Bukhara
Char Minar (Four Minarets) 1807. Former gatehouse to a long gone medressa.
Kalon Mosque og minaret 16. century. Big enough for 10.000 people. Nice tile work in the courtyard. The minaret was built in 1127, 40 m tall with 10 meter foundation. Has survived erthquakes and was spared by Genghis Khan during the ransacke of the city.
Mir-i-Arab Medressa with its luminous blue domes is still educating students in islam. 16 century.
Ismail Samani Mausoleum completed in year 905 for Ismail Samani. Architecturally interesting as it changes personality through the day as the shadow shifts.
Ark a royal town dated back to the 5th century. Residence of the emirs og Bukhara. Among others a hilarious old fashioned museum with plastic animals and ridiculous poor translations.
More fotos from Bukhara…
Samarkand
Beautiful, impressive and amazing Registan Square with
– Ulugbek Medressa finished in 1420
– Sher Dor (Lion) Medressa finished in 1636
– Tilla-Kari Medressa with a beautiful gold covered mosque finished in 1666
Ulugbek Medressa
Sher Dor (Lion) Medressa
Tilla-Kari Medressa
Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
The final resting place of Timur and family.
Ruhabad Mausoleum
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Once one of the Islamic worlds biggest mosques. Cupola 41 m high, entrance portal 38 m high. Build by Timur’s chinese wife in the 14th century.
Shah-i-Zinda
Samarkands stunning avenue of mausoleums with beautiful tilework (14th and 15th centuries). The name means ” Tomb of the living king”. Probably the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas (thought to have brought Islam to this area in the 7th century).
Other pictures from Samarkand
