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| To feast one's eyes on beauty such as this is indeed a special treat. Uzbekistan had long been on my list of places to visit and naturally the legenday cities of Samarkand and Bukhara were the drivers of my desire to go there |
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One
of the buildings facing the pool, built in the late 16th, early
17th century |
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Some
of the Uzbek carpets for sale in Bukhara. The patterns are different than of
those made in Turkmenistan, which are strictly and traditionally
confined to specific tribal symbols only |
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| A restored pool. Once there were many such pools and canals around the city, all used as center of community life and for washing. In the end, since the water was never changed, they became the source of frequent plagues and a tremendous health hazard to the entire city's population. The Soviets finally filled them all in. While doing wonders for the health of the human population, they destroyed the foodsource of the great storks that used to live all over the old town, leaving only their long abandoned nests to appear often as grotesque mounds on roof tops and minarets |
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Giggly
and happy, Gay and a Bukhara buddy she's just met |
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Some
of the relentless and indefatigable sales teams working the
tourists around the minaret. They all sell the little Uzbek hats, even
if you're already wearing one. Their English is good enough for the job,
and their enthusiasm seems boundless (more recipients of little gifts
from me). |
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Close-ups reveal the incredibly detailed and highly skilled workmanship |
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Grandiose,
yet visibly deteriorating, artwork on one of the "lesser" structures
in Bukhara. What a loss |
