Our journey to Bukhara took us via Shakhrisabz in the region of Qashqadaryo. There we were to visit Amir Timur’s birth place. We found a large mosque complex and surrounding wall in ruins but in the process of being repaired - quite magnificent. Plonked at the end of the complex and set in beautiful gardens is a huge statue of Timur, the giant. He is much revered.
Seeing the mosque in its current state brought home to you its age and the passage of time.
The leisure area and gardens attached to the complex are all very new and designed as a place for families and tourists alike - fun rides for kids, cafes and stalls, fairy floss, family and wedding parties there for photo shoots. I shook hands with dozens of boys all keen to try out their English greetings (some in Russian - we are mistaken often for a Russians or French). Young girls addressed us in French mainly.
It was the place to be seen! Glamour and glitter everywhere and everyone dressed to kill.
Fairy floss - I was tempted to buy some but resisted.
This is a favoured spot for wedding photos.
We lunched and then hit the road again .....
Talking of roads ....... they are a minor version of the Gibb River road! without the remoteness and tropical scenery. They’re ‘paved’ but extremely rough, badly broken up with huge wash outs and potholes. Cars drive all over the place to avoid holes. It was a bouncy but rather lovely ride as the driver was playing Uzbek classical music. We reached Bukhara in one piece!
[More pix at www.flickr.com/photos/hwheat8pix/ and go to Albums and find ‘Shakhrisabz’ ]
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