Imbued with that quintessential mix of exotic Central Asian grandeur and unrivalled beauty, along with being important pit stop on the ancient Silk Road, Samarkand is one of Uzbekistan’s greatest cities.
By Raul Dias
For most travellers to Uzbekistan—that elusive, exotically uncharted, former USSR country nestled in the very core of Central Asia—the historic city of Samarkand is one of the first places they visit. But not me. Saving the grandest city in Uzbekistan on my week-long travel itinerary for last, Samarkand with its world-class monuments and unrivalled hospitality proved to be the proverbial cherry on my Uzbekistan trip’s cake! A city so alluring that I actually came back to it the same day I left it. Confused? More on that a little later...
Taking the evening Afrosiyob bullet train from another Uzbek cultural stronghold, aka. the city of Bukhara, en route to my hotel in the heart of Samarkand, I was rewarded with the sight of the greatest of all the city’s calling cards—Registan—bathed blushing pink in the soft light of the setting sun. But I’d have to wait till the next morning for a proper introduction.
Monumental Brilliance
Named just like the Hindi word for desert, the Registan Square is undoubtedly one of world’s most beautiful squares. No wonder it is called the pearl of Central Asia. The square consists of three buildings that form a part of the beautiful architectural ensemble that it is. The Ulugbek Madrasah, the Sherdor Madrasah and the Tillya-Kari Madrasah attract scores of tourists and newlywed Uzbeks who come here to take their wedding pictures with the gorgeous turquoise tiled backdrop of the madrasahs.
The day I was there, I happened to chance upon five wedding parties jostling for that perfect frame in front of the majestic monument. All caught in a blinding flurry of white tulle with the heady fumes of incense and perfume swirling around.
A short walk away, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum was next. As the family vault of Uzbekistan’s greatest hero, the Turco-Mongol conqueror Amir Temur and his heirs, it was built in 1404. Interestingly, I was soon met by a rather chatty security guard, who, on learning I was from India, told me that it is believed to be a prototype for two well-known Indian monuments: the Humayun Mausoleum in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Touché.
Call me morbid, but I simply had to visit the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and one of Samarkand’s most mysterious and inimitable architectural gems. This tomb complex is a unique one consisting of eleven dazzling shrines covered in the typically Central Asian turquoise porcelain tiles, each dedicated to a noble man or woman, including Kusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. A short walk from the complex, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque is the well-preserved cathedral mosque that according to a legend was named after Amir Temur’s beloved wife.
Flavours Exotic
All that walking about simply had to be rewarded with a meal. And so, off I was to the compact Siyob Bazaar that sits adjacent to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The main, covered section of the market is divided into various sections selling meat, pickles, fruits, vegetables, and dairy along with the salty sheep’s milk cheese called kurt. The perimeter of the market is lined with bakers selling round loaves of bread from tiny little prams. Called non, these breads are a Samarkand specialty that both locals and visitors love to munch on as they shop.
As for me, I kick-started my foodie innings with a juicy lamb and onion somsa—which is similar to an Indian samosa, but with a flaky, puff pastry shell—that I bought from a small hole-in-the-wall shop lining the main market area. This section also houses several souvenir shops selling everything from beautiful ikat printed winter jackets to Russian fur hats called ushankas to beautiful ikat printed platters called a lagan, one of which I am now the proud owner of!
For mains, I wolfed down a plate of fragrant plov or osh at a nondescript market café. Very similar to a spice-bereft biryani, where cumin-dusted pieces of lamb are stewed with sweetened carrots and rice, the plov is served with boiled chickpeas and slices of horsemeat sausage called kazi that I actually loved the taste of. This was then washed down with a salty lassi-like yogurt drink called ayran.
Encore Worthy!
There’s a famous proverb in Uzbek that when translated into English says “leave alone one trip, even one lifetime isn’t enough to truly appreciate the beauty of Samarkand”. When I first heard of it, I brushed it aside like one often does of similar sayings with a chuckle. But little did I know that I’d be given a dose of it all too soon.
Scrambling to take the same Afrosiyob bullet train to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent where I was to board my flight back home, I bid Samarkand a hasty adieu at its spotlessly clean train station. Clutching in my arms several packed non breads to give as edible souvenirs to friends and family, I boarded the train and managed to make it to Tashkent in time to catch what was to be my direct, non-stop flight to Mumbai.
And while Mumbai was ultimately my final destination, a medical emergency on board half an hour into the flight had us make an hour-long stop en route to... yes, guessed right—Samarkand. A city that apparently couldn’t have enough of me, and I, enough of it!
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the March 2021 issue Business Line newspaper's BLink section online https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/samarkand-shines-bright/article34004238.ece)
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