Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Flag.

"A barren wasteland filled with desert sand and interspersed with poor and struggling cities" is usually the generally held view of how Uzbekistan is seen by the masses. But the real Uzbekistan couldn't be as far from the illusions even if it tried.

The home of the Uleg Beg Observatory, the Samarqand Registans and Bazaar and Shakrisabz Mausoleums, Uzbekistan is one of the most understated former Soviet States in the region. It is also one of the most-sought after regions to travel if you are interested in its prime jewel and how things were transported from China to Europe. Where each Registan building or more specifically Madrassa or school; the Tilla Kari Madrassa in the centre with blue turrets, the Sher Dor Madrassa on the right depicting the ruler in a sun-like image next to a liger (which is supposedly a crossover of a tiger, lion and antelope), and the Uleg Beg Madrassa on the left but showing the ruler and swans in flight on a blue background, all boasting an illuminating blend of turquoise roof caps with decadent mosaic tiles from Tamerlane's era, the Uleg Beg Observatory holds the key to why Uzbekistan is placed on the map. The region is famous for its research into Astronomy and Mathematics.


Samarqand Registans -
Madrassas.

Uleg Beg
Observatory.

In the 14th Century, Uzbekistan's capital was its most populous city, Samarqand (Samakand). The bustling bazaars, the mosques and the Registrars make Samaqand Uzbekistan's crowning jewel for not only was it the city in the direct path of the old Silk Road, but it was also where Amir Timur (more commonly known as Timur the lame which was later shortened to Tamerlane) ruled the country during his reign as Emperor as his Empire stretched from the Black Sea into Central China and down as far as Delhi. To see these momuments continue standing humbles and honours the visitors simultaneously. Tamerlane stands proud over the city he built from the ground up, letting visitors and residents anew to experience the fruitful delicacies and labour on offer.

Timur the lame also known as
Tamerlane - Uzbekistan's greatest ruler.

The only other city on the same level as Samarqand is Bukhara, located in the South of the country. Mostly known for its pilgrimage sites and cuisine. Outside of the main city itself, the Bukhaara emir's built their summer palace, the Sitorai Makhi Khosa, which was built in 1911 by the last emir Alim Khan. Styled using a Russian contemporary after Alim Khan visited Russia, the summer palace was intended to be used as a guest house for the Russian Tsar, whom was executed before he could properly visit as well as being used to house the emir's 40 concubines (mistresses). However, the crowning glory of this city lay in its oldest part and the Ismail Samani Mausoleum. The Mausoleum is the oldest Islamic monument in Bukhara, having been built sometime in the 10th Century, and incorporates sogdian architecture and sassanid fire temples, although a perfect 10x10x10 cube like the Kaaba in Mecca. The mausoleum is an extremely holy site and as such was not destroyed by Genghis Khan.

Bukhara's Old City.

Located deep in the heart of Central Asia,  Uzbekistan shares its borders with other former USSR states with Krygyzstan to the north and its fellow Silk Road counterpart Tajikistan to the East. Whilst today, its capital city is Tashkent, its most famous is the nearest city over, Samarqand. Built originally in a similar style to the Eternal City of Rome in the 6th Century BC, Samarqand housed an Afrosiab Hill Fort and had grown into a large Sogdian city when Alexander the Great (who founded the great Egyptian city Alexandria and linked the Silk Road to routes along the countries of Northern Africa) seized and torched the citadel in a strike to claim the city and its wealth. However, by the 7th Century AD, Samarqand was once again primarily a Silk Road City.

Myself with my brother and mum
with my hemiplegia on show.

Map of Uzbekistan.

Two years ago, in July 2016, my family and I arrived in Uzbekistan, to do just that. The Silk Road had been on my parents bucket list for many years and so, with myself having finished my A-Levels, we decided on completing the central section of the ancient trading route. Everywhere I looked, there were bazaars (marketplaces) selling the traditional produce of the Silk Road such as spices, fruit and products like bags, intricately designed purses, though I will freely admit, the fruit and spices were the main attraction. However, whilst the summer sounds, in theory, like the ideal time to go, I would personally not recommend it unless you like the intense and high heat you will inevitably receive. As a hemiplegic, I found it increasingly difficult to wear my arm splint in the heat, so while I took it and wore it on most of the trip, I was forced to take it off and wrap my bare forearm in a light scarf or a long sleeved light shirt to protect my more vulnerable limb. I would however travelling in early Autumn or Spring when it is a little cooler.

Shakrisabz - the place where Timur and his
family were laid to rest for the final time. 

Home to these remarkable historical structures, Uzbekistan also proudly possesses the green marbled mausoleums at Shakrisabz where the Great Tamerlane and his family were buried for their eternal rest. Despite being in one of the ex-Soviet States, where central Asia gained of negativity, Uzbekistan grips its personal history and views it with an awe only seen before in Rome and Greece at their prime. In fact, it is one of the few countries whose history gives an insight into how its rulers and their people lived in times of peace and prosperity, but also war and unrest.

With these features, it is no miracle that Uzbekistan holds the crown into the amazing and awe-inspiring spectacle of the Amirs' era and the never-ending history of the Silk Road.