F

eatu

reUzbekistan :the Silk Road

© Frank GUIZIOU / hemis.fr

Uzbekistan has well preserved relics from the time when CentralAsia was a center of empire, learning, and trade. Uzbekistan citiesincluding Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz and Tashkentlive on in the imagination of the West as symbols of oriental beautyand mystery. Ancient cities of Uzbekistan were located on theancient Silk Road, the trading route between China and the West.The route took its name from silk, the commodity most in demandin Europe from China during the Roman period. Turks came fromthe west and brought with them a new religion of Islam. Manymosques and Madrassahs were built in Uzbekistan cities ofSamarkand, Bukhara and Khiva during this period, includingremaining structures of the Samanids. Most of the cities weredestroyed during the invasion of the Genghis Khan in 1220. Hisdescendant Timur, known also as Tamerlane, resurrected oncefamous cities by using the labor of slaves and artists captured duringsuccessful crusades. Timur conquered Persia, captured Baghdad,and lead expeditions to Anatolia and India. Most of the architecturethat is found in Samarkand was build by Timur and his grandsonUlugbek.

HEMIS_160049 : Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the West door (or Ota Darvoza)

HEMIS_160063Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, statue of Al Khorezmi

HEMIS_160041Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Kalyan Mosque, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO

HEMIS_160108Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Medersa Mir I Arab

HEMIS_160032Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Medersa Mir I Arab

HEMIS_160033Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Medersa Mir I Arab

HEMIS_160034Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Medersa Mir I Arab

HEMIS_160045Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the mausoleum Bakhaouddin Nakhchbandi (BakhaoutdinNaqchband)

HEMIS_160050Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the minaret Islom Huja and the mausoleumPakhlavan Mahmoud

HEMIS_160051Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, Ramparts of the Old Town

HEMIS_160052Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, panorama from the Kukhna Ark, view of the ramparts

HEMIS_160054Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the mausoleum Pahlavon Mohammed (PakhlavanMahmoud)

HEMIS_160055Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, Merdersa Mohammed Rakhim Khan and the minaretJuma

HEMIS_160057 : Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the Tosh Khovli (Tach Khaouli) palace

HEMIS_160056Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the Medersa Mohammed Rakhim Khan

HEMIS_160059Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, Medersa Mohammed Rakhim Khan

HEMIS_160062Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the Medersa Mohammed Rakhim Khan

HEMIS_160064Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, panorama from the minaret Islom Huja

HEMIS_160065Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, panorama from the minaret Islom Huja

HEMIS_160066Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, entrance of the mosque Juma

HEMIS_160072Uzbekistan, Chakhrisabz, the Dorous Siadat, the tomb of Jehangir

HEMIS_160075Uzbekistan, the road between Chakhrisabz and Samarkand

HEMIS_160085Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Reghistan, Medersa Chir Dor

HEMIS_160088Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the Reghistan

HEMIS_160090Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the Shah i Zinda necropolis

HEMIS_160096Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the Shah i Zinda necropolis

HEMIS_160099 : Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Shah i Zinda necropolis

HEMIS_160101Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Medersa Mir I Arab seen from the top of minaret Kalon

HEMIS_160102Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Medersa Mir I Arab, seen down from the minaret Kalon

HEMIS_160104Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Medersa Mir I Arab

HEMIS_160110Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Ark fortress

HEMIS_160366Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the West door (or Ota Darvoza)

HEMIS_160371Uzbekistan, Khiva, Ichon Qala, the Medersa Mohammed Rakhim Khan

HEMIS_160384Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Medersa Mir i Arab

HEMIS_160387Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the mausoleum of Ismail Samani

HEMIS_160395Uzbekistan, Bukhara, the Kalon mosque

HEMIS_160400Uzbekistan, Bukhara, a workshop of embroidery in the old town

HEMIS_160406Uzbekistan, Bukhara, portraits of children

HEMIS_160411Uzbekistan, Chakhrisabz, bread saleswomen at the market of Tchorsou

HEMIS_160412 : Uzbekistan, Chakhrisabz, portrait at the Tchorsou market

HEMIS_160416Uzbekistan, Chakhrisabz, the complex Khazrati Imam, the mosque

HEMIS_160421Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the market with the mosque of Bibi Bibi Khanoum in thebackground

HEMIS_160426Uzbekistan, Samarkand, painting of Babour, which proclaimed himself a descendantof Genghis Khan

HEMIS_160428Uzbekistan, Samarkand, miniature

HEMIS_160433Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the medersa of Ulug Beg

HEMIS_160438Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the Shah i Zinda necropolis

HEMIS_160439Uzbekistan, Samarkand, the Gur Emir mausoleum

HEMIS_160441Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Marguilan, the market

HEMIS_160456Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Margilan, the Yodgorlik silk factory

HEMIS_160458Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Margilan, the Yodgorlik silk factory

HEMIS_160460Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Andijan, the market (bazaar)

HEMIS_160463Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Namangan, portrait of woman

HEMIS_160473 : Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Kokand, hot summer evening

HEMIS_160471Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Kokand, in summer the children jump in the fountains

HEMIS_160475Uzbekistan, Ferghana valley, Kokand, islamic education in the medersa NarboutaBey

HEMIS_160477Uzbekistan, Tachkent, remain of the soviet period

HEMIS_160481Uzbekistan, Tachkent, downtown

HEMIS_160488Uzbekistan, Tachkent, the entry of the subway Khalklar Dustigli

HEMIS_160490Uzbekistan, Tachkent, the mosque Juma in the old town

HEMIS_160498Uzbekistan, Tachkent, the orthodox cathedral