Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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400 m
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0.2 miles
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Umar Bank;
(4km);
(4km)
(4km)
Afrosiab Museum
(800m); Tomb of the Old
Testament Prophet Daniel
(1.5km)
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Ulugbek Marshrutka
Stop (1.9km)
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£
OLD TOWN
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66
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Afrosiab
Site
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Toshkent
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42
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ú
47
þ
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Samarkand-Bukhara
Silk Carpets (50m)
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OLD JEWISH
QUARTER
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4
ï
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à
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lm
ò
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Amphitheatre
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h
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˜
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32
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Urgut
(40km)
OLD TOWN
5
Hodja Abdi Darun
Mausoleum (50m);
Ishratkhana
Mausoleum (50m)
7
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ß
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The three grand edifices here are among
the world's oldest preserved medressas, any-
thing older having been destroyed by Ching-
gis Khan. They have taken their knocks over
the years courtesy of the frequent earth-
quakes that buffet the region; that they are
still standing is a testament to the incredible
craftsmanship of their builders. The Soviets,
to their credit, worked feverishly to restore
these beleaguered treasures, but they also
took some questionable liberties, such as the
capricious addition of a blue outer dome to
the Tilla-Kari Medressa. For an idea of just
how ruined the medressas were at the start
1
Old Town
The¨Registan¨
PLAZA
(cnr Registan & Toshkent; admission 14,400S;
h
9am-8pm Apr-oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar)
This
ensemble of majestic, tilting medressas - a
near-overload of majolica, azure mosaics
and vast, well-proportioned spaces - is the
centrepiece of the city, and arguably the
most awesome single sight in Central Asia.
The Registan, which translates to 'Sandy
Place' in Tajik, was medieval Samarkand's
commercial centre and the plaza was prob-
ably a wall-to-wall bazaar.
