Samarkand, Uzbekistan

After breakfast, we transferred back to the airport for our private jet flight to Samarqand, Uzbekistan.
Flight time 2 hrs, 35 minutes

We were welcomed at the airport by Ubeki women who draped me with a prayer scarf and Jim
with a Taqiyah (men’s religious skull caps).

The fabled city of Samarqand flourished in the 14th and 15th centuries under the rule of Tamerlane and his successors, who commissioned spectacular mosques and madrassas covered in blue tiles.
Our first stop is to the Gur-e Amir. The Gur-e Amir is a Persian-style mausoleum that was completed in 1404. The mausoleum is a grand example of medieval architectural craftsmanship.
The complex is comprised of a madrasah and a khanaka, both facing a rectangular courtyard.
There are four minarets at the courtyard corners. The entrance portal is richly decorated with carved bricks and colorful mosaics. The octahedral building is crowned by an azure fluted dome. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sadly, the structure has suffered
the effects of time and earthquakes. Tamerlane, the 14th century King of Turkish descent, claimed to be a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, and was born in a village near Samarqand. He and other members of his family are interred within the Mausoleum. Tamerlane (or Timur) was a brutal conqueror who raised ancient cities and slaughtered countless populations. However, he was also know as a great patron of arts, literature and architecture. Some of his most significant achievements were beautiful buildings constructed in his capital of Samarqand.

Next we visited the Ulugh Beg Observatory which was constructed around 1420 on a hill to the North of Samarqand by Ulugh Beg one of Tamerlane’s grandsons. It was considered one of the finest observatories of the Islamic world. Sadly, the original structure was destroyed within a few generations after Ulugh Beg’s death by religious groups. Archaeologist eventually found the Sextant and remains of the building. We toured the small museum which was built in 1970 and then the outdoor remaining section of the sextant.

Registan Plaza Hotel, Samarqand (B, L, D daily)