SAMARKHAND STONE FORT

Dengan Nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Pengasihani

Assalamualaikum,

Samarkand - 3J perjalanan dengan keretapi daripada Bukhara. Tambang ialah USD 20 untuk perjalanan siang kelas dua. Merentasi padang pasir tandus dengan berlatar belakangkan, gunung, kawasan ternakan,

Bukhara Train Station

perkampungan, tasik dan sungai-sungai kecil.  Sekali sekala keretapi berhenti, menurun dan menaikan penumpang. Rumah-rumah tanah liat dan pokok-pokok buah-buahan dimana-mana dikawasan-kawasan perumahan.  Seperti epal, anggor, rock water melon, tembikai dan sebagainya.

Ternakan bebiri, kuda disepanjang perjalanan, samaada dalam kumpulan yang besar dan kecil. Jam 12.30pm ZBA sampai di Samarkhand.  Cuaca agak panas tetapi tiupan angin sejuk menyebabkan cuaca berada disekitar 18C. 

Perjalanan Keretapi Bukhara ke Samarkhand

Stesyen keretapi berada dipinggir bandar dan terletak 3 km ke pusat bandar lama Samarkhand.  Bus dan teksi adalah pengangkutan utama tetapi daripada bandar lama ke lokasi tumpuan pelancung cuma dalam jarak berjalan kaki. 

Samarkhand– the second greatest city of Uzbekistan, the center of Samarkand region. In ancient times city was called as Marakand – capital of tiap Sogdiana. The origin of the name of the city is still unknown. It is supposed that the word

“Samar” is a nakhandme of one conqueror, and prefix “kand” means “the city”, “settlement”. Abu-Raykhan Beruni and Makhmud Kashgari, great scholars of XI century, held opinion that etymology of the word “Samarkand” came

World song festival Samarkhad 2015

from “semizkent” – “rich population”.  In 2001, Samarkand was enlisted into the World Heritage List of UNESCO. In 2008, Uzbek astronomers discovered small planet with the period of circulation around the Sun about four years and in 2010 it was officially

included into the International Catalogue of small planets under the number 210271, — this planet was called as “Samarkand”. 

Population is 366 thousand people — Tajiks, Uzbeks, Russian, Jewish and Iranians. 

Official age of the city is 2700 years beginning from the first mentioning in the historical chronicles in 329 BC. But by that time, in the period when Alexander Makedonskiy conquered Samarkand, the city was well strengthened and had rich population, that’s why; it is supposed that the city is older enough. Excavations in the territory of Samarkand certify that from time immemorial people lived in this place thanks to its extremely beneficial geographical location, fresh climate and water source – it was an ideal place for living. Many parts of Avesto, ancient book of Zaroastrians were written in the territory of Samarkand.

Samarkand, and despite the period of obscurantism the city preserved monuments of architecture of various religions. Modern Samarkand treats the representatives of various confessions with care. Besides traditional mosques there are 4 Orthodox churches, 1 Catholic Cathedral, 2 synagogues, 1

Buddhist temple, and prayers-houses of various religion currents. Samarkand, one of the most important geographic key points of Great Silk Road, imbibed many cultures, traditions and art, gathered the most leading masters of the Middle Age. All these were transformed in the

amazing and beautiful monuments of architecture, which still admire the people. When Europe waded through mud on the streets of its cities, Samarkand was paved with stones. Before invasion of Genghizhan people of Samarkand used water supply system while the source of water in many European cities was still the well.

Samarkand is the city of legend, and its stones and walls are like live pages of history, which can be looked through endlessly. Name of Samarkand is connected with the greatest scholars and poets of the Middle Age as Rudakiy, Alisher Navoi, Jamiy, Zahiri Samarkandiy, Ulugbek, Omar Khayam, Avicenna, Rumiy, Beruniy and many others who lighted up the city to all around the world.

Registan Square (Pearl of Central Asia)

Bibi Khonym Mosque

Samarkhan.  Tidak ada metro.  Bas kontot - kontot dengan manusia bergayutan. Teksi, sebagaimana pembaca sedia maklum.  Cekek darah.  Penginapan tidak berapa sukar tetapi agak mahal jika dibandingkan standard mereka dengan negara-negara lain.  

Sebagai makluman, semua hotel-hotel di Uzbekistan kena "sign in" dan ambil resip sebelum keluar daripada hotel.  Ini bertujuan untuk pemeriksaan  pihak Imigresen sebelum meninggalkan Uzbekistan. 

Berbalik kepada lokasi yang menjadi tumpuan ramai, sebenarnya berada dalam lingkungan 3-4 km berjalan kaki. Itu pun terpulang kepada jarak hotel penginapan.  Jika sekiranya kita berada didaerah Reghistan bermakna kita berada di pusat bandar Samarkhand. Tiada masalah untuk berjalan kaki kemana sahaja. Walau bagaimana pun kepada sesiapa yang berhajat untuk mengunjungi Makam Al-Iman

Muhammad Ismail Bukhari (Imam Bukhari) perlu menyewa teksi sekitar USD 15 pulang pergi kerana lokasi makam tersebut berada 41 km di luar bandar Samarkhand. Terdapat juga bas awam tetapi sukar untuk menentukan waktu perjalanan dan pertukaran bas dalam perjalanan.

Daerah Reghistan, terletaknya satu khazanah ternilai di Samarkhand dikenali sebagai "Madrassah Tilly-Kori".  Amat cantik sekali seni bina bangunan berkenaan. Kagum dengan seni bina zaman dahulu kala malah tidak

luntur dek cuaca walau pun sudah ratusan tahun. Bangga dengan kekuatan dan penyebaran Islam dikala itu. Tapi sayang setelah penjajahan puluhan tahun oleh Rusia keatas Uzbekistan, tanda-tanda kebangkitan semula Islam samar-samar dengan pengaroh modenisasi sekarang.

Perjalanan masih jauh. ZBA meninggalkan Samarkhand dalam kenangan yang sukar dilupakan sebagai seorang Muslim. Bandar ini diterokai selama 3H/2M dan perjalanan seterunya ialah Tashkent. Seawal jam 0100 am, perlahan-lahan keretapi malam tempat tidur bergerak menembusi cuaca sejuk dengan dengkuran keletihan menamatkan episod cerita berkenaan "Stone Fort" yang bersejarah.

THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE OF

SAMARKHAND

TASHKENT STONE CITY

Dengan Nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Pengasihani

Assalamualaikum,

Tashkent berkeluasan 334.8km persegi  dengan populasi 2.7J penduduk dan merupakan capitol city Republik ofUzbekistan. Pusat pentadbiran bagi Tashkent region. Merupakan bandar terbesar di Central

Tashkent Railways Station

Asia mengikut jumlah penduduk. Menjadi hub kepada penerbangan, keretapi, politik, ekonomi, kebudayaan dan sebagainya.

Tashkent dibahagikan kepada 11  administrative districts mengandungi : Bektemir, Mirzo-Ulugbek, Mirabad, Almazar, Sergeli, Uchtepa, Hamza, Chilanzar, Shaihantahur, Yunusabad, Yakkasaray. 

Transport services in modern Tashkent are provided to the public by 6 types of transportation. Buses, microbuses, taxi, tram, metro and trolleybuses.  

The Tashkent railway links distant country regions with the center as well as provides access to the international transport network.

There is an international airport in the city called “Tashkent International Airport”. 

Only some historical buildings of ancient Tashkent survived including mosques and mausoleums. However, the Old City, or as it is called here Eski Shahar, still shows to visitors its labyrinth of narrow streets, not very high buildings, mosques and madrasahs (Moslem educational institutions). 

Hast-Imam Complek Tashkent

Among the best ancient architecture specimen there are Sheyhataur ensemble consisting of three mausoleums such as Yunus-Khan (15^th century), Sheyhataur (15-19^th centuries) and

Kaldirgach-Biy (15^th century) with its famous dodecagonal pyramidal cupolas as well as Zaynutdin-Bob mausoleum (16^th century), Sufi-Ota mausoleum (16^th century) and

Hazrati-Imam architectural ensemble (16^th century). Of the worship constructions some remained including still operatingmadrasah Kukeldash (15^th century, restored recently), Abdul-Kasym-Eshon

madrasah (16-19^th centuries) andHast-Imam ensemble with Barak-Khan madrasah (16-17^th centuries, foundation of 15^th century) and institute of Al-Bukhari inside it, as well as Kaffali-

Shash mausoleum (15^th century). Other interesting places include such mosques as Jami (JUma, 16^th century), Mirza-

Yusuf (19^th century), Hayrabat-Eshon (18-19^th century) andSheyh-Tilla on the square of Hast-Imam. In Tashkent there are also some orthodox temples, nunnery and churches, and even Polish Roman Catholic Church: toleration of local rulers has always been known far outside the nation. 

Amir Temur.  Uzbekistan Hero.

Today Tashkent, a capital of Uzbekistan, is a national center of culture. There are 9 theaters, Conservatory, various museums such as Art Museum of Uzbekistan, Museum of Uzbekistan History, Museum of Amir Temur. You can have a rest in shady gardens with incredibly wonderful fountains, or in concert and exhibition halls, stadiums, swimming pools, libraries or parks.

There are many museums in Tashkent, the most interesting

Hast-Imam.  One of the beautiful Mosque in Tashkent. 

ones are The State Art Museum with an extensive collection of pictures, ceramics, royal regalia and “suzani”

(“suzane,” embroidered decorative pictures of Persian style), the State Library, new Museum of Amir Temur, Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan (started in 1937, about 30 thousand specimen of handicraft wares and jewelries), the

Literature Museum, the Museum of railway history and many others. Separate attention should be paid to the world’s famous Alisher Navoi Theater of Opera and Ballet with a beautiful plaza in front of it, Conservatory, 9 theaters and many other culture and education institutions.

Tashkent always welcomes its guests. It hosts an array of international meetings, symposiums, conferences and festivals.  

New and beautiful National Mosque in Tashkent

Selain melawat ke "Kota Batu" Tashkent, satu lagi tempat menarik yang wajar dilawati ialah "Chorsu Bazaar".  Terletak ditengah-tengah "Old Market" dan terletak 50M daripada metro station.

Chorsu Bazaar is located behind a distinctly looking 16th century Kukeldash Madrassah and the Friday Mosque in Tashkent.

For many centuries Chorsu bazaar have been one of the busiest bazaars in Central Asia, since it is located on the Silk route. The location hasn’t changed in all these years but the old buildings have been replaced by modern ones. But here, locals still source for spices, vegetables, dried fruits, traditional and modern apparel, including carpets.

This world-famous bazaar specializes in everything from jewelry, ceramics, pottery, national costumes, housewares and much-more. It is always bustling and well worth visit even if you do not intend to buy.

The Chorsu Bazaar has a vast open-air market where you’ll find carefully woven carpets sit next to glistening ceramics, which in turn are neighbors of shiny watermelons, plump raisins and juicy apricots.

Lots of kinds of spices! Ginger, and saffron, black pepper and more. Mountains of dried fruits are located under the big turquoise cupola. These are unusual but guaranteed-to-please gift for friends back home.

There are shoe stores and handicraft shops, stalls that sell traditional clothes and row after row of stalls selling national tyuboteyka, the traditional Uzbek men’s cap. You’ll also find many choykhana or ‘tea houses’ where you can stop to have a hot tea and shashlyk kebabs.

Tentu sekali melihat kepada lingkaran makanan diatas, didalam benak kita akan berhenti sebentar dan mungkin yang sedang kelaparan akan hilang selera.  Berbentuk seakan sosage dan saiznya sebesar lengan kanak-kanak. Dijual dimana-mana kerana itu merupakan salah satu makanan utama penduduk Uzbekistan.

Pokoknya makanan tersebut adalah "Halal" dan diperbuat daripada daging yang telah dikisar

dan dimasukan kedalam seolah olah uncang yang panjang. Direbus dan disejatkan dan sedia untuk disajikan.  Rasanya enak tetapi dagingnya sedikit kasar jika dibandingkan dengan daging lembu, ayam atau kambing.  Itu adalah "Daging Kuda". Enak dan menyelerakan. 

Tashkent adalah bandar utama "Sessi Merayap" ZBA di Uzbekistan dan ZBA tidak menghabiskan masa yang lama memadai dengan 4H/3M kerana ZBA akan kembali kesini semula selepas Bukhara dan Samarkhand.

HAPPY JOURNEY

THE GREAT SILK ROAD