Samarkand Photo Gallery by lcurran at pbase.com

Samarkand

Samarkand is situated in the valley of the river Zarafshan. It is the second largest city of Uzbekistan and is of the same age as the city of Babylon or Rome, being one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The city is most noted for its central position on the Silk Road between China and the West, and for being an Islamic centre for scholarly study.

The history of Samarkand is about 2,500 years old and has witnessed a lot of upheavals during the times of Alexander the Great, the Arabic Conquest, Genghis-Khan Conquest and lastly Tamerlane's. Hence, the culture of Samarkand was developed and mixed together with the Iranian, Indian, Mongolian and a bit of the Western and Eastern cultures.

A majestic and beautiful city, Samarkand has a marvelous and attractive power. Poets and historians of the past called it "Rome of the East, The pearl of the Eastern Moslem World". Its advantageous geographical position in the Zarafshan valley puts Samarkand as the first place among the cities of Central Asia.

There are a number of images showing the city before restoration - photographs taken by various Russian and French scholars and photographers. Their names and dates of the photograph taken are noted on each image.
"Caught in Time: Great Photographic Archives - SAMARKAND", Series Editor Vitaly Naumkin, Garnet Publishing 1992

Tamerlane's Mausoleum	Uzbek Family	Mural
Bibi Khanum Mosque	Bibi-Khanum Madrassa's Main Portal	Bibi-Khanum Madrasaa from the North-East	XIMG_3052.jpg
Minaret - Bibi Khanum Mosque	XIMG_3048.jpg	Bibi-Khanum Main Mosque from the North-East	Bibi Khanum Mosque
XIMG_3066.jpg	Bibi Khanum's Dome	Southern Part of the Bibi-Khanum Main Mosque	XIMG_3159.jpg
XIMG_3058.jpg	XIMG_3044.jpg	XIMG_3046.jpg	Time for Refreshment
Bread (Non) Vendor	The Staff of Life	XIMG_3090.jpg	Dual Purpose Shopping Cart
XIMG_3109.jpg	Off to School	XIMG_3119.jpg	XIMG_3124.jpg
Market	Raisins, nuts, apricots	XIMG_3135.jpg	XIMG_3138.jpg
Another use for prams	XIMG_3150.jpg	Bride	Uzbekistan Flag
Park Ornament	Restaurant al fresco	Patrol Car
Gypsies	Tourist Group Photo	Tamerlane's Mausoleum	Entrance to Timur's Mausoleum
Gur Emir Portal of the Entrance from the North	Archway	Timur's Mausoleum - Inner Courtyard	Interior and Ceiling
XIMG_3206.jpg	XIMG_3207.jpg	XIMG_3211.jpg	Detail
Variety of Detail	XIMG_3217.jpg	Family Tombstones	XIMG_3222.jpg
XIMG_3223.jpg	Detail	Timur's Mausoleum - Dusk	Gur Emir Mausoleum
Registan Ensemble	View of Rear of Registan from Tashkentskaya Street	Tashkentskaya Street from Chaar-Su Looking Towards the Registan	Allah
Shirdar Madrassa	Shirdar Madrassa	Registan. The Facade of the Shir Dar Madrassa	Shirdar Madrassa
XIMG_3284.jpg	Shirdar Madrassa	XIMG_3275.jpg	Tillya Kari Madrassa
Registan. The View of the Facade of the Tillya-Kari Complex from the South	Entrance - Tillya Kari Madrassa	Tillya Kari Madrassa	Tillya Kari Mosque Dome
Tillya Kari Mithrab	Registan. Tillya-Kari Mosque's Mithrab	XIMG_3299.jpg	XIMG_3300.jpg
XIMG_3301.jpg	XIMG_3302.jpg	XIMG_3303.jpg	Ulugh Beg Madrassa
Registan. The Mirza Ulugh Beg Madrassa	Ulugh Beg Madrassa	Registan Ensemble	General View of Old Samarkand from Afrosiab
Khazraty Khyzr	The Khazraty Khyzr Mosque on the Southern Slope of Afrasiab	Cemetery by Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis	Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
Shah-i-Zindah Necropolis	Shah-i-Zindah Complex	Shah-i-Zindah Necropolis Portal	Shah-i-Zindah Complex - Portal from the South
15th Century Hammom	XIMG_3320.jpg	Staircase of Sinners	Staircase of Sinners
Staircase of Sinners	XIMG_3327.jpg	Qazi Zadeh Rumi Mausoleum (1420-1425)	Inscriptions
Watchman	XIMG_3336.jpg	Amirzoda Mausoleum	Shadi Mulk Aka Mausoleum (1372)
Interior - Shadi Mulk Aka Mausoleum	XIMG_3344.jpg	XIMG_3349.jpg	XIMG_3352.jpg
XIMG_3356.jpg	Mosaic Panels	XIMG_3360.jpg	Ustad Alim Nasafi Mausoleum
Tiles	XIMG_3368.jpg	Kutlug-Aka (Built 1360-1361)	The Arch of Kutlugh-Aka's Burial Vault
XIMG_3379.jpg	XIMG_3380.jpg	Khodja Akhmad Mausoleum (c. 1350)	XIMG_3383.jpg
XIMG_3387.jpg	XIMG_3391.jpg	The Gate - Made in 1404-1405
XIMG_3400.jpg	Interior - Kussam-ibn-Abbas Mosque (1460)	XIMG_3405.jpg	XIMG_3406.jpg
XIMG_3408.jpg	XIMG_3410.jpg	XIMG_3413.jpg	Mausoleum of Emir Burunduk
XIMG_3415.jpg	XIMG_3416.jpg	Brick-Ribbed Domes of the Emir Hussein Mausoleum	XIMG_3426.jpg
XIMG_3427.jpg	XIMG_3428.jpg	XIMG_3429.jpg	Entrance Facing Outward
XIMG_3443.jpg	XIMG_3444.jpg

comment |

frank irvine		15-Jun-2009 18:05
Gosh it's amazing that Silk Road&interestinly enough the folk there look happy in there way of life&some amazing history there. Really nice to see Luis. All the best. Cheers Frank.

Guest		31-May-2009 02:12
Fascinating!!!

Dudy Tuchfeld		29-May-2009 22:17
Very impressive V!!!

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