The Saar Loop lies in the border triangle, Germany, France, and Luxembourg. A year ago, we met Eithne Treanor on our trip to Tajikistan. Already at that time, we agreed that we wanted to meet again. Eithne is Irish but lives in Dubai. On the way to her homeland, she made a stopover in Luxembourg […]
By High-Speed Train from Samarkand to Tashkent
Our stay in Central Asia comes to an end. We take the high-speed train to Tashkent and spend the night there. The next day we fly back to Germany very early in the morning. Since 2013, the high-speed train manages the 344 km long route from Samarkand to Tashkent within 2 hours and 8 minutes. […]
Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siyob Bazaar
Bibi-Khanym Mosque Amir Timur shaped the cityscape of Samarkand like no other, so it is not surprising that he had the Bibi-Khanym Mosque built. With the order for the construction of the mosque in 1399, Timur wanted to award a sign of his power in Samarkand. During the following years, Timur was mostly away on […]
Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand
The Afrasiab Museum lies on the terrain of the ancient settlement Afrasiyab, founded approximately 2750 years ago. It bears the name of Afrasiab. He was the mythical king of Turan, the country of origin of the Turks in Central Asia. The troops of Genghis Khan destroyed the town in the first half of the 13th […]
Once the best paper in the world
Not only scientific pioneering achievements, as in the area of astronomy, were accomplished in Samarkand. The paper production was also renowned worldwide. In 751 Chinese soldiers penetrated towards west. Abu Muslim defeated them and returned home with 20,000 prisoners of war. To save their lives, they revealed the Chinese secret of paper production and educated […]
Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand
The Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand is the visible proof of how far Central Asia was scientifically ahead of the Western world. Ulugh Beg was one of the grandsons of the founder of the Timurid Empire Amir Temur. His father Shah-Ruchs prevailed in the riots around the throne succession and made Herat the new capital. […]