May 18, 2025
18May2025
I started my rest day with a hearty breakfast in the lovely Sangzor Hotel, where I had spent the night. Then I made my way down to the starting point of a 2 hour guided city tour which proved interesting and educational. The tour covered all the major Samankand monuments including Amir Temur's mausoleum, the magnificent madarasahs of Registan Square, the gigantic Bibi-Kanynm mosque (built by Amir Temur to celebrate his conquering of India up to Delhi!). Amir Temur was the much loved Uzbeck king in the 14th century who extended the Uzbeck empire from Constantinople (Istanbul) in the West to Delhi in the East. He ruled with an iron fist, was loved by many and loathed by as many. He was instrumental in making Samarkand the learning centre of the 14th century world, and Registan Square was where the madarasahs were built to educate those fortunate enough to be able to afford the tuition. Within those walls, mathematics, calculus, astronomy, medicine, architecture, engineering, islam and other subjects were taught in a systematic curriculum in a defined academic year, by teachers from as far away as India, China and Iran. Much of the wisdom that scientists like Einstein and Newton declare to have come from "giants before them" would have been inspired here in Samarkand. The tour ended in a local market, after which I returned to the hotel to do some trip admin and bike cleaning. A clean bike is a happy bike :-) In the evening Ed arrived! We had an enjoyable dinner together, caught up on our respective journeys and planned a possible ride into Osh together in a few days time. Tomorrow I resumed my journey East towards Tashkent.
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