Uzbekistan: Ulugh Beg and beyond

Registan Square

From Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, Uzbekistan has long been ruled by mighty generals who conquered vast lands that stretched from Asia to Africa and Europe.

The last great conqueror was Tamerlane (Timur), who died suddenly during a military campaign to China – at a ripe age of 69 – before he could appoint his successor. Needless to say, his military-minded sons fought for control and it was his grandson, Ulugh Beg, who brought power back to Samarkand. He was only a teenager at the time.

Tilya-Kori madrassah, Registan

ULUGH BEG
Ulugh Beg succeeded Timur, but unlike the great conqueror, Ulugh wasn’t a military man. He was a math genius, and a rare combination of a ruler who was also a teacher, astronomer and mathematician.

It’s thanks to him that Samarkand became a capital of learning. He built – and sometimes lectured at – the Ulugh Beg Madrassah (or ‘school’), which was a centre for astronomy and maths. Today, the madrassah stands in the restored Registan Square, and houses numerous souvenir and craft shops that occupy the former students’ dorm rooms. These days, the only maths you’ll practice is in honing your bartering skills.

Ulugh Beg madrassah

As an astute astronomer, he also built the Ulugh Beg Observatory – one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world at the time – and compiled one of the greatest star catalogues. He also determined the length of the year, which remains the most accurate measurement to date.

Unfortunately, geniuses don’t make great rulers, and in the end, he was beheaded by order of his own son. Today, you can still see Ulugh Beg’s tomb, buried at the foot of his granddad, Timur, in the Gur-e Emir mausoleum.

The iconic Hotel Uzbekistan

It wasn’t until the early 19th century that some semblance of a unified rule came over Central Asia, this time in the form of the Russian Empire.

TIME OF THE SOVIETS
By the Russian era in the late 19th century, plenty of Western-influenced buildings mushroomed around Uzbekistan. A new style – the Turkestan Colonial – was born, featuring bricked frontage, stucco mouldings and iron ornaments.

Tashkent replaced Samarkand as the capital, and in addition to vodka and the Russian language, iconic buildings like the Men and Women Gymnasiums, the Navoi Theatre and the Hotel Uzbekistan dominate the ‘new town’ area. If you like architecture with lots of geometric ornaments and concrete colours, Tashkent won’t disappoint.

Russian-styled

Another Russian influence is the construction of subways – until a few years ago, Tashkent is the only city in Central Asia with a subway network, the stations of which are all lavishly and thematically decorated (one of the stations is designed after a local cosmonaut).

Even after their independence in 1991, Uzbekistan still retains much of its beloved architecture.

PRESENT COMPANY
With this much history, one of the best places to experience Uzbekistan’s diversity is at Chorsu bazaar – the largest and oldest in the region. This spot has been a trading post since the time of the Silk Road, and today is a hodgepodge of cultures, foods and peoples over the centuries.

Vendors at Chorsu bazaar

People from neighbouring countries – Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan – settled here. Perhaps the strangest addition to the cultural heritage are the Koreans, who arrived here in the early 20th century and are more at home in Russian than Korean. Even their traditional foods – like kimchi – has been adapted into local Uzbek cuisine.

No matter who you meet – from Koreans to gold-teethed Uzbek ladies or blond Russians – a simple “Assalomu alaykum” is the universal greeting, a sign that while the people are varied in their backgrounds, their identity remains unanimously Uzbekistan.

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WANT MORE STORIES ON UZBEKISTAN? READ OUR “UZBEKISTAN: FROM GENGHIS KHAN TO TAMERLANE” STORY HERE.

Uzbekistan: From Genghis Khan to Tamerlane

Former dorm rooms at the Ulugh Beg madrassah

Words like ‘Arabian nights’, ‘Silk Road’ and ‘Soviet Union’ may seem like an odd combination, but Uzbekistan manages to package it all neatly.

Located along the legendary Silk Road, Uzbekistan’s ancient citadels like Samarkand and Bukhara conjure up images of Arabian caravanserais and rich cultural deposits in the forms of ornate madrassahs, mosques and minarets. Their vivid blue hues are still a subject of admiration – and worship – by the many visitors that come here.

Archetypal Russian architecture

Fast forward to early 20th century, and the Soviet influence brought them vodka, the Russian language and their archetypal linear concrete architecture. In Tashkent, you can see an odd marriage of blue-hued brick madrassahs that sit next to concrete slab buildings.

But if you can tear your eyes away from the manmade structures, you’ll find that the Uzbek people are just as interesting – and varied – as their cultural artefacts.

A COVETED LAND
If you’re a history buff, you’ll know that Uzbekistan has been coveted by famous generals and rulers over the centuries.

Uzbekistan’s strategic location along the legendary Silk Road that connected Asia to Europe made it an ideal stopover for merchants who traded their goods like silk, spices and tea. Today, the people in Uzbekistan are unanimously tea drinkers – a reminder of the Silk Road trade. What’s more, tea is free at any restaurant.

Roadside apple vendors

Another common practice is the art of bargaining, so feel free to haggle at bazaars, whether you’re looking for nuts, carpets, fruits or goat-hoofed knives. It’s a great way to interact with the locals.

Thanks to the wealth of trade cities like Samarkand and Bukhara, successions of empires – from the Persians to Alexander the Great and even Genghis Khan – took turns conquering the land. Their vast empires stretched into Asia, Africa and Europe, bringing together a melting pot of cultures and ethnicity (Alexander the Great famously made his generals marry locals to unify his land).

Many of their descendants today still carry on their mixed blood, creating that unique ‘Central Asian’ heritage.

Entrance to Gur-e Emir mausoleum

TAMERLANE
Generations after Genghis’ death in 1227, a local chieftain by the name of Timur emerged as the de facto ruler in the 1380s and proceeded to conquer more land – this time reaching as far as Russia, Turkey, Spain and India. He made Samarkand the centre of his empire, and while he may be a hardened general, he had a soft spot for the arts, and gathered numerous artisans and scholars to construct a range of religious and palatial architectural masterpieces at Samarkand and Bukhara.

Thanks to Timur, grand buildings like the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Gur-e Emir Mausoleum are now on every tourist’s must-see list. The mosque was dedicated to Timur’s favourite of 13 wives and legend has it that he used 95 elephants to haul the materials to build this gargantuan building, which was inspired by his Indian conquest. While hardly any part of the mosque is original today, the bazaar next door has changed little over 600 years.

Shah-i-Zinda necropolis

Another interesting site is the Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, which contains over 20 buildings built over 9 centuries – most of which was built during Timur’s time. This complex of mausoleums houses many of his relatives and military aristocrats, and when you climb the stairs up to the main complex, count the number of steps when you ascend and descend – popular belief is that if the numbers don’t match, it means you’ve sinned and atonement is in order.

Sher Dor Madrassah, Registan

While the central attraction of Samarkand – the Registan Square – was built after Timur’s death, it still bears the signature Timurid trademark of grand entrance arches embedded with bright blue mosaics and buildings topped with azure blue domes. They don’t call it Samarkand – which means ‘blue city’ – for nothing.

If these don’t blow your mind, the interiors feature elaborate domes fortified by muqarnas (Islamic stalactite-like cornices), all adorned with glittering gold.

The golden interior of Gur-e Emir

Known throughout history as Tamerlane (or Timur the Lame, thanks to a limp he had), he died trying to invade China without ever reaching it, and his body was brought back – embalmed by the Chinese – and buried in the Gur-e Emir mausoleum (or ‘Tomb of the Ruler’).

Today, under the richly-decorated central dome of the mausoleum, lies the tomb of Timur himself, which is made entirely of jade and bears the carved inscription (or warning) “When I rise, the world will tremble”. Legend has it that when the Soviets opened the tomb to exhume his remains, WWII began the next day.

TO BE CONTINUED…
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Jewel of Samarkand

Sher-Dor Madrassah

Located within Samarkand’s Registan Square, the 17th century Sher-Dor Madrassah is decorated with bright ornaments of glazed brick; its walls and towers are clad with countless flower patterns and quotations from the Koran in Arabic. It has been restored many times during its existence, and today this UNESCO World Heritage-listed building is one of Samarkand’s (and Uzbekistan’s) main sights.