Day 72

Carrying on from yesterday with some more photos from my time in Tajikistan, before moving onto some current in Kyrgyzstan.

 

Not much to see in Murghab but views good on the way. Had a great sauna at the hostel. Well bucket of hot water mixed with cold in a room that looked like a sauna !

From Alichur to Murghab in Tajikistan.

 

Continuing along the Pamir Highway with the mountains in the distance.

 

Very flat landscape until you meet the mountains.

 

Very peaceful and tranquil surroundings.

 

No sign of human inhabitants.

 

The calm river flowing through the natural terrain.

 

Fantastic untouched landscape.

 

Here I am !

 

Mr & Mrs.

 

From Murghab, Tajikistan to Karakul, Uzbekistan.


Filling up the water tank from the town pump.

 

Good job there is not a water shortage.

 

Words of encouragement being given to keep pumping, or was it pump harder ! Perhaps I am hallucinating, i’m seeing a piece of gym equipment here.

 

The local kids have probably seen outsiders using the town pump many times before, but given their expressions others have probably been better at.

 

Ever changing landscape once again. Dry atmosphere, and land.

 

Getting colder, and the weather looks like it changing.

 

Yep, still here. Can’t get rid of me that easily.

 

Still going up !

 


With Jane and Kiki.

 

Kiki with Lorna.

 

Girl power !

 

Mini group photo.

 

Group chilling, what else would you do in these surroundings.

 

Group photo.

 

Group photo.

 

Group photo.

 

Does this photo and the next 4 remind you of the opening scenes from a childrens cartoon ?

Countdown – 5

 

4

 

3

 

2

 

1

Cue the music !

 


Behind the fence is no mans land to China.

 

Inhospitable area.

 

Sun shinning on the mountains.

 

Shadows of the clouds on the mountains.

 

If you are surrounded by this all day, you would think that the whole world is like this.

 


My room for the night.

 

Very smartly dressed young lads.

 

Typical dwellings.

 

Solid metal gates.

 


For Dad and how they build walls out here.

 


The lake behind our homestay.

 

The way the mountains show through the snow in places makes them look quite intimidating.

 

Looks cold !

 

Sun reflecting on the clear water.

 

In winter this lake would be completely frozen over and probably able to walk on.

 

Relaxing in the sun.

 

This is about as close to the cold water I will be getting !

 

Despite the surroundings, short sleeve t-shirt.

 

Traditional music and folk dancing performed by the locals.

 

The folk dancing group.

 

Will being home-schooled.

 

Sun beginning to retreat for the night.

 

Nothing much to say about Osh except I had ribeye steak.

From Karakul, Uzbekistan to Osh, Kyrgyzstan.

 

Even from this distance the sheer height of the mountains gives the feel of being look down on.

 

Very unforgiving terrain off-road.

 

If you get lost here without navigational aids, it would be impossible to describe your position to anyone when one mountain looks exactly like the next.

 

The grass is more like that which is found in sand dunes, tougher than your usual garden grass.

 

Travelling along the Pamir Highway.

 

Kyrgyzstan man on horse.

 

The flag of Kyrgyzstan. Consists of a red field charged with a yellow sun that contains a depiction of a yurt.

 

From Osh to Toktogul.

 

Naryn river flowing through the Naryn Canyon.

 

Naryn river flowing through the Naryn Canyon.

 

Naryn river flowing through the Naryn Canyon.

 

Naryn river flowing through the Naryn Canyon.

 

Naryn river flowing through the Naryn Canyon.

 

Soviet era monument to World War II.

 

Soviet era monument to World War II. On top of the plinth is a 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3).

 

“менин токтогул” translated is “In my (heart) Toktogul”.

 

Colourfully painted vintage wooden bench swing with plastic corrugated sheet canopy.

 

Old memorial.

 

“стадион Олимпиада 80 ге арналат” translated is “Dedicated to the Olympic Stadium 80″ referring to the 1980 Olympics held in Moscow, Soviet Union – Now Russia. No Olympic events were held Kyrgyzstan.

 

Old abandoned Soviet era ferris wheel in Toktugul.

 

I guess the ferris wheel is a monument of sorts to the collapse of the USSR.

 

View across the countryside. Sky does not look good.

 

Clouds beginning to come down over the mountains in the distance.

 

Old Kyrgyzatan man squatting.

 

Another reference to the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

 

Ahhhh, that feels better !

 

Samarqand.

Registan Square.

 

Sher Dor Madrasah.

 

Tiled facade of the arched entrance to Sher Dor Madrasah.

 

Some sort of marker in the floor. I have seen something similar in Kunya Ark, Khiva (Day 53).

 

One of two domes at the Sher Dor Madrasah.

 

Ulugh Beg Madrasah.

 

Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Looking through stone trellis across the courtyard at Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Ceiling above the arched entrance at Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

An arch at Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

View within the courtyard of Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Traditional clothing for sale in the market.

 

Traditional clothing for sale in the market.

 

View within the courtyard of Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Patterned ceramic artwork.

 

A Dombra – wood string instrument being exhibited.

 

A Dutar – wood string instrument being exhibited.

 

Golden cupola of Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Decorative mosaic wall leading up to the golden cupola of Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Ceiling in Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Courtyard of the Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Tilya Kori Madrasah courtyard.

 

Visitors taking a rest on a traditional large bench in the Tilya Kori courtyard, which would normally be covered by rugs/matting.

 

Artwork on the inside Tilya Kori Madrasah dome.

 

Interior of the Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Me inside the Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Interior mosaic wall leading up to the inside of the dome at Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Interior of Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Interior of Tilya Kori Madrasah.

 

Kiki and Sew fan club.

 

Actors re-creating a scene at a madrasah.

 

Semi-captive audience for the actors.

 

Jane, Lorna, a photo bomber and Eirik in the audience.

 

Actor in character.

 

Yurt in the foreground. Bibi Khanym Mosque in the background.

 

Dome of Bibi Khanym Mosque.

 

Dome of Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

The side facade of the entrance to Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

A stone Koran stand.

 

A mosaic at Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

Bibi Khanyan Mosque dome.

 

Bibi Khanyan Mosque dome.

 

A stone Koran stand at Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

The Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

Original interior entrance ceiling in part of Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

Some areas of the Bibi Khanyan Mosque were restored during the Soviet era, obviously not this area.

 

Unrestored stone arch at Bibi Khanyan Mosque.

 

Part of an interior wall of Bibi Khanyan Mosque. Looks like an attempted restoration gone bad.

 

Hazrat Khizr mosque. Which has been rebuilt over the last couple of decades.

 

Introduction to the Shakhi Zinda mausoleum complex.

 

 

Tuglu Tekin Mausoleum in the Shakhi Zinda complex.

 

The two-dome mausoleum on Shakhi Zinda.

 

Decorative ceramic patterned tiles on the facade of a mausoleum entrance.

 

Detailed column at the entrance to one of the mausoleums within the Shakhi Zinda complex.

 

Pilgrims have left personal effects as offerings.

 

Shodi Mulk Oko Mausoleum within the Shakhi Zinda complex.

 

Decorative mosaic ceramic wall tile.

 

Tomb in one of the mausoleums within the Shakhi Zinda complex.

 

Decorative mosaic ceramic wall tiles.

 

Decorative mosaic ceramic wall tiles.

 

Side facade of Usto Ali Nesefi Mausoleum.

 

Introduction to the entrance gate to Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

The entrance gate to Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

Inside the Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

Interior of the mosque located next to Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

Chandelier in the Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

Decorated ceiling of Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

Man sitting on a wooden bench in the Kusam Ibn Abbas Mausoleum.

 

In the background is a dome of one of the mausoleums. In the foreground is a square containing tombs. To the right of the photo is an octagonal mausoleum.

 

Khoja-Ahmed Mausoleum.

 

Looking through a gap between mausoleums.

 

Through the archway leads to a passageway to the octagonal mausoleum.

 

Long flight of steps down from the Shakhi Zinda complex.

 

Entrance to the Amir Temur Mausoleum Complex.

 

The Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

The mausoleum complex is well maintained.

 

Picture of Amir Temur.

 

The illuminated facade with muqarna honeycomb in the Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

The sun reflecting off the black marble tomb of Amir Temur in the mausoleum.

 

The black marble tomb of Amir Temur surrounded by others from his dynasty.

 

Interior of the Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

Decorative mosaics on the wall of the Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

Looking up towards the dome of the Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

The illuminated facade with muqarna honeycomb in the Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

Arabic inscription on an interior wall at Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

The floor plan of the tomb arrangement for Amir Temur and others from his dynasty in the mausoleum.

 

The lighting within the mausoleum gives the appearance that all wall decorations are gold in colour, whereas it is a mixture of gold and blue.

 

Immense attention to detail when contructing the mausoleum.

 

Hand painted artwork of the interior.

 

You can see from the photo the painter has tried to ensure that lines and curves of the pattern are as near perfect identical when moving along the wall.

 

The end result of the painter’s hard work is a wall freeze.

 

The outside of the Amir Temur Mausoleum, and dome.

 

The outside of Amir Temur Mausoleum, and dome.

 

An old stone spiral staircase on the outside of Amir Temur Mausoleum.

 

Introduction to the Mirzo Ulugbek Museum Complex.

 

Statue of Mirzo Ulegbek.

 

Statue of Mirzo Ulegbek.

 

Decorative side wall of the Memorial Museum of Mirzo Ulegbek.

 

Mirzo Ulegbek Observatory.

 

Small group photo in front of statue of Mirzo Ulegbek

 

Taking a break at the Mirzo Ulegbek Museum.

 

Large flowering shrub in the grounds of the Mirzo Ulegbek Museum Complex.

 

Julie
Show Buttons
Hide Buttons