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as ‘Samarkand — Crossroads of Cultures’. Ulugbek Madrasa, on the western side,
The lure of those magic names, Bokhara finished in 1420 under Ulugbek who is said
and Samarkand, the sense of adventure, to have taught mathematics here (other
romance and magical stories they evoke subjects taught here included theology,
– of long lines camels laden with fabled astronomy and philosophy). The stars
treasures, bustling markets and ancient on the portal reflect Ulugbek’s love of
palaces, the oil lamps flickering like astronomy.
thousand stars as weary travellers lay The entrance portal of the Sher Dor
down to rest in the caravanserais… Madrasa, which took 17 years to build,
The Franco-Lebanese author Amin opposite Ulugbek completed in 1636, is
Maalouf says “Samarkand, is Omar decorated with roaring felines that look
Khayyam’s Persia, poet of the wine, free- like tigers but are meant to be lions. The
thinker, astronomer, but also that of lions, the deer they are chasing and the
Hassan as-Sabbah, founder of the order of Mongolian-faced, Zoroastrian-inspired
the assassins, the most formidable sect of suns rising from their backs are all
the history…” . Samarkand is a journey into unusual, flouting Islamic prohibitions
a world where dreams of freedom have against the depiction of live animals.
always challenged fanaticism. Founded in In between them is the Tilla Kori Madrasa,
the 7th century BC, it is one of the oldest Tilla Kori translates to ‘gilded,’ completed
cities in Central Asia. Its geographic in 1660, with a pleasant, garden courtyard.
location in the centre of major trade routes, The highlight here is the mosque, which is
attracted travellers and invaders. The to the left of the courtyard and is intricately
introduction of Islam in the 8th century decorated with blue and gold to symbolise
saw many Arabic groups immigrate into Samarkand’s wealth. The interior walls
the area, before Genghis Khan and his glisten with gold and the delicate ceiling,
Mongol army arrived in the 13th century. lavishly adorned with gold leaf, is flat but
Today’s Samarkand was called Marakanda the tapered design makes it look domed
by the Greeks after they conquered the city from the inside.
in 329 BC. Even then it was so majestic In the past, the courtyards of Registan’s
that it surprised Alexander the Great. It madrassas were surrounded by residential
is believed that he exclaimed “Everything rooms for students and professors. These
that I have heard about Marakanda is true, rooms were typically on the first floor of
except that it is more beautiful than I ever the madrasas. Today, many of them have
imagined…” been turned into souvenir shops selling
Uzbek guides joke about the four everything from suzanis and ikat scarves to
Ms: mosques, minarets, madrasas and intricate paintings and ceramics.
mausoleums. Museums makes five. It is Shah-i-Zinda which means ‘Tomb of the
exhausting, but exhilarating exploring this Living King’, built on a high green hill
beautiful city. looking over the city is a complex of cool,
The Registan, a square with three of the quiet rooms around what is probably the
world’s oldest madrasas is a vast open- grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, who is said
air plaza covered with mosaic tiles and to have brought Islam here in the 7th
majolica – sheets of blue and gold. The century. It is a necropolis of many royals
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