Fame and fortune in Samarqand

 I was glad I had bought a ticket for an air-conditioned wagon this time. We sped south towards Samarqand. One of the cities I wanted to visit, due to all of its beautiful buildings, old mosques, and, surprisingly, an old observatory. 

We all have prejudices. The question is more, do we admit them? I freely admit mine. Because I think it is important in order to learn new things and remove misconceptions. 

When going to the 'stans, one thing I did not expect, was a high speed train. But there it was. Between Tashkent and Samarkand, I could choose between pretty fast, and the bullet train. The bullet train was obviously very popular. Even several days ahead, I could only get economy. So on the train from Tashkent to Samarkand, I could only get the "quite fast" train.

Now the three previous trains, I had gone with the second class ticket. Bunk-beds to sit on. Aircon was basically open windows where the air from outside (hopefully) flowed through the car when the train was moving. In one part of the car, it was livable, in the other, it was living hell. So hot my shirt was dripping with sweat. After enduring this for the last three train rides, I decided it would be ok with riding a better train. And even in VIP class. After three rides in what can only be described as zoo class. It was only 30 dollars anyway, so there was nothing stopping me.

I enjoyed the relative comfort of the cool cabin. A definitely welcomed break from the baking oven I had travelled in so far. The landscape shifted into a more dry area. And after way shorter than expected time, we arrived. The first thing I did, was to book a ticket on the bullet train back to Tashkent. Finally, I would be able to try this thing I didn't quite believe existed here.

Beautiful mosaics inside the train station in Samarqand

I took a taxi to my hotel, since it was quite a distance from the station. It was located in a quiet neighborhood. And they had a nice patio where one could sit and enjoy the cool evenings.

Samarquand is an old city. It was founded 700 BC. And is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was also one of the main cities on the silk route. 

As always, what I wanted to see, were the old mosques, madrasas, mausoleums and last but not least, the old observatory of Ulugh Beg. One of the great astronomers of the 14th century. Alongside Brahe and Halley, he created catalogues of meticulously measured positions of stars.

First, I went to the old madras, or school. It was a monument to the greatness this city once enjoyed. From some old photos, it had fallen into disrepair over the years. And probably used as source for building materials... But they had taken on the task of reviving it to its former glory. The pictures probably speaks for themselves.

Astronomers of the ancient times

Modern day observatories in Uzbekistan

Wolverine chillin on a carpet...

I also went to the Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum. The name means "The living king". It is the final resting place of several kings and other dignitaries. Again, a stunningly beautiful place. Well worth visiting. My photos do not do it any justice.

List of who is buried in the different coffins on the floor

Then I walked up to the observatory. It was a nice day, and I felt like walking. Well, frankly, I always like walking. But anyways, it was a nice walk up the hill. Some of you might expect a dome and a telescope there, since it is an "observatory". But you have to remember, this was centuries before the telescope was even invented. So what did the astronomers observe at this time? They meticulously measured the position of the stars. Of immense importance to navigators on the sea. All over the world, astronomers built large instruments and accurate clocks to measure the positions as precise as possible. In Europe and here, in Samarqand. The larger the instrument, the more accurate the measurement. The way they took one measurement, was to find the exact time a star passed the meridian (a virtual line going north-to-south), and the height above the horizon it was at the time. When they had measured this for hundreds of stars, they could create a star map with the relative positions of all the stars. And by comparing their measurements with other astronomers, they slowly arrived at more and more accurate star maps. Or catalogs of stars. These were then published and used by navigators on ships travelling or the large oceans. To keep track of where they were. At a time when a clock and a sextant was all they had. And not knowing where you were could land you. Literally. Hard. On ship-crushing rocks.

The observatory instrument. For observing positions of stars

The astronomer himself

I also walked past some statues and buildings during my walk through the city.

Large building right beside my hotel

In a nice park a short walk from my hotel

Murial on a building near the madras

Orthodox church

The sign said "no photos", but I am a stupid tourist

After a full day of walking, it was good to relax in my hotel. And the next day, I would ride the bullet. Train.

Cooking in Kokand

 The bi-plane ride to Sohk felt like a pivotal moment during my trip. I loved every second of it. And after making the video and writing about it, I didn't feel like finishing the rest of the blog entries. But the more I looked at the images I took, in the end, I felt I needed to write about the rest of the trip as well. 

After landing, I took a taxi back to my hotel, and then had the driver drive me back to the train station in Margilon. I tried getting a ticket for the upper classes of the train, but at this point, only second class was available. So I bought one. Still high from the plane ride, I wandered around teh train station. Bought some food for the short ride. I got on the train and found my seat. The train was HOT. Or more precisely, second class was hot. Packed to the rafters. And no aircon. Even though it was a short ride to Kokand, it was still a cooking experience. Sweating protrusivly, I tried to cool myself off in any way I knew. I made a makeshift fan and it worked somewhat. But I was happy when we finally arrived in Kokand.

The first thing I did, was to find the ticket office. Hoping to get a first class or even VIP class ticket for the trip to Tashkent. But no. They were all sold out. So I had to settle for second class all the way to Tashkent. That was going to be brutal. I already knew that.

I walked the short distance to my hotel. Which proved to be quite nice. In the middle of everything. A short walk from all the stuff I wanted to see here.

But it was already late, so I opted to just go to a supermarket and get some food and drink for the night. I also had a delicious dinner before settling in for the night. It had been a long day and I was tired. I fell asleep quite early and slept like a baby. 

The sole reason for coming to Kokand was to see old buildings. I had already read that Kokand was called the pearl of the Fergana valley. And it didn't disappoint. I had some breakfast before heading out to see the sights. The three sights I wanted to see, were the Jami Mosque with its unique wooden pillars. The Khudayarkhan Palace, built in the middle of the 19th century, and last but not least, the Norbutabiya madrasah, built in the late 18th century. There was also an orthodox church here, but it was closed, so I could only catch a glimpse through the gates.

Jami Mosque, built in the early 19th century is unique in its construction. It is open, and has dozens of carved wooden pillars holding up the roof. I paid the small entrance fee and spent some time here. It was a unique sight. With beautiful roof patterns and wonderful carvings of the pillars. Like always, my images do not do it any justice. You have to be there and see it for yourself to truly enjoy the works of art this mosque is. 

2024  Mustang.... Convertible

The palace was built by Said Muhammad Khudoyarkhan, and was built during a period of flourishing economy. And the city was teeming with activity. The palace is almost 70 by 140 meters, and consists of more than 100 rooms. Should have been enough for the Khan... It also had an inner courtyard. 

I also walked past the old Norbutabiya madrasah. The outside was nice, but the inside wasn't too interesting, so I didn't take many pictures. At least none that I think would be of interest here. But this was the front :

At this point, I had walked around the city the whole day. My feet hurt, and I was tired. So I found a small restaurant and ordered some local chow. After I delcious meal, I went to the local supermarket and bought some snacks and drink for the evening. The day after, I was going to Samarqand via Tashkent. I did not look forward to the trip to Tashkent. Knowing it was many hours of grueling heat in a packed train.

The day after, I walked down to the train station, and found my bunk in second class. It was already stuffed. Moist air, and perfect temperature for baking bread. Or my head. I had brought lots of water for the trip. And they also sold some on the train. I tried to find a position that was as comfortable as possible. With as much air as possible. But even with the windows open, there was precious little breeze going on through the cabin. So I tried to focus on the scenery instead. But taking photos through a dirty, darkened window wasn't easy. But I did get some.

Arriving in Tashkent, I went straight to the ticket office to get a ticket for the train to Samarqand for the next day. Luckily, this time, I managed to secure a ticket on the speedy train. And in a cabin with aircon. I opted to stay one night in Tashkent. Because the alternative would be to take a night train. And I don't sleep well on trains. Or buses. Or planes...

As I left the train station, I was "attacked" by taxi drivers. Quoting ridiculous prices. I ignored them and started walking towards the main street. The prices suddenly dropped, and in the end I had negotiated a price not far from what I expected. I got into his taxi, and he drove like a maniac through the streets and to my hotel. Art Hotel. I paid and went inside.

I handed them my passport. They found my booking. "Can you please cancel your booking?" the guy behind the counter asked. "Cancel my booking?" "Yeah, if you do, we can rebook you ourselves, and we don't have to pay commission to you booking agent." "Mmmmm. No." I can sympathize with people trying to make money. But I don't sympathize with them taking money from those who bring them business. They asked to see my booking, and I showed them. When I came home, I found that they had used the pincode on my booking to write a starry review "from me".... I didn't figure out how to contact the people from the booking app about this, so in the end, I gave up. 

He took me up to a relatively nice room. But after I unpacked, I realized I was unable to close my door. I went down to the reception, and he came up and tried his best, but couldn't close it. It was jammed. He took me to another room where the door worked. And I had a wonderful nights sleep before the train trip to Samarqand.