Uzbekistan from 1989 until his
death in 2016. He was the last First Secretary of the Communist Party of
Uzbekistan from 1989 to 1991, when the party was reconstituted as
the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (PDP); he led the PDP until
1996. He was the President of the Uzbek SSR from 24 March 1990 until he
declared the independence of Uzbekistan on 1 September 1991.
We proceeded to Registan square with its three huge Madrassahs: Ulughbek,
Tillakori & Sherdar and Afrasiyab Museum. The Registan was the heart of the ancient city
of Samarkand of the Timurid dynasty. The name Registan means
"Sandy place" or "desert" in Persian.
The Registan
was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations and
a place of public executions. It is framed by three madrassas (Islamic
schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture on three sides.
It is by virtue of these buildings, preserved on the
territory of the city, Samarkand was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List
in 2001. In the past, one could see many trade rows around the square,
where artisans and farmers were selling their goods. All main roads of
Samarkand led to Registan where it was always noisy and lively.
These buildings – the Registan and other wonders
of Timurid Samarkand – were the result of the coming together of
craftsmen and builders from across the empire in the late 14th century. Their
influence would likewise range far, and shape the character of distant cities.
The three madrassas of the
Registan are: the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, the Tilya-Kori Madrasah and the Sher-Dor
Madrasah. They were erected by two rulers at different times.
The Ulugh Beg Madrasah, was built by Ulugh Beg during
the Timurid Empire era of Timur. Originally the Ulugh Beg
Madrasah was a two-storied building with four domed darskhonas
(lecture rooms) at the corners. It was the first erection on the Registan
Square. On the outside, the building, located on the western part of the
square, was done in the form of a rectangle; inside there is a square yard with
entrances to the student cells (approximately for 100 people) and learning rooms.
The façade of the madrassa looks out on the square, completed with two tall
minarets in the corners. Special attention should be given to an exquisite
interior of the building. Glazed bricks create beautiful ornaments on the
yellowish laying of the walls. The madrassa portal is adorned with patterns of
ten-pointed stars symbolizing the sky, and astronomy.
In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand, Yalangtush Bakhodur, ordered
the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrassas. The tiger mosaics
on the face of each madrassa are interesting, in that they flout the ban in
Islam of the depiction of living beings on religious buildings.
The Tilya-Kori Madrasah was not only a
residential college for students, but also played the role of grand masjid (mosque).
It has a two-storied main facade and a vast courtyard fringed by dormitory
cells, with four galleries along the axes. The main hall of the mosque is
abundantly gilded. Tilla Kori means “gilded”.
In 1612, Yalangtush Bahadur was appointed the emir of Samarkand. Being a
ruler of the city, he decided to construct another madrassah on the Square of
Registan opposite the building erected by Ulughbek. According to the project of
architects, the new madrassah was supposed to be located on the eastern side of
the square and be a mirroring reflection of existing building on Registan.
However, the exact mirroring concurrence did not work as the architect did not
take one peculiarity into consideration – 200 years have passed since the
construction of the Ulughbek madrassah, and the building had shrunk into the
ground and the level of the square itself had risen to 2 meters. In the result,
the new madrassah turned out to be taller.
Upon construction, the madrassah was named in honor of the ordering
party. However, the name did not find its usage among people, and the building
was renamed to Sher-Dor. The name comes from the images on the portal: two big
golden tigers carrying a sun on their backs and heading after white fallow-deer
were adoring the entrance. Sher means tiger (lion) and the name is translated
as “adorned with tigers”. It was this plot that later became a national symbol
of Uzbekistan. This symbol is even visible on their currency today.
However, in 1918 Samarkand faced changes. The Soviet rule prohibited
activity of any madrassah as religious schools. During this time, erections
endured many natural damaging factors: earthquakes, harsh weather conditions.
The larger part of the cladding of the building and the painting décor were
lost. Nevertheless, it was the Soviet rule that had given the order to restore
the entire Registan and give it the status of the significant historical
monument on the Great Silk Road.
We came across a teacher’s room which
displayed how it would have looked like in ancient times, complete with
students and teachers. And we also came across more people who wanted to take
pictures with us. There was a small museum and we visited it as well. The
courtyard was quite pretty too. We wandered around again and came across a
student’s room display. It was hot though and a tired bunch left Registan to
move onto the next place – for lunch.
Post a heavy local lunch, we continued with
the city tour. Since most of us were tired out, only some of us went up to see
the Ulugh Beg Observatory. On the way we came across a bride and groom who came
to pose for pictures here.
This observatory was built in the 1420s by the Timurid astronomer Ulugh Beg. It
is considered by scholars to have been one of the finest observatories in
the Islamic world. The observatory was destroyed by religious fanatics in 1449 and rediscovered in 1908. The Ulugh Beg
Observatory Museum was built in 1970 to commemorate Ulugh Beg.
There was a statue of Ulugh Beg around which we posed first before beginning to explore the
museum. The observatory was extraordinary and we marveled at the preciseness in
such ancient times. We also came across a chart at the museum that showed that
Akbar, Aurangazeb, etc. were actually descendants of Amir Temur. The museum had
displays of the observatory which helped us understand it better.
Our next destination was the Shahi Zinda
complex. Despite the heat, we pushed on. It was worth the climb up the stairs.
Apparently, if you counted the steps going up and down and got the same number,
your wish would come true. Hopefully mine will.
Here lay the women related to Amir Temur.
There was also a mausoleum for an unknown person. The name Shah-i-Zinda
(meaning "The living king") is connected with the legend that Kusam
ibn Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad was buried there. Popular
legends speak that he was beheaded for his faith. But he took his head and went
into the deep well (Garden of Paradise), where he's still living now. The
Shah-i-Zinda complex was formed over nine centuries and now includes more than
twenty buildings.
After admiring the intricacies in
architecture and design, we moved back to the bus almost completely exhausted
and after more pictures with the locals. We slowed down near the Bibi Khanum
mosque to take in the sight before moving onto the hotel. One thing I realized
about the hotels was that as we moved further away from the city, the hotels
began to get more localized and pretty. We checked in and had dinner on our
own, outside the hotel. Following a quick shopping spree, we dragged ourselves
back for some much required sleep.
The next day’s destination was Shahrisabz – a
name some of us found difficult to remember. Our first stop was at a carpet
weaving centre on the way. We explored the place, had tea and bread and bought
carpets. I managed to buy a piece to use as a table runner. Watching them weave
carpets was also rather interesting.
Shahrisabz is, above all, associated with the Ak-Saray
palace. The overall layout, scale and artistic appearance of Ak-Saray can be
reconstituted from the descriptions of contemporaries and eyewitnesses, as well
as from the results of archaeological excavation at the site. According to
written accounts, the palace consisted of several stately, living or service
quarters, grouped around separate courtyards.
The architectural decor, featuring a wide variety of designs and colours, is particularly noteworthy in the
artistic appearance of Ak-Saray. The various mosaic and majolica work in the
niche of the portal is particularly refined and highly coloured. The delicately
executed foliate ornamentation incorporates exquisite calligraphic inscriptions
of mainly Koranic content, although secular ones are found too. The Ak-Saray palace is a grandiose piece of civil
architecture.
We took one of the golf cart-like cars to travel to our next
destination. On the way we stopped too take pictures of a statue of Amir Temur.
We arrived at the Doruttilavat Complex and went inside Amir Temur’s mausoleum
from the fifteenth century. On one of the several graves there, we were told,
if you prayed with fervor, your wish would be granted. I didn’t test it out
though. Afterwards, we travelled to Bukhara where we would be staying
overnight. Dinner was again on our own, which I wish I could remember, but
unfortunately my memory isn’t very reliable.
Next morning, after another continental breakfast, we moved towards the Bolo Hauz mosque. It reminded me so much
of the palaces in Iran. Bolo-Hauz Mosque is the 17th century mosque, which was a place of prayer
for the Emirs and their entourage. Bolo-Hauz Mosque is the only
surviving monument in Registan Square, which includes a mosque, a minaret and a
pool. The pool is the oldest part of the ensemble and is one of the few
remaining in the ancient city; for the honor of this pool the mosque is called
Bolo-Hauz (children’s pool). In the water of the pond one can see a
reflection of the colorfully painted ayvan – a gallery with colonnade – and of
the minaret. Since it was a Friday and prayers would be held there in the
afternoon, we changed itinerary and went there in the morning.
Next on the list was the Samanids mausoleum. It is located in a
park outside Bukhara. The mausoleum is considered to be one of the most highly
esteemed work of Central Asian architecture. It is the resting-place of Ismail
Samani - a powerful and influential amir of the Samanid dynasty.
In addition to Ismail Samani, the mausoleum also houses the remains of his
father Ahmed and his nephew Nasr, as well as the remains of other members of
the Samanid dynasty. We spend some time here taking pictures and buying
souvenirs. I got a book of local embroidery known as Suzani, for mum. As we
were walking to our next destination we came across some souvenir shop and I
stopped to buy a pair of earrings.
We then continued walking to the Chashma-Ayyub complex. Its name means Job's well, due to the legend in
which Job (Ayub) visited this place and made a well by striking the ground with
his staff. The water of this well is still pure and is considered healing. The
current building was constructed during the reign of Timur. Despite the
heat we walked around admiring the architecture and snapping away with our
phones and cameras.
We also visited the Ark of Bukhara. It is
a massive fortress that in addition to being a military structure,
encompassed what was essentially a town that, during much of the fortress'
history, was inhabited by the various royal courts that held sway over the
region surrounding Bukhara. The Ark was used as a fortress until it fell
to Russia in 1920. Wandering around in the heat had become our thing
and we promptly did the same here too.
Since it was about noon, we went for the carpet show at
Bukhara’s biggest silk
carpet shop. We were served tea during the demonstration. I enjoyed watching
the carpets displayed before us. Lack of luggage space prevented me from
ordering some of the magnificent silk carpets they had. We went inside a room
after the display, to watch the ladies weave carpets. After browsing through
carpets, we moved on to the hotel. Following lunch, an exhausted two, decided
on naps and lounging around the hotel. In the evening we went for dinner in a
traditional madrassa converted into a hotel. We enjoyed some dance performances
and fashion shows as we happily ate dinner. There were also shops to browse
through around the seating area. We celebrated Ranjit’s birthday too with a
cake and music. She treated us to drinks. Yours truly of course had cherry
juice. After dinner, we rushed back to do some last minute shopping at the
bazaars near the hotel. I got a couple of things and so did the others.
After breakfast, the next day, we drove for 6 ½ hours to reach Khiva.
The first restaurant we stopped for lunch had no vegetarian options and so we
went to a second restaurant. Here I snacked on French Fries, salad and bread.
By the time we reached the Khiva hotel, it was dinner time.
As we were celebrating pink night that day, we all wore pink for the
before dinner drinks. After taking pictures we had white wine/ juice. Your
guess on what I drank. With drinks we shared our reason for picking this trip.
After that some of us went off to eat the buffet while others remained in the
pub to eat dinner there itself. After dinner I walked with Shehnaz and Taj a
bit, before we retired to our rooms.
Next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then proceeded to walk to
the next site. There was a slight change in itinerary – we were checking out of
the hotel only in the afternoon. Our guide met us at the hotel. His last name
was interestingly Timur. He took us to the Ichan Kala, inner town of old Khiva.
Unfortunately three of us got separated from the group and so we missed part of
the tour. Blame our shopaholic selves for this. We finally managed to locate
them with the help of a kind lady who lend us her phone and took us to them.
One of the places we visited next was the Juma Mosque. The mosque had 218 wooden columns supporting its roof – a concept
thought to be derived from ancient Arabian mosques. Six or seven of the columns
date from the original tenth century mosque. Our guide showed us how they had
added a symbol of the cross to the original design. He also explained to us how
the Imam could talk to the entire congregation without mike using an intricate
use of pipes. There was also a heating system without using fire. It was lit
using the reaction of calcium carbonate with another substance. We walked back
along an old road paved with stones and still intact. Since some of us were tired, we did not go
with the rest of the tour and returned to the hotel.
We had lunch there. We got ready for checkout and then waited
in the lobby till our bus arrived. Then we all piled in for our flight to
Tashkent. The flight went fine and we got back to the hotel we had stayed in
previously. Bishakha and I even got the same room from before. We all had a
late night dinner and then hurried off for some much awaited sleep.
Next morning after breakfast we checked out of the
hotel around 12. We Went to Alay Bazaar for some last minute shopping. There were
dry fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc. at the bazaar. We shopped a bit and then had
lunch at a restaurant there. Fries had become our staple vegetarian food along
with salad. After roaming around a bit we boarded the bus for the mall visit.
At Samarkhand Darvaza Mall we split and
roamed a bit. Bishakha and I went in search of a suitcase for her daughter.
When it was after six, we all boarded the bus for the airport, ready to return
home. At Delhi airport we all split and I took the plane to Kochi where I got
into a pre-paid taxi to reach home. Thus ended some wonderful days of tripping.
