7/26
First thing in the morning, we started out to try to pack in all we could before the temperature raised to 111 degrees for the high.
We visited the Samanid Mausoleum first. It is an architectural marvel located in Bukhara. It was built in the 10th century as the final resting place for Ismail Samani, the founder of the Samanid dynasty. This is the hero of Tajikistan. He organized an excellent army and said, “as long as I am alive, I will be the wall of Bukhara.” The mausoleum is renowned for its unique brickwork, showcasing intricate geometric patterns and delicate calligraphy. Its cubic shape, topped with a large dome, represents a significant milestone in Islamic architecture and serves as a prime example of the Persian-inspired architectural style prevalent during the era. Despite facing centuries of wear and tear, the mausoleum has been remarkably preserved and stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drawing visitors from around the world to admire its historical and cultural significance.
Samanids formed the first independent state in Central Asia which was apart from the caliphate in Baghdad. These had ancestry in the Zoroastrians. There are remnants of this in the architecture. The little discs are like the sun. Also, the quadrants represent the four elements of earth, wind, water and fire.
Under the Samanids, aspects of life flourished. Trade flourished. The coins from this dynasty were found as far away as the Baltic Sea, which means they were trusted. It is part of the Islamic Golden Age.
The royal library also had many many books, as evidenced by Ibn Sina, the doctor who got access.
This is the national library in Tajikistan that we visited earlier, and Ibn Sina’s bust was displayed amount many scholars here. It was the Soviets who drew the boundary lines, but much is shared across Central Asia between each other in the long history before that.
Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, was a prominent Persian polymath and one of the most influential intellectuals of the Islamic Golden Age. Born in 980 CE in Afshona, near Bukhara (in modern-day Uzbekistan), he spent a significant part of his life in the city. Bukhara was a flourishing center of learning during Ibn Sina’s time, attracting scholars and fostering an environment of intellectual growth.
Ibn Sina made significant contributions to various fields, including medicine, philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics. His groundbreaking medical encyclopedia, “The Canon of Medicine,” remained a standard medical textbook in Europe and the Islamic world for centuries.
During his time in Bukhara, Ibn Sina gained a reputation for his prodigious intellect and vast knowledge. He served as a court physician to several local rulers and made lasting connections with scholars and thinkers in the city.
Bukhara’s thriving intellectual milieu and Ibn Sina’s brilliant mind intersected. The legacy was profound across many regions.
We also stopped by the Mosque Above the Pond, which was built by a woman, the mother of the king in 1712. That was just the center inside. The early 20th century has the outside and the tower. Today this mosque does not allow visitors except men during prayer time.
The center of Bukhara’s old city is the Bukhara Ark with its impressive walls. “Ark” is a word from old Persian meaning “fortress.” The Ark was the citadel, where the rulers and military lived, and was even more fortified than the rest of the city. It is the oldest structure in Bukhara. Bukhara itself is about 3500 years old. A prince was buried on one side of the fortress which no longer exists.
The throne room contains an interesting innovation: once a month, the Amir received people from the community who were allowed to criticize his rule. A wall was built just inside the entrance to the throne room so that people could speak their mind and leave without being identified (or punished) by the Amir and his courtiers for saying something that they didn’t like.
The Ark fell out of use after it was aerially bombarded by Russian forces in 1920. When Bukhara was seized by the Bolsheviks, the Amir fled into exile, and the area became part of the Tatarstan Soviet Socialist Republic. That destroyed much of this area, including a medical center and a mosque. Only 1/4 of the structure has survived the bombardment.
Mosque portion
The area we entered used to have a Registan, and markets were held here. Bukhara had trade ties all over with different countries. Books were an important item of trade, which was unusual.
Following the Ark, we visited the impressive Kalyan Minaret, a part of the Po-i-Kalyan mosque complex. The madrassa, located across a square from the mosque, is still in use today.
Dating from the 9th century, the Magok-i Attar Mosque (Museum of Carpets) in Bukhara is the oldest surviving mosque in Central Asia. According to legend, the mosque survived the Mongols by being buried by locals in the sand. Indeed, only the top of the mosque was visible when the digging began in the 1930s. It also boasts an illustrious history of sacredness: remains of a Zoroastrian temple and a Buddhist temple have been found beneath it, and Jews once used it in the evenings. It was once used for Jewish, Muslim, and Christian services, demonstrating the diversity and open-mindedness of this intriguing city.
Madrassa still in use with interesting patterns. This is an ancient symbol, which became ill-used by the Nazis.
The Bukhara Registan has mosque that can hold 12,000 worshippers during prayer time. It has 277 domes and 227 pillars and 7 gates. The tower lasted Ghengis Khan, through the Soviet shelling. At first, though, it had difficulty being built. It kept collapsing.
Cool story about the engineer who built it from Iranian clay and the top is colored ceramic tiles, which are first ones in Bukhara.
The madrassa on the opposite of the mosque was built in the 1500s. There are many cells in there to study the Quran. It was heavily damaged during the Soviet shelling. It still functioned though and was the only one functioning in the whole Soviet Union. It is still a functioning madrassa and is one of the most respected in the Islamic world. It has been largely rebuilt from the Soviet bombardment.
We also stopped at a local puppet museum held in an old caravanserai. This was a lot of fun seeing this family business that preserves this art form.
Bread maker in the old city. This loaf costs less than 60 cents in US equivalent. The breads are delicious here.
Job the biblical prophet also has Bukhara story. According to legend, Job struck the ground to bring water. See photo of place with a cone.
We finished the tour exploring the artisan shops and wandering the narrow, twisting streets and alleyways of the Old City. A center for pottery, cloth, and Turkmen carpets, the old city is centered around Lyab-i Hauz, where the pond is.
Watching a fashion show over dinner in the mausoleum complex by the Lyab-i Hauz, we ended a lovely evening. It was fun to see the traditional Atlas patterns used in such beautiful ways. A cat crashed the party. Cats are beloved in the Islamic world in general.
Crasher!
This young girl was an incredible dancer!
This was a really memorable day in a city I will always have fond memories
No comments:
Post a Comment