Travels in Uzbekistan along the Silk Road
By Elaine Pasquini
Photos by Phil Pasquini
Tashkent: For 12 days during the month of June, this reporter and her photographer husband traveled throughout the Republic of Uzbekistan, home to some of the world’s greatest Islamic architecture.
Following are the cities and sites we visited, although, unfortunately, we missed many more due to limited time and not wanting to rush through the places we did get to via Uzbekistan’s amazing clean, rapid and comfortable railway service.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s vibrant, modern capital city, boasts the Museum of Applied Arts and Handicrafts with its exquisite displays of jewelry, embroidered items, ceramics and carpet weaving. Near the old city, the lively Chorsu Bazaar with its stalls of spices, fruit, bread and sweets, along with household items, offers a delightful view of daily life. And close by is the 16th century Kukeldash Masjid and Madrassa constructed by the rulers of the Shaybanid Dynasty.
Samarkand, a major Silk Road hub, offers a multitude of Islamic architectural gems including the Bibi-Khanym Mosque which is considered to be a masterpiece of the Timurid Empire. The stunning streets of royal tombs of Shah-i-Zinda are also a visual wonder with colorful tilework in geometric patterns, as is the Registan’s expansive ensemble of blue-tiled madrassas.
Bukhara’s oldest structure, the massive fifth century fortress known as the “Ark,” is one of the most fascinating structures we visited. For centuries, it was a city unto itself and home to Bukhara’s ruling emirs. Occupying almost 10 acres, a climb to the top of its 66-foot-high walls provides a panoramic view of the city.
The Kalon Minaret, standing at 150 feet, was probably the tallest structure in Central Asia at the time of its construction in 1127 CE. Today, this architectural masterpiece, part of the Po-i-Kayan Mosque complex, is one of Bukhara’s most prominent landmarks, captivating tourists every day.
Charming Char Minar, once-upon-a-time the gatehouse to a now-destroyed madrassa built in 1807, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of the building’s unusually good acoustics, it is the setting for Sufi liturgy which includes instrumental music and singing.
Equal, or superior to, the amazing mosques, minarets, madrassas and museums, however, were the unforgettable friendly, welcoming Uzbek men, women and children we encountered along the way who exhibited the country’s legendary centuries-old hospitality, along with a window into the country’s amazing future.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
