Samarkand Off The Beaten Path

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How many times have I typed this as I've written about the craft traditions of Uzbekistan? "Soviet rule saw the demise of the ancient art of ....... With the help of UNESCO it is slowly being revived" . Now it's the turn of paper-making.

Uzbek poet, Alisher Navoi called paper "wings that spread around the thoughts of wise men". Long the secret of the Chinese, paper-making is first recorded in Samarakand in the 7thC CE and it was from Samarkand that the art spread through the Muslim world, taking just 50 years to reach Baghdad, and finally reaching Christian Europe (vis Muslim Spain) in the 14th C.

From the 7th to the 20th century, hundreds of paper-mills lined the rivers of the Zerafan Valley, but by the 1920s all were gone as new technologies took over. The first small step in reviving the craft has been taken by paper-master, Zarif Mukhtarov, with the construction of a traditional paper mill in a small village on the outskirts of the city. Mulberry bark provides the fibre, an ingenious system of simple water-driven machinery in an adapted rice mill is used to pound the stripped bark into the desired softness and a dedicated band of apprentices works with the master to create sheets of hand-made paper.

The paper-mill's homely farmyard is a tranquil spot, a nice break from city streets and grand monuments.

Konighil village lies ten kilometres from the centre of Samarkand, on the Bukhara road. Booking ahead is necessary - either via your hotel, tour agency or phoning (+ 998 662) 33 32 27

Of course tea will be served, and lunch or dinner can be arranged. It's also possible to arrange a practical session in paper-making.

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....there was Afrosiab, and, compared to Afrosiab, Samarkand, a mere 800 years old, is definitely the new kid on the block. Despite a presence in Central Asia that lasted 1800 years, all physical evidence of the Sogdians, the founders of Afrosiab (and a chain of city-states that dominated the region), lay buried beneath the mysterious grassy mounds that lay outside the newer city. It wasn't until Russian archaeologists began digging in those mounds in the 1880s that Afrosiab began to reveal its secrets and the long-lost Sogdians began to emerge.

And what an amazing city Afrosiab turned out to be. Beneath the thin crust of loess soil and sparse grass lay a city of an unimagined sophistication. Massive walls surrounded an orderly layout of streets and canals that divided the city into guzars - living and working quarters where the houses and artisan's workshops were supplied with water from local reservoirs. Temples and shrines indicate that Zoroastrianism, Nestorian and Manichean Christianity, Buddhism and local pagan cults were all practiced in an extraordinary tolerance of different faiths. The finds that indicate all this have found their way into museums - the best in St Petersburg it's true, but enough remain in Samarkand's Afrosiab museum to illustrate the wealth and culture that existed here for 1800 years.

The greatest treasures were revealed with the excavation of the citadel - frescoed walls of such vivid colour and lively character they immediately brought the court of the ruler to life. Again, the best were taken off to Russia but those that remain here are still quite entrancing, one depicting the arrival of a royal bride and all her entourage, another the king receiving gifts from foreign lands and a third a Chinese princess being rowed across a river.

Exposure to the air caused the frescoes to begin to fade almost immediately and that, combined with the necessary very low lighting in the gallery makes photography difficult. I have no doubt however, that it won't be long before no photography is allowed and the day may come when access to the real thing ceases and visitors can only see reproductions in an attempt to preserve these fragile masterpieces.

Visiting the museum first and seeing the artifacts and frescoes really helps put the site itself into perspective. Without that, and a good guide, it's just a vast hillocky wasteland. With a knowledgeable guide, the lumps and bumps take the shape of the ancient city and, maybe, reveal a tangible link to the past in the form of a shard or two of turquoise glazed pot with the unmistakeable pearly sheen of of long contact with the earth.

Museum open daily - 9-5.
Location: Tashkent road, 10-15 minutes walk north of the bazaar, about halfway between the bazaar and Ulugh Beg observatory

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...and, truth to tell, probably no Daniel either but local legend says that Temur brought the Old Testament prophet's remains back to Samarkand and had them buried on the slopes of ancient Afrosiab and, ever since, Muslim, Jewish and Christian pilgrims have come to the tomb to pray. That other places, notably Susa in Iran and Hillah in Iraq, also claim to be the lion-taming prophet's last resting place doesn't seem to worry anyone and there can be no doubt this shrine has an air of peaceful sanctity that speaks of centuries of deep faith witnessed here.

Old Testament prophets are renowned for their miraculous abilities and this Daniel - known locally as Khodja Doniyor - is no exception. The relic is encased in an 18 metre long sarcophagus, evidence it is said of the saint continuing to grow even after death. It's believed he will rise again when he reaches his final height - that's going to be quite a sight!

A narrow entrance leads through a short defile that opens into an open space beside a small stream. A steep flight of steps leads up to a second terrace where a nomad's horsetail grave marker hangs high above the mausoleum and a 500 year-old pistachio tree - itself said to have miraculously come back to life after being blessed by the Russian patriach. More steps behind the gatehouse on this level lead up to the grass-covered mounds of buried Afrosiab.

The shrine lies close to the main Samarkand-Tashkent road, not far from the bazaar and the Shah-i-Zindar mausoleum complex (see map - photo 3)

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Samarkand lies just 30 kilometres from the border with Tajikistan and, provided you have made the necessary arrangements before your arrival in Uzbekistan, a visit across the border is an interesting excursion.

First and foremost, you must have a multiple entry visa for Uzbekistan and you need to have the dates that you wish to exit from and return to Uzbekistan organised as you need to provide them with your visa application. It is almost impossible to arrange a re-entry visa once you are in the country so, if this side trip appeals, you will have to make some sort of booking via an Uzbek travel agent if you are not travelling on an organised tour. If you are a lone traveller, it will not be cheap.

Panjakent will be your destination for the day. With a typical market, a mosque and a small museum, it's just your average provincial Central Asian town but one with an important addition. High on a bluff above the town lies the pre-Islamic Sogdian city of Bunjakant. The discovery of the city in the 1940s was a major archaeological event as it had lain totally untouched ever since it was abandoned 1200 years ago.

If mud walls and mysterious mounds are your thing, Bunjkant will be right up your street. If you're a stamp-in-the-passport hound, Tajikistan is quite a trophy. If you're in need of a respite from blue domes and relentless retail, Panjakent will provide welcome relief - a laid-back, lazy day - we all need those if we're not to collapse from culture overload.

This page on Panjakent describes what you can expect in more detail along with immigration and customs procedures, what's for lunch, etc.

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One interesting place to visit, culturally, if for no other reason, is the Jewish Cemetary- apparently there's a decent Jewish population in the region!

Anyway, if you're heading to Afrosiab, it's on the way!

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I liked this church very much. Good proportions and simple, but nice decoration inside. It's an ortodox church and it's near of St. Alexei Cathedral so if you're in this area don't hesitate to visit it. Usually it's closed inside, you can only see it when the mass, at 17:30.

M.Koshgari Street, in front of Hotel Sherdor

Most of uzbek people are muslims but russians were here since 18th century and they left their footprint in religion too. For this reason you will find some examples of ortodox temples in this area. This is St. Alexej Cathedral and although the decoration is a little poor inside it's worth to have a look

Khoji-Daniyar mausoleum is situated in the nothern side of Afrosiyab Hill, near a curative spring and old wall. According to historical sources Khoji-Daniyar is Prophet Daniel mentioned in holy Koran and Bible so this is a holy place for Christians, Jewish and Muslims. The remains of Daniel were transported and buried here by Amir Timur. Local tradition says that the saint possesses life-giving energy, owing to which he continues growing in his tomb. For this reason his tomb was periodically enlarged in the past and nowadays it's 18m long. The long mausoleum with vaulted domes that we can see today was built during XIXth-XXth century (it seems Daniel has stopped growing :-) ). A very particular visit

The best way to go to Daniel's Tomb is by taxi