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SAMARKAND
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These photos were made in Samarkand during a
visit in 1964. We were probably the first Americans and Canadians to visit
Samarkand in a long time. Everyone we met thought we were East Germans until
they learned otherwise.
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Sign on our hotel in Samarkand
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Gur Amir ("Grave of the King")-
Tamerlane's tomb - ordered in 1404 originally for Tamerlane's grandson,
Mohammed Sultan, - But Tamerlane died the next year so was burried here as
well. It contains not only Tamerlane's tomb but also that of two of his sons,
Uleg Beg and other family members
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Close-up of the dome of Tamerlane's tomb
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The dome above Tamerlane's tomb. It is 110
feet high
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Tamerlane's tomb
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The ground floor interior of Tamerlane's tomb
with his tombstone and several sarcophagi. It is 72 feet high. The tombstone is
composed of two blocks of green nephrite (the largest known) It is 6 feet, 6
inches long. There is an inscription in Arabic which claims that Tamerlane was
descended from the same ancestor at Genghis Khan (since evenone knew he was not
directly descended from Genghis) The eight other tombstons are of marble or
alabaster.
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In the underground crypt is Tamerlane's
actual resting place.
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A brick cover over Uleg Bek's observatory
meridian sextant. The observatory was built in 1449. It was desroyed and
burried and only discovered in 1909 by Russian archeologistss. The original
building was three stories. This arched roof cover was built in 1914 to protect
the sextant which is now under ground.
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Inside the remains of Uleg Bek's observatory
- looking down on the track of a giant meridian rail on which a platform could
be moved so that the observer could look up through a window in a dome high
overhead and observe the transit of stars
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Backside wall of the Registan complex - the
rear of the Shir-Dar Mosque - one side of a large public square.
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Wide city square behind the Registan shown in
the background. The wall is the rear of the Shir-Dar Medresseh - on the right
is the Chorsu - a 19th century trading center
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Another view of the back of the Registan from
across the city square
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View of rear of Registan from across the city
square
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The Registan square - The Shir-Dar medresseh
and mosque with unusual decorations built from 1619 to 1636 by Yalangyushbee,
the military governor of the city during the Astrakhan dynasty. It replaced a
ruin of an earlier rest house. the entrance portal is 79 feet high. The
decoration on each side show a lion chasing a deer
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Close-up view of an unusual mosaic decoration
on the Shir-Dar Medresseh
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The Registan square - The Shir-Dar Medresseh
and Mosque with unusual decorations built from 1619 to 1636 by Yalangyushbee,
the military governor of the city during the Astrakhan dynasty. It replaced a
ruin of an earlier rest house. the entrance portal is 79 feet high. The
decoration on each side show a lion chasing a deer
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Upper part of entrance to one of the
buildings
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Courtyard in one of the Registan buildings.
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Registan wall
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Side of the Registan buildings from the
square behind the Shir-Dar medressa - opposite is the front facade of the Uleg
Beg Medressah and Mosque that was built in 1417-1420. It is the oldest building
in the Registan square.
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The Registan square - The Shir-Dar medressa
and mosque with unusual decorations built from 1619 to 1636 by Yalangyushbee,
the military governor of the city during the Astrakhan dynasty. It replaced a
ruin of an earlier rest house. the entrance portal is 79 feet high. The
decoration on each side show a lion chasing a deer
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The Uleg Beg Medressah and Mosque in the
Registan complex. It is the oldest of the buildings, (by over 200 years) built
in 1417-1420 The studies here included astronomy for which Uleg Bek was accused
of blasphemy and then assassinated in 1447.
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Side of a Registan - Shir-Dar Medresseh
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Minarets and dome that compose three sides of
the Registan complex - This is from behind the Shir-Dar Medresseh and Mosque
and the front of the Uleg Beg Medressah and Mosque is visible opposite - on the
right edge of the photo is the Tillah-Kari Medresseh and Mosque
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Entrance gate to the long Shakh-Zinda complex
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Interior courtyard of a medressa in the
Registan - shows the building without decoration but beginning of repair
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Inerior courtyard in Registan - shows
elaborate nature of original decoration
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Gateway and courtyard beyond
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A huge grey marble stand to hold a huge Koran
during services. It was originally in the Bibi Khanum mosque where it was
placed by Uleg Beg. It is 8 feet by 7 feet
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View of a Registan building through a lattice
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View of a Registan building through a lattice
- This is the Uleg Beg Medresseh on the west side of the square.
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Building repairs.
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Another building in need or repair
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The Tillah-Kari (covered with gold) Medresseh
and Mosque on the north side of the Registan -built in 1647 The interior was
elaborately guilded. Note how much loner it is than the other medressah -
designed to enclose the square on this side.
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Courtyard in the Registan complex
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Building in the Registan complex
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Another building
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Another building in need of repair
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Another building
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New construction - Soviet style
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A section of town with some new construction
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Another medieval ruined building
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Doorway and decorated wall
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Part of the ruin of the huge Bibi Khanum
Mosque - built from 1399 to 1404 - It was 110 yards wisde by 153 yards long and
one of the largest in the world, but the building construction methods - mortar
- were insufficient - it decayed and then suffered in an earthquake in 1897.
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Part of the ruin of the huge Bibi Khanum
Mosquie - built from 1399 to 1404 This is the main portal entrance that was 112
feet high - The dome appears behind the arch. The Mosque was 110 yards wide by
153 yards long and one of the largest in the world, but the building
construction methods - mortar - were insufficient - it decayed and then
suffered in an earthquake in 1897. The cupola dome was 66 feet in diameter, and
118 feet high. There are other smaller mosques in the complex. And across the
road is the Bibi Khanum mausoleum. But Bibi Khanum herself is probably a myth.
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Part of the ruin of the huge Bibi Khanum
Mosquie - built from 1399 to 1404 - It was 110 yards wisde by 153 yards long
and one of the largest in the world, but the building construction methods -
mortar - were insufficient - it decayed and then suffered in an earthquake in
1897. The cupola dome was 66 feet in diameter, and 118 feet high. There are
other smaller mosques in the complex. And across the road is the Bibi Khanum
mausoleum. But Bibi Khanum herself is probably a myth.
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Another part of the ruin of the huge Bibi
Khanum Mosquie - built from 1399 to 1404 - It was 110 yards wisde by 153 yards
long and one of the largest in the world, but the building construction methods
- mortar - were insufficient - it decayed and then suffered in an earthquake in
1897. The cupola dome was 66 feet in diameter, and 118 feet high. There are
other smaller mosques in the complex. And across the road is the Bibi Khanum
mausoleum. But Bibi Khanum herself is probably a myth.
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Alley in the medieval burial complex -
Shakhi-Zinda (Shrine of the Living King) in north east section of Samarkand -
This complex was built over several centuries. - from the 10th on, but most
remaining are from the 14th and 15th centuries. Here are burried military
commanders, female relatives of Tamerlane and others.
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Alley in the medieval burial complex -
Shakhi-Zinda (Shrine of the Living King) in north east section of Samarkand -
This complex was built over several centuries. - from the 10th on, but most
remaining are from the 14th and 15th centuries. Here are burried military
commanders, female relatives of Tamerlane and others.
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Another view of - Shakhi-Zinda (Shrine of the
Living King) in north east section of Samarkand - This complex was built over
several centuries. - from the 10th on, but most remaining are from the 14th and
15th centuries. Here are burried military commanders, female relatives of
Tamerlane and others.
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- This is from behind the Shir-Dar Medresseh
and Mosque to the right of the photo is the Tillah-Kari Medresseh and Mosque
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Another view of - Shakhi-Zinda (Shrine of the
Living King) in north east section of Samarkand - This complex was built over
several centuries. - from the 10th on, but most remaining are from the 14th and
15th centuries. Here are burried military commanders, female relatives of
Tamerlane and others. The building on the left is on top of the ruin of the old
city wall.
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Another view of - Shakhi-Zinda (Shrine of the
Living King) in north east section of Samarkand - This complex was built over
several centuries. - from the 10th on, but most remaining are from the 14th and
15th centuries. Here are burried military commanders, female relatives of
Tamerlane and others. The building on the left is on top of the ruin of the old
city wall.
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Entrance gate - doorway
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Another view of - Shakhi-Zinda (Shrine of the
Living King) in north east section of Samarkand - This complex was built over
several centuries. - from the 10th on, but most remaining are from the 14th and
15th centuries. Here are burried military commanders, female relatives of
Tamerlane and others.
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Columns and parts of a building in the
Shakhi-Zinda complex.
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Making bricks for the major repair of the
Registan buildings.
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Team spirit - making bricks to repair the
Registan
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Detail of dcoration on wall
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The only photo I have of the archeological
site outside Samarkand - the Marakanda of Alexandeer the Great and Afrasiab of
medieval Saka society. Unfortunate, because the walls are covered with
decorations - pictures of processions and the like - Samarkand is in background
- I met an archeologist here and gave him several rolls of 35 mm Kodacrome
film, which he caid he could not obtain.
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Vases in museum
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Vases in museum
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Artist at work
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Uzbek lady
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Children playing
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Two young girls posing
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Proud grand father with three young girls.
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Another section of town with several children
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People going about their business early in
the morning
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Ladies out shopping early in the morning
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Lots of fresh vegetables in the Samarkand
market each morning
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Samarkand has been famous for melons for
centuries - and they are great.
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Chicken for sale at the local market
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Uzbek couple at the burial complex
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Two Uzbek ladies and a European lady.
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My wife made a formal gown out of the silk I
brought back from Samarkand
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Locals - are they waiting for a bus?
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Prayer time
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Discussing world affairs with three local
gentlemen
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Three gentlemen from Samarkand
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The discussion continues - in 1964 the Uzbeks
were eager to discuss their concerns about Chinese expansion
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Our guide to Samarkand - the young lady was
born here but is Moldavian since her parents were exiled from Moldavia at end
of WWII.
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Our guide taking a tea break
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Looking out the hotel window se see our tour guide fixing a car tire
whol the 'gentlemen' observe
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