Farflungistan

Old habits die hard in Leninabad

farflungistan — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:32:14 +0000

The Panjshanbe Bazaar is more of a reflection of Leninabad times than of the Silk Road Era long before it. There is an overwhelming selection of dried fruits, nuts, candies in the main building. It’s the first stop for anyone … Continue reading →

Birds in Flight

farflungistan — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:49:20 +0000

Across from the Panjshanbe Bazaar lies the Mausoleum of Sheikh Muslihiddi who was known to be a holy miracle worker in ancient times. Mongol invaders destroyed the city as well as the mausoleum in the early 13th century. The … Continue reading →

Stuck in time

farflungistan — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:44:32 +0000

Russia rolled into this region in the late 1800′s, embraced it with Soviet style reforms and began calling it Leninabad in 1939. Much of the city’s Soviet period architecture is a fading reminder of the last economic boom this city … Continue reading →

Duality

farflungistan — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:33:26 +0000

Timur’s scholarly grandson, Ulugh Beg, was more interested in the stars above then following in his grandfathers footsteps in the battlefields below. His life’s ambition was to make his city of Samarkand the center of Islamic education and did this … Continue reading →

Diary of a Madman

farflungistan — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:10:39 +0000

History, largely written by conquerors, depends on what side of it you’re on. How are you remembered Timur? A military genius who was fluent in Persian, Mongolian, and Turkic? A blood thirsty butcher responsible for the death of 5% (at … Continue reading →

The World Shall Tremble

farflungistan — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:03:54 +0000

Ambitious warlord, patron of the arts and or just a bloodthirsty and vengeful tyrant? Timur the Great or Timur the Terrible. His reign centered here in Samarkand where many still revere him. He now lays to rest under a tombstone … Continue reading →

Color Blind

farflungistan — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:34:53 +0000

I’ve always been entranced by the vibrate tile work exteriors on historic buildings across much of Central Asia and Iran. But why so much blue? Isn’t green the color of Islam? Turns out that in many cultures and languages, there … Continue reading →

Carbon Copy

farflungistan — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:35:20 +0000

Partially restored tiles from the Kuhna Ark in Khiva, Uzbekistan. Before or after? Which do you prefer? Filed under: Central Asia, Khiva, Uzbekistan Tagged: Central Asia, Khiva, Kuhna Ark, Silk Road, Uzbekistan

The Ties that Bind

farflungistan — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:00:26 +0000

On the streets of old Khiva Filed under: Central Asia, Khiva, Silk Road, Uzbekistan Tagged: Central Asia, Khiva, Silk Road, Uzbekistan

It’s the Thought that Counts

farflungistan — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:51:57 +0000

Zakāt, or giving alms, is an important part of of many religions and cultures and is frequently left on tombs of historic figures throughout Central Asia. 200 Uzbek Som (UZS), the 3rd largest bill of the state, is worth about … Continue reading →

Parachute of Stars

farflungistan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:01:23 +0000

Details in the ornate overload of Isfandiyar Palace, Khiva. Filed under: Central Asia, Khiva, Silk Road, Uzbekistan Tagged: Central Asia, Isfandiyar Palace, Khan Muhammad Rakhim II, Khiva, Silk Road, Uzbekistan

Time Rocket

farflungistan — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:07:19 +0000

The area around Dishon-Qala in Khiva is ubiquitous Central Asia: every view contains layers of history to be sifted through at any moment. What arrests your vision first? The ancient fortress in the background? Perhaps the playground with prominent Soviet … Continue reading →

The Folly of Man

farflungistan — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:28:47 +0000

Old ships rest on the bottom of what was once the harbor in Moynaq, Karakalpakstan. The Aral Sea has retreated hundreds of kilometers to the north leaving a vast seabed exposed to the blazing sun in its wake. When will … Continue reading →

Unfinished Business

farflungistan — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:11:17 +0000

The 19th century Kalta Minor minaret stands magnificently in the afternoon sunlight. Its architect, having completed only 26 meters of the structure, fled after fearing that he was going to be put to death by the Khan. As good excuse … Continue reading →

Reticulum of Light

farflungistan — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:43:41 +0000

Filed under: Konye Urgench, Turkmenistan Tagged: Central Asia, Konye Urgench, Silk Road, Temur, Timur, Turkmenistan

Dreaming Under a Multitude of Stars

farflungistan — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:44:34 +0000

Konye-Urgench (“Old Urgench”), once one of the greatest cities on the Silk Road, was the architectural inspiration for much of the region until it was finally laid waste by Timur in the fourteenth century. The hypnotically elaborate facades of this … Continue reading →

In the Light

farflungistan — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:33:11 +0000

Darkness envelopes the cool desert night with only the flickering of the crater to guide our way. Filed under: Darvaza Gas Craters, Turkmenistan Tagged: Central Asia, Darvasa, Darvaza, Gas Crater, Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan

Into the Realm of Hephaestus

farflungistan — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:00:40 +0000

Filed under: Central Asia, Darvaza Gas Craters, Turkmenistan Tagged: Central Asia, Darvasa, Darvaza, Gas Crater, Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan

Riding on the Edge of the Abyss

farflungistan — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 02:54:27 +0000

Our Land Rover sits a little too close for comfort on the very edge of one of the ‘mud holes’ at Dervaza (Turkic for “The Gate”) on the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border. These enormous sinkholes go down for hundreds of meters and … Continue reading →

Oasis of Sand

farflungistan — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:13:50 +0000

The ancient Silk Road city of Merv in the Karakum desert (Turkic for “Black Sand”) reminds me of a bit of the fate of ancient Carthage. Tracing its origins to the 3rd century BC, it was the largest city in … Continue reading →