SAMARKAND: THE REGISTAN

Off the Registan after breakfast (held two-doors down in an interesting location!  





After a day of seeing bridal couples wandering about the Registan, we realise that the place is a one-stop shop: outfits available all along the road, 


weddings held in our breakfast room, and of course a wide variety of photo ops...)

By a long chalk, the most famous site in Samarkand is the Registan (another '-istan' - this time, place of sand).  It was the ancient centre of the city, a public square bound by three monumental religious buildings, madrasahs (Islamic schools).  

Obviously, one could look and wander and snap pics all day but here are just a selection...

Starting on the left, the Ulugbek Madrassah is the oldest, built in 1420 by Timur's grandson who was also a famed mathematician and astronomer (and thought to have 13 wives)



Opposite, the Sher-dor ('lion' - yes, I know they look like tigers with suns rising from their backs) and the deer they are chasing both flout the usual Islamic prohibiton on depiction of live animals (not the first such we shall see) 




and in the middle, between them, now 'adorned, with a blue dome added during the Soviet era, is the 1660 Tilla-Kari ('gold-covered') Madrassah



Armed with a ticket, one enters the square, to go inside the various buildings, including allowing close-ups of the detail














The inner areas are as beautiful as the outside  




 



 
 

 


- mainly set aside for craft stalls: rugs and carpets, scarves and hats and the like
 
 




 






 We make some friends on the way,


  
and find a welcome coffee-shop with a view
 


 
 

   

 After another nice dinner



And a night-time trot to the floodlit Registan




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