Mesmerizing Bukhara

  Today less story time but a post that will be more pleasing to the eye. We now spent almost two days in the city of Bukhara, in the middle of the desert in the south of Uzbekistan. A town on the middle of the Silk Road between Rome and Beijing, it has seen visitors from all over the world for centuries and has been plundered and changed rulers for about as many times as there are minarets here. From Alexander the Great, Persians and Ghenghis Khan to the Russians, the city has seen many different people and lots of hardship. Since the 8th century the religion here has been the Islam, and no one has managed to change that. Throughout time and thanks to the bustling trading economy on the middle of the Silk Road, a few Khans and emirs have attracted all sorts of scholars and bright minds to this oasis of knowledge and religion in the desert. This is evident by the many many gorgeous mosques and Madrassas (Islamic colleges), towering over the mud colored buildings with their walls beautifully decorated with mosaics inspired by astrology and geometry, topped with impressive, turquoise and blue domes.

Wanna be a millionaire? I'm holding about a little over a hundred euros in som...these big bundles of bills quickly get annoying

Tea time at the Silk Road Teahouse, where you don't just get a cup of tea but an assortment of local delicacies

The locals enjoying breakfast tea at 7 in the morning

Chor Minor - 4 minarets

Bolo Hauz mosque with impressive wooden beams

Colorful ceiling decorations of Bolo Hauz mosque

Lady Nurmi getting a pair of brand-spanking-new earrings

Lady Nurmi showing off those earrings

Friday night bustling with activity from the locals around Lyab-I-Hauz square

 

The unique walls of the Ark fortress

The entrance to the Ark

Inside the grand, gorgeous Kalon Mosque that was build to house the city's entire male population (over 10000 people)

 

Impressive..

 

 

Have I mentioned that it's pretty here?

Awesome tile works

Sunset rooftop dinner!

  We've drank lots of chai (tea), ate lots of non (bread) and try to escape the scorching, never ending heat especially in the middle of the day. Nevertheless everyone is dressed in long pants and dresses, and not many wear hats while drinking hot tea. People are religious, but not strictly so and dress pretty modern, many women without hijab and entering a mosque short sleeved or in shorts is also fine. There's not that many western tourists here, and quite a few people, old but mostly young wanna take pictures with us and exchange the few words of English they know. A few words of Uzbek, and greeting with the left hand on your heart 'Asalam aleikum' , will get you a long way. Bukhara is really a breathtakingly lovely city, with busy bazaars, exquisite Islam architecture and the turquoise domes towering above the skyline with splendor. It's a shame not more westerners know about or get to see it. Apparently Samarkand (the next city we visit) is even more grand.