Samarkand

Samarkand is one of those cities which could easily be in the list a couple of times had they wanted to. And in a way it might have fit the place better, as Samarkand is better understood as a set of masterpieces that happen to be in a city. That is especially true compared to the likes of Bukhara or itchan Kala which shine because of their cohesion.

I would say there are 5 main components in Samarkand which could've had a decent shot to get into the list. 

1. Gur e amir, this is the accidental mausoleum of the timurid dynasty (it wasn't built with that intent). Its rather small size is easily forgone once you see the luxurious decoration of the interior. I found it gave the best glimpse into the luxury Timur's palaces must've sported, which is otherwise hard to spot in Samarkand. Check out the jade wall tiles!

2. The Registan. The most iconic monument in Samarkand is indeed impressive. Here we get to see the famous timurid like for the monumental. Compared to later styles in the region the use of brick gives the madrasas an almost mellow colour and a much more elegant though less colorful appeal. It's perhaps the poster child of timurid architecture. I cannot talk about the interior because I was unfortunately not let in.

3. Bibi khanym mosque. This mosque was one of Timur's jewels for Samarkand. Built with the spoils of the sack of Delhi, …

Looking at the places on my "to visit" list, Samarkand is the one that made the list first and stayed there the longest. My late aunt sometime in the 80s (or 90s?), had been to Uzbekistan and told me some mythical stories about her visit to Samarkand. I can't remember many details, but I think she was a bit challenged regarding customs and hygiene. In any case, I got Fernweh for the place: Wanting to go to Samarkand has stayed with me ever since.

I had planned to visit in 2020 but then Covid hit. Now, in 2022, I felt was the time to follow up.

Samarkand is a bustling city. It's not frozen in time, but modern Uzbekistan's second largest city. There are plenty of mosques, madrasahs and mausoleums spread across the city, with the Registan as the centre piece. But there is no old town to see.

The main tourist axis runs from the Registan via the Bibi-Khanum Mosque to the Schahi-Sinda complex. These are the highlights of any visit to Samarkand. There is a nice pedestrian zone connecting all sites and this is where most tourists congregate. Unlike Bukhara, Samarkand very much feels like an Uzbek city with locals being in the majority.

Other main components of the site are:

• Ulug Begs Observatory: You can take a cab or just walk from the Schahi-Sinda complex. Personally, I found that too little remains to appreciate the site much. When walking you …

I visited this WHS in June 2017 over 4 days. It certainly is one of the best destinations in the world and certainly one of the top WHS on the list, not only for the exquisite beauty of all the single inscribed locations but also for the incredible ensemble this place must have been when constructed!

That said, I believe that Samarkand should be immediately put on the WHS in danger as the 'modern' and unprofessional patchwork of restorations/reconstructions risk ruining if not destroying the gems of Registan. That would certainly have a much stronger effect than delisting Shakhrisyabz as Uzbekistan's tourism is mainly based on Registan's allure. If I were to post the mortal sins I've photographed from Registan, I could easily have a negative impact on their tourism which is heavily dependent on European travellers. Instead I sent a letter to UNESCO and ICOMOS and I hope that they will take swift action to address such shoddy restoration works in the future. Still, the 3 madrasahs of Registan alone would be worthy of inscription and are hands down one of the best sites the WH list has to offer.

At night, if tour group/agencies pay around 1000 dollars (so I was told), a sound, light and laser show is put up - this equipment has led to some of the shoddy restorations! If you're not so lucky (or if like me you cherish visiting without too many tour groups, no show most probably means less people around), still …

Samarkand is the reason why I decided to visit Uzbekistan, when I booked the ticket at Uzbekistan Airline office; I saw the poster of the very beautiful Registan so I asked the travel agent that should I trust the poster? The agent immediately said "You will see the better one at the real place!" After that Samarkand became the paradigm of my Uzbekistan itinerary. I arrived Samarkand in the evening, the traffic congestion greeted me with unexpectedly surprised, after a peaceful week in Khiva and Bukhara, Samarkand really reminded the chaotic life of modern urban!

I started my city tour at the Gur Amir Mausoleum, the resting place of Tamerlane; for exterior the beautiful blue mosaic dome was just amazing, and for interior the golden mosaics inside the building were just breathtaking, and in my opinion one of the most beautiful Muslim mausoleum I've ever seen. After the mausoleum, I went to Ulughbek Observatory, a ruin of very impressive ancient observatory, its museum was nice; however, many insightful information from my guide made me question the accuracy of the exhibition and object displayed. Then I continued my trip to see the famous Registan. With high hope and excitement, I found all magnificent three buildings complex to be exactly what I wanted to see, there facades were just magnificent with bright and colorful mosaics. However I was deeply disappointed with the bad status of the interior mosaics and glazed tiles inside the courtyard, seem that Uzbek used their whole money to …

Samarkand is the site of the iconic Registan - the "sandy place" surrounded on three sides by Timurid madrasahs. You can sit on a bench on the fourth, open, side and take it all in - the turquoise tiles, the slender minarets, the imposing facades. The place attracts a lot of Uzbek tourists too. The madressahs can best be admired from the outside, as their interiors are completely taken over by the souvenir business. Only the middle (Tilya Kori) is worth a visit for its completely gilded interior including golden mosaics.

Somehow it had escaped my attention before that Samarkand has several other grand monuments than this Registan. Probably the best sight of my whole Uzbek/Turkmen tour was Shah-i-Zinda. This is a mausoleum complex, where the tombs are housed in the most ornamental little buildings. They feature all the mosaics and glazed tiles Samarkand is famous for, but on a more touchable scale than at the Registan. The place is also full of Uzbek pilgrims and daytrippers, creating a lively atmosphere (imagine visiting this wonderful site on your way from grocery shopping - I saw many Uzbeks carrying their round loaves of bread with them).

The tomb of Timur (Gur Emir Mausoleum) is the third site worth mentioning. On the inside, it has the feel of a European cathedral, with the tombs in the middle under a cupola and older Uzbeks praying around it.

Samarkand is the largest of the WHS cities of Uzbekistan (c half million population). Possibly as a result it lacks much of the “eastern atmosphere” which can be sensed in Bukhara or Khiva – instead its glories consist primarily of 4 architectural wonders, any one of which on its own would justify a WHS inscription

a. The Registan ensemble

b. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque

c. The Shahr-i-Zindah tombs

d. The Guri Amir Mausoleum

Even if you are not a great lover of Islamic architecture these are all well worth seeing/experiencing. Back in Oct 2004 when this visit was made, if you went with a guide you needed to overcome the “shared out ticket price” scam! In theory you were allowed to return to any of these buildings several times during the day – but you needed to show the actual ticket! However the ladies on the gate didn't issue one (many tourists will not ask or care) and shared the money with the guide!! We weren’t able to persuade them to do so as that would have meant them all giving up their money..... but we did make sure that they would let us in again later that day!

There are other buildings worth seeing too – I particularly liked the Ulughbek Observatory with its 30mtr astrolabe partially set deep into the ground – an impressive example of the intellectual and scientific credentials of this part of the world before the European Renaissance. This is …