Into the lion’s den
Samarkand is the country’s second largest city and despite having the most grandiose attractions they are more interspersed among the cityscape than in the more preserved old town in Bukhara. This is the land of Timurlane the cruel, a ruler who massacred millions but has been glorified in the post-Soviet ear for the amazing buildings he left behind, much like Chinggis Khan in Mongolia.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Registan
Three amazing medresses in the center of town.
Timur’s mausoleum
12 year old guide Utkur will answer all you questions and doesn’t accept tips. He also invites you to dinner if it’s okay with his mom. She works inside. Funny guy.
The necropolis
All these are amazing, sure, but what I came to see was the Mausoleum of the Prophet Daniel, my namesade and eternal homey from the lion’s den. Timurlane supposedly had Daniel’s bones brought here from one of his far-off conquests and they soon found out that the old prophet’s bones wouldn’t stop growing, so they’ve lengthened his crypt a bit each year and now it’s pushing 20 meters long.
Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Turkey also claim to host the prophet’s bones so who knows if anything is actually in this massive marble grave.
Tags: Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Uzbekistan
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