Samarkand always seems such an exotic name, conjuring up pictures in my mind of ancient legends and fairy tales merging into history - Sheherazade, Ghengis Khan, Alexander the Great. Yet, until this card arrived, it didn't seem a real place and I couldn't in all honesty say where it was.
Samarkand is the second largest city in Uzbekistan. It is on the Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting eat and west, and it's 2,750 years old. It is a centre for Islamic scholarly study.
The picture shows the Sher-Dor Madrasah (Lions Gate), part of the ancient centre of the city.
Islamic architecture is all together very inspiring, although the message that resides behind closed doors is even more odd. I think I've seen this structure before, it's tends to stick out in my mind for some reason.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so exotic and beautiful!!
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