Our third day in Uzbekistan is dedicated to the discovery of Bukhara before heading to Samarkand. The city of Bukhara is famous for the Silk Road, and has a rich history. Invaded many times, it has however preserved and maintained many of its buildings.
The old city of Bukhara
Although most of the city’s monuments have been restored, it is still possible to see original buildings. It may be a seraglio caravan, the tiles of which have all fallen over the years. Or an ancient wooden porch around a lane. The traces of the past are alive here. They also make it possible to appreciate the quality of the work of restoring the other monuments.
The mausoleum of the Samanids
It is in a park with a stretch of water that highlights it particularly, that we can come and admire this monument. Only built of bricks and with an interior stripped of any ornament, it is its external aspect which makes it so particular. Indeed, the arrangement of the bricks is supposed to imitate the braiding of a basketry.
The market
Whatever the country, a market is always a place to go for a stroll. Indeed, if it can be an opportunity to bring back a souvenir, it is above all a wonderful opportunity to discover local life and its colors. Moreover, when we discovered Bukhara, it was the spices and seeds that caught our attention. The repetition of the patterns and the bright colors have a hypnotic effect which inexorably attracts the lens!
The fortress
For the regular French chateaux that I am, the most striking element of this citadel is its enclosure. Indeed, its bulging ramparts are particularly graceful compared to the simple vertical walls which generally constitute the French walls. We take the time to visit it because it is now a museum.
Mosque and Medersas
It is impossible to miss its essential buildings such as the medersas or the mosques in Uzbekistan. These are often open to the public, so we take the time to contemplate them. In particular the Bolo Khaouz mosque with its wooden pillars and its richly decorated interior or the great mosque (Kalon) with its huge interior courtyard.
Departure for Samarkand
At the end of the morning, we leave Bukhara to eat the national dish on the edge of the city. It is Osh or Plov in Russian. The latter is a dish made from rice and mutton, the exact recipe of which varies depending on the region. So the one we eat is prepared in a huge pot outside in front of the restaurant and it is excellent. We then hit the road. Then, we take advantage of a break to take a look at the source of the Seraglio caravan. We had seen it a few days earlier (Rabati Malik). Finally, we end up arriving in Samarkand, where we will just have time to dine and appreciate the Place du Réghistan at night, before joining the arms of Morpheus.
If you want to see the other days of this stay, find all our stories. This day will have taken us from the discovery of Bukhara to the city of Samarkand. Discover the secrets of these Silk Road cities with this trip too (in french though).
