Shah-i-Zinda, the Precious Blue Fairytale

This spring I visited Shah-i-Zinda, the famous necropolis in Samarkand, Ubekistan. As it often happens, I procrastinated for a long time, unable to choose photos for the post. Truth is, I was very unhappy with the photos, as they fail to reflect the bright, jewel-like beauty of this architectural ensemble. But I will show them anyway; just remember that they do not give justice to the beauty of this place.

Shah-i-Zinda is a complex of tombs and other ritual buildings, where the eldest ones date to 9th century and the newest ones - to 19th century.

"Shahizinda" means "the Living King" in Persian.  The legend says that the Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of Prophet Mohammed, came to Samarkand with a small army to install Islam here. In one of the battles with pagans, right at this hill,  Kusam ibn Abbas was wounded with an arrow, but managed to hide in a small cave or a well, which closed as he entered. And he still lives there, hidden from people.

The wooden terrace is at the entrance, to the left. It has a beautiful painted ceiling.



On the left is a tall staircase to the main part of the complex. The legend has it that you should walk and count the stairs, and remember the number. On the way back, you should count again. If numbers match, you will be granted a wish. On the right you can see a pathway leading from the end part to the exit (so, this belongs to the end of the photo set, but the photo is vertical, so it does not fit anywhere else).

These are several groups of mausoleums throughout  the necropolis. They mostly belong to the relatives and the courtiers or military leaders of Timur the Great, also known as Tamerlane; we call him Amir Timur here. The mausoleums are lavishly decorated with majolica tiles in various shades of blue, green and turquoise. 

 

It is nice to see children around; they clearly enjoy spending time in the beautiful place. And aren't they lovely girls?

I was transfixed by the lavish beauty of these buildings. In reality, they gleam and glisten, and the tiles look deep like sea water with ripples.

I love all the amazing textures and intricate lines.

The kids were not alone; after some playing and looking around, they came to their adults (I kept an eye on them, just in case. And they allowed me to take photos).

 

We went further, and I took more photos. It would be good to have a camera which could take 3D photos! or, better still, one to capture my feelings - the awe, admiration and excitement! 

There is a long path through the complex, with buildings on both sides.

I think that the last part is the most beautiful one. It was like entering a jewellery box which is adorned with precious enamel even from the inside. You enter and gasp...

...and start spinning around, trying to see everything, absorb it and remember. This smooth, cool, bright, fragile-looking beauty, aimed at making people stop and stare in admiration. A tribute to the people gone. Not only to those who are buried here, but also, ultimately - to the masters, who created this wonder.

Some people come here to pray.

Others just come to see the beauty. The smallest one seems to be impressed, too.

This was a very enjoyable hour - it was as if I spent this time in a fairytale. I hope to come back with my daughter, as I know she will love it as much as I did. If you ever visit Samarkand, make sure you go to Shah-i-Zinda, too. This is a place worth seeing.

Inside a Treasure Cave: Visiting a Handicraft Shop in Samarkand

Besides its gorgeous architecture, Samarkand is famous for arts and crafts. Whenever I come there for a business trip, I also go shopping with my colleagues. During our last visit in April, we have visited a very special shop. It is located in the most central place - in Ulugbek Madrasa at Registan Square.

The shop is quite large, mysteriously dark and full of amazing things. You discover new rooms and corners, as you walk around. It is stuffed with suzani, rugs and silks. This place is like a treasure cave.



Most suzani are very traditional, but you can recognise some familiar designs - those famous cats by Rosina Wachtmeister! Obviously, Samarkand artists do their best to cater for all tastes. Of course, I prefer the classic suzani with their elegant branches and lavish flowers and paisley, but I also appreciate the creativity and desire to be flexible.

Right in the shop, there is a woman embroidering a suzani. The process is fascinating to watch. She is another tourist attraction, of course, but the suzani she is making is very real and beautiful.



In another part of the shop you can see more suzani - this one is on silk - and a very unusual headpiece.

This looks like a Karakalpak or Turkmen headpiece for a women's festive costume. This might be a refurbished piece; I would think that the elements are antique or vintage, but the whole piece is not that old, or, let us say, it is refurbished. Still, it looks impressive. The stones seem to be smalt (or paste).

And these are two traditional gowns, lavish and beautiful. One is beautiful ikat silk, the second one has suzani style embroidery.

There are several shelves with traditional Uzbek pottery, too. I like these small organic looking jugs. 

These pieces are made in Rishtan, Ferghana valley, or maybe they are made in Samarkand to resemble Rishtan style. In any case, I appreciate their elaborate beauty and the combination of colours which are so close in style to the ancient Uzbek architecture.



Uzbek and Turkoman jewelry is a big separate topic. Silver, turquoise and corals is a favourite combination here, in Central Asia. «Les bijoux doivent être sauvages!» - said Amedeo Modigliani, and these ones are indeed quite savage-like.

A bunch of handwoven bags. I love those in earthy colours.

...and countless scarves. Silk scarves, some are made from khan atlas (heavy silk satin) or shoyi (fine silk)...




...these are made from sheer silk gauze or chiffon, and the shop owner claimed them to be hand block printed. They are weightless...



...these are wool shawls, hand embroidered in crewel stitch. I would not call them typical for our country; I think they were inspired by Indian Cashmere shawls. I must say that they are stunning in real life, and the quality of wool and work is excellent. I was very seduced by one on the right, but restrained myself, as I already have too many shawls and scarves that I do not wear.

This amazing shop even had some very nice cashmere shawls, made in Nepal. I must say that I am a cashmere addict and I own a substantial collection. I can say that these were really nice to the touch, and I loved the soft neutral colours. 

...As a way to thank the lovely shop owners for patiently letting me take a gazillion of pictures, I want to share their contacts. The owner and his wife are very friendly, open and willing to negotiate, and speak several languages, as fits a good Uzbek merchant who meets people from all countries of the world. If you ever visit Samarkand, do not miss their shop!

The shop is owned by Mr Alisher Yakubov; 
tel. +99890 2709933
email: yakubovalishir3@gmail.com

The Tomb of Prophet Daniel in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Most sightseeing sites in Samarkand are renowned for their beauty and splendor, but there is one which looks rather modest. However, it is very popular and famous, as this is the tomb of Prophet Daniel of the Old Testament. It is located at the hill over the Siab river. 

This mausoleum is very popular among pilgrims and ordinary tourists, and it seems that local youth come here just to spend time at this nice peaceful place. I guess that is better than a bar. People come to the St Daniel tomb to pray for health, and it is especially popular among women who want to give birth. 

According to Wikipedia, "there are six different locations claiming to be the site of the tomb of the biblical figure Daniel: Babylon, Kirkuk and Muqdadiyah in Iraq, Susa and Malamir in Iran, and Samarkand in Uzbekistan. Tomb of Daniel at Susa is most agreed tomb". 

These tombs come in different sizes and settings. In our case, inside a very modest building, there is a 18-meter (59 feet) sarcophagus covered with the elaborately embroidered silk shell. While the building is relatively new (1900), the grave itself dates to the end of XIV century, when Amir Timur (also known as Tamerlane, Timur the Lame, Emir Temur, etc.) was conquering Middle East. 

"Our" tomb is a "branch" of the one in Susa, which is at the territory of modern Iran. The most wide-spread legend told to us by the guide says that Amir Timur tried to conquer the city of Susa, but with no luck. The garrison of the city was ridiculously small, yet they managed to beat off attack after attack. He had to leave, and then he came back as a pilgrim in disguise, to learn the reason for the failure. He was told that the city was invincible because of the tomb of St Daniel which protected it. After that, either he took back the relics by stealth, or traded them for a peace treaty (which does not seem very logical, since the relics were protecting the city really well) - whatever was his way of doing it, he brought them back to Samarkand, the capital of his empire. Amir Timur chose a nice place on a hill (according to another legend, horses or camels chose it themselves), buried the relics there, and a spring sprouted under the hill. 

The guide cautiously said that it was not known whether Amir Timur brought back the whole skeleton, or a limb (an arm, according to many sources), or just some earth from the original tomb. She said that she preferred to err on the side of caution and say that it was earth, that was mixed with the earth of Samarkand in the new tomb. According to her, the tomb was unopened since the times of Amir Timur, as it is a great sin to disturb the dead ones. 

At the side of the tomb, there is a very old pistachio tree. It is believed that the sapling was brought back from Susa at the same time with the relics, so it must be more than 600 years old. It was completely dry for many years, but sprang back to life - surprisingly, after the Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow who was then the head of Russian Orthodox Church, visited the tomb to consecrate it and pray there. This was in 1996, and in 1997 the tree was in bloom again, which of course can be seen as a miracle. 

And this beautiful door leads to a hermit cave where people used to stay for weeks to pray and mortify the flesh. As you can see, it is locked with a modern padlock, but, as the guide explained, this is not because people around have no sins any more, but rather because the ceiling is in poor condition and needs to be strengthened. I guess there must have been several caves, or there would be a long queue to use this one. Maybe this is just an entrance to a corridor with many caves - a labyrinth under the hill - I wonder. I have a Samarkand friend who I should ask; I am sure that he must have been inside when it was still open. 

The wooden pole with a fox tail marks the place of burial of the saint according to the local tradition. A similar pole can be seen inside Amir Timur tomb, Gur-e-Emir, marking the tomb of his spiritual mentor Sayyid Baraka. And the small square building is where the water from the spring is coming out of several pipes, for people to drink and take home with them. It is a very nice water, cold and clean. You can see construction works in the background; I think the Mayor decided to grow a park there, which is nice of him. 

While this place does not strike me as a particularly beautiful one, it is very peaceful and feels good. People come there to socialise and have rest - and to pray, of course. There is a Muslim preacher who reads sermons now and then in a beautiful rich voice, and people sit and listen and pray with him. And there are always kids, running and playing around, as a symbol of never ending life. 

Uzbek Woman in Ikat Gown with a Boy

Just an old photo that I want to share. Both the woman and the child seem amazing to me - very beautiful and enigmatic. They seem to be looking into the future, unknown to them at that point, but known to us now... not their personal future, of course, but the overall history of the region and people. 

I do not know who they are, but obviously they were from a rich family, judging by their clothing and her jewellery. The woman's hands are obviously not familiar with hard work, and are heavy with lavish rings and bracelets. Note that their gowns are made from the same gorgeous ikat silk. The woman is wearing 'tilla kosh' headpiece - 'golden brows' - and a shawl, which could be Russian, judging by what I can see from the pattern. Beautiful!

Woman in full wedding regalia with child, photograph ca. 1860, Registan Museum, Samarkand. 

One Morning in Samarkand: the Ruhabad Mosque

...I started telling about my visit to Samarkand in September, and at last I came to finishing this short story. My walk only lasted for a couple of hours in the morning before work, but it takes me very long to write about it... however I promised to my friend that I will finish the story.

After marveling at Gur-e Emir Mausoleum, I started walking in the direction of the hotel, and saw a minaret on the right ahead of me. As I still had some time left, I let my curiosity lead me there.

So, there was this minaret with beautiful carved wooden doors, secured with a modern-looking padlock.

There were some roses around, much beloved by our poets, and old trees that would not let me see the mosque in its entirety. So, you will also see just bits and pieces, the way I saw it.

I stepped inside the small unfenced yard, and found myself in the beautiful shade provided by huge mulberry and fig trees. I love the sun spots on the old stone stairs... And can you see the box for collecting money for maintenance of the mosque? Everyone gives as much as he or she can, and I always put some money inside, too.

I love fig leaves, with their sandpaper feel and astringent smell. I can stand under a fig tree for hours, it seems, cooling down and feeling tension go away.

The roof of the mosque has beautiful details.

...and the inside part is beautiful, as well. All of the painted patterns have a ritual meaning. They will correspond to various meaningful figures, like the number of sura in Koran, the number of the Prophet's descendants, etc. 

There are eight doors to the inside of the mosque, like there are eight doors to the Heaven.

In the shaded yard, there are two big wooden couches (takhta or topchan). They are wonderful for having rest with a cup of tea. They put thick blankets on them (you can see one blanket - kurpa - on the couch on the left, but it is just one, and there should be many), some throw pillows, and in the center they put a low rectangle table. People will sit or recline, drinking tea with sweets, such as sugared nuts, milk nougat and dried fruits, almonds and pistachios, and then they can take a nap right there.

While moving slowly around and seeing the mosque in bits and pieces, fascinated by its quiet beauty and the play of shadows, I met a mullah - a Tajik man in his forties, with a noble face, sad eyes and a tired voice of someone who has to talk too much and does not enjoy it. He was very friendly, and told me a little about the mosque in his quiet slow voice.

It is called Ruhabad Mesjidi (Mosque Ruhabad) and dates to 1800-1820. It was a local area mosque, built to serve houses nearby, and it is close to a medrese (a religious school) and Ruhabad mausoleum. Ruhabad Mosque still functions, and the small minaret is in use - they call believers to prayer from the top of it. It stands close to the Ruhabad Mausoleum which is much older (dating to 1380), and to the Ruhabad medrese (a religious school).

This was a beautiful place, empty and serene, and I enjoyed that half an hour I spent there. After that, there was a long day, and we traveled through a desert and across hills before arriving to Karshi to take a plane home. But traveling in the desert is a different story.