We arrived in Samarkand at dusk and met our guide, Timur. Likely expecting that we knew little of Uzbekistan, let alone Samarkand, he spent our transport time educating us. A former Soviet Republic, today Uzbekistan is an independent, self governing state of 35 million people whose heritage is a unique multicultural mixture of ancient Persian, nomadic Turkic, Arab, Chinese and Russian. A blend of East and West, the country ‘s culture was influenced by the Great Silk Road, the network of land and maritime routes connecting Asia to Europe that exchanged not only goods, but innovations, languages, ideas, religions, customs and food.
Samarkand, today a city of half million people, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia, founded in the 7th century BCE. At times in its history, it was one of the largest cities – part of greater Iran. It reached prominence under its most notable ruler, Tamerlane or proudly remembered as Timur, in the late 1300’s. By 1370 Timur, a Mongol-Turk, was the most powerful leader in Central Asia, eventually conquering Persia, Iraq and Syria, defeating the Mongols of Ghengis Khan lineage, conquesting Delhi and defeating the Ottomans. He died before he could execute his attack of China in 1405.
Timur was an avid builder, bringing some of the finest architects of this age to Samarkand to construct colorful, exquisitely tiled, mosques, palaces, madrasa and masoleums. Several of these amazing monuments remain today and ironically were reconstructed with money from the Soviet Union before its collapse. Today, thanks to Timur and Soviet rubles, the Samarkand skyline is graced with aqua domes, graceful arches and patterned minurets.
Enroute to our hotel, we stopped to visit Gur-i-Amir mausoleum. Gur-i-Amin is Persian for the ‘tomb of the king’. Timur, several of his grandsons and his spiritual advisor are buried here. The entrance portal to the mausoleum is richly decorated with carved bricks and various mosaics and flanked by two tiled minurets.
Originally intended for his grandson and heir apparent who had died suddenly, construction was started on the mausoleum in 1403, but when Timur died two years later while on campaign in China, he was also buried here. Subsequently, it became the crypt for the Timerlane dynasty. Inside the mausoleum is a large, high chamber with deep niches at the sides, gilded with beautiful golden patterns. The walls are decorated with painted plaster; the arches and the internal dome are ornamented by high-relief papier-mache cartouches. Intricately carved headstones on the floor mark the location in the crypt below where bodies were buried.
Impressed by the design and ornateness of Gur-I-Amir, we drove to our hotel, DiliMah to check in and grab a quick dinner. Much to our delight, our room continued the theme of golden mosaics and base relief designs on the walls. Additionally, the floor was covered in Uzbeki silk carpets with colorful flower motifs.
The next morning we visited two other important monuments from the Timerlane era. The Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum complex with its intricate tilework is an important monument in Islam believed to be the burial place of the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Then name Shah-i-Zinda means ‘tomb of the living king’ and legend has it that Qusam ibn-Abbas, Muhammad’s cousin, came to Samarkand during the Arab invasion in the 7th century to preach Islam, was beheaded for his faith but did not die. Instead, he took his head into the deep well, akin to the Garden of Paradise where he still lives today.
Construction of the Shah-i-Zinda complex began in the 11th century, before Timur’s reign. However, buildings with some of the most exquisite tilework were erected under Timur’s direction as mausoleums were added for his relatives and other members of the military and aristocracy. One in particular that is impressive is the the mausoleum of his niece, Shadi Mulk Aga, built in 1372. This portal-domed crypt with its aqua, blue and gold tilework and three dimensional motif bathed in soft light is truly breathtaking.
Between the 11th and 19th centuries, additional construction and reconstruction occurred. Today the Shah-i-Zinda complex includes more than twenty buildings.
Already awed by Shari-i-Zinda, we were further amazed by our next stop, Registan Square. The public square of ancient Samarkand, Registran was a place where people gathered to exchange news, trade goods and socialize. Registran means ‘sandy place’ in Persian. No longer a sandy place, today the tiled square surrounded by its three madrasas, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The three madrasas, or Islamic schools were built at different times each with distinct architecture. The first madrasa was built under the direction of Timur’s grandson, Ulug Beg, a renowned ruler and astronomer, in 1417. The second madrass, Sher-Dor was built almost two centuries later on the orders of the Samarkand ruler at the time; it’s arch and minurets were built to be symmetrical to the Ulug Beg madrasa although its dome, tilework and patterns are distinct.
Gracing the entrance portal of Sher-Dor, one on each side, is a leopard with the sun on its back. Sher means leopard in Persian and this emblem has come to represent the power and strength of Samarkand. Acording to legend, when Samarkand was built, a leopard came down from the Zerafshan mountains, roaming the streets and approving the newly constructed city, before returning to the mountains. Since that time, Samarkand residents have been called leopards and all Samarkand flags and arms have portrayed the image of the leopard.
The third and final madrasa, Tillya-Kori was built between 1647 and1660, perpendicular to the other two buildings. Constructed with a similar stye portal, this madrasa was rectangular with a large aqua dome and matching domed minurets. Besides a residential college, there is also grand mosque inside.
Tillya-Kori means gilded in Persian, an apt decription for the interior of this madrasa. The main hall of the mosque took gilding to a whole new level, the arches on its side walls and the circular dome above shimmering with gold filigree and cartouches juxtaposed against ornate purple and gold tile work. It was a room that left one breathless and inspired emotions of the divine.
There were a multitude of inner courtyards in the three madrasas. Like times of old, vendors and merchants had set up stalls and stands selling a variety of goods – hats, scarves, ceramics, embroidered linens, paintings. Uzbeki ceramics and embroidered goods are especially beautiful and we found ourselves doing some impromptu shopping. It was unnaturally warm in Samarkand, sunny and in the high 60’s. Lucky us, since this was one of the spots on our trip that we had packed hats, gloves, scarves and winter coats for!
Ready for a break after an eventful morning, we lunched at Restaurant Platan, a large bricked dining room with lots of natural light and the option of sitting at low tables with floor pillows. Lunch was served family style, a traditional Uzbeki meal with platters of plov – rice pilaf with lamb seasoned with onions, garlic, pepper, raisins, apricots and carrots accompanied by vegetable trays heaped with pumpkin, turnips and carrots and baskets of bread with yogurt and suzma, a cottage cheese-like dip. If this were not enough, dessert boards with assorted fruits; oranges, bananas, pomegranates, kiwis, apples; and sweets; cheese cake, baklava and sweetened pumpkin; completed the meal – one platter meant to be shared by each couple. Full and refueled, we were ready to take on the afternoon – another mosque, another market, papermaking and dinner with Uzbeki music and dance!
