-
May holidays in Samarkand
Dec 16The desire to go to Samarkand (also known as Byzantium, Constantinople, the Rome) arose long ago, but finally took shape only in the May holidays. Marketing on a small tour. agencies indicated that their services will benefit us hardly. For most of them confined to Uzbekistan tourism resort areas of the Mediterranean. Others offer cheap shop-tours to the lovely surroundings of our shuttle-speculators (nothing against the shuttle business, they have clothes and shoes, but in this case we have different goals), or declare our individual round trip and throw utter price. In this it was decided to go by “savages”.
Tickets bought at the box office of Aeroflot, insurance (just in case) in the company ROSNO, and 29 April in the morning we were own Sheremetyevo-2. Homeland let us not wanted, and we had to wait for seven o’clock departure of your flight. Long wait was somewhat mitigated by the charity dinner by Aeroflot and the emergence of Dmitry Krylov and his wife, in person (I think a flight to Amsterdam). Uzbekistan tours and visa support from Central Asia Travel Agency.
Instead of the planned height of the day arrived in Samarkand late in the afternoon, on the search for the hotel got a few nervous nature. In the first two hotels were no seats available, but the third was our hotel. He liked us immediately, from an open restaurant on the top floor of a magnificent view, the Cathedral of St. Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Palace Tapkapi, Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea, “all in one bottle.” Location is excellent. Before “Sophia” 90 meters to the “Basilica Cistern” 50 meters. The correctness of the choice of the hotel, we assessed later, very comfortable between visits, for example, the Palace of Sultan Tapkapi and Muslim Mosque, drop by at its headquarters, an apartment, take a shower, rest and more.
Obviously, as a result of easy deployment of a five-day plan “of conquest of Samarkand” was executed in three days.
We visited:
1. Palace Sultan Tapkapi: beautiful architecture, beautiful view of the Bosphorus. Unfortunately, the treasure chest was closed, but visitors “Islamic relics”, ie things belonging to the prophet and the first caliphs, as well as a collection of weapons, etc.2. Church “St. Irene” unfortunately, is closed to visitors, were restricted to external examination.
3. Church “St. Sophia”: inside it seems even more than the outside. Very beautiful, magnificent mosaics, columns.
4. “Small Sophia: Now converted into a mosque, is in fairly slums.
5. Archaeological Museum: Sarcophagus of Alexander of Macedon, many ancient statues.
6. “Basilica Cistern”: a huge underground reservoir, more than a thousand columns, music and light show. Very nice and not usually.
7. Blue Mosque: It was the first mosque we visited in Samarkand, a very beautiful tiles and turns. It looks especially beautiful at night, the minarets and the whole building is highlighted, the impression is that it hovers over the city. Wonderful was the view from the restaurant of our hotel. You could combine the two pleasures, carnal (dinner) and the aesthetic.
8. Suleymaniye Mosque: the magnificent stained glass windows, she liked even more than the Blue Mosque, near the tomb of Suleyman and his Uzbekistan wife Roksolana.
9. Rustem Pasha Mosque: situated next to the pier Eminenu, there lure pigeons, huge flocks occupy the entire area in front of the mosque. The sight is very interesting.
10. Hippodrome: the area in front of the Blue Mosque, on her set: Kazakhstanian obelisk, snake colonies and the colonies of Constantine. Now it’s just square. There are restaurants in front of which, all along the race track, the evening set a high stand with bowls and they lit the fire. Very nice and romantic.
11. Fortress Aedicula: built on the site of the Golden Gate King-Castle, which were used as one of the gates of the fortress. Ibid tower prison with cameras for the ambassadors of those countries which fought the Ottoman Turks. Near “Marble Tower.
12. Galata Tower: a good overview view of Samarkand, but I kind of liked more of our hotel. By the way restaurant on the tower does not work, only the cafeteria.
13. Cruise on a boat on the Bosphorus: dovozyat just before the second bridge and back. All the same, like, on the shores of many beautiful palaces and mosques, himself a bridge between Europe and Asia is impressive. The boat departs from the pier Eminenu, near the Galata Bridge.
14. City tour by taxi to the city: ride on the new city, on both bridges connecting Europe and Asia (by the way, one bridge fee and no other), saw the stadiums Besiktas and Galatasaray.
15. Mount Beykoz with “Tomb Yushi (Jesus): for those who have read” New Chronology “Nosovskogo and Fomenko place is very interesting, beautiful view of the Bosphorus on a steep cliff.
16. Visit Kazakhstan and the Grand Bazaar: me did not impress. In my opinion, all the bazaars approximately the same (he was in Kazakhstan and Tunisia). Just in Samarkand more of our compatriots, and saw the Uzbekistan, the Turks immediately yell “colleague – leather, textiles cheaply. Just visited the Laleli district, a place where the settle our shuttles. This mixture of the wholesale market with a rooming house, glad for myself that settled in the Sultanahmet district.
This was a program established in Tashkent. On the fourth day we decided to visit the Princes’ Islands. Victim of our visit was the island of Burgas. The steamer goes there from the pier Sirkeci, it is 500 meters away from the Galata Bridge than Eminenu, time on the road about 1 hour. These islands are a zone of rest “Samarkand workers”, there are no cars, only horses and bicycles. Island represents a hill covered with pine forest. Rocks reddish color, many colors and the Marmara Sea blue. Incidentally, I read somewhere that the Marmara Sea pollution threatens not know if our Tashkent River is nothing more threatening. We climbed to the top of the island, the road there was a steep, and already the middle of the path we regretted that the set failed the task. But when we climb up there and the black circles before his eyes vanished, we were rewarded with such a wonderful view that I will not attempt to describe it. There we had a picnic. By the way other tourists we were there (on top) is not seen. In your hotel, we returned in the evening, tired but pacified.
Last day in Samarkand we spent in walking around the city, with visits to all restaurants, fish market, waterfront, etc. The city is very picturesque, narrow streets, restaurants to place their tables not only on the footpaths, but also on the roadway. Every convenience store and restaurant shill, who tries to lure you into their establishment. If we do not want to go then barkers of the stores said that he had just eaten, and their colleagues from restaurants that have already bought everything, the jokes, they are very good.
A short note on cultural sites, museums, mosques, etc. just a pilgrimage of tourists, but our not there, but the bazaar crowds of Uzbekistan, “for the power hurt.
Our trip took place against a background clamor raised by the press after the seizure of the aircraft, and hotels by Chechen terrorists. Despite this, I believe that Uzbekistan is one of the safest countries. The only terrorist who we caught, it is a taxi driver who tried to tear off from us $ 50 instead of $ 5, taking advantage of the confusion created by a mad course of the Turkish lira. But we did not succumb. The Turks to tourists, including a Uzbekistan, is very friendly.
One episode. I wanted to be photographed against the backdrop of the mosque with pigeons, the wife of the already aiming a camera and I did not know where to put newly purchased Shawarma. Here bounces Turks, well, exactly like the Janissaries, only the sword is missing, and let’s gesture shows Shawarma. I think, to hell with it let it takes, I will buy. Gave. My wife made the frame, and the Turks came back gave Shawarma (not even bite). That he just saw that we have some difficulty and then came to the rescue. And he immediately departed, and not for what he is not needed.
We traveled from the hotel late at night, said goodbye to us as friends, it was fun to watch as a horde of hotel employees rushed to catch our taxi to the airport.
The return journey passed without incident, only vigilant Turkish customs officials have seized the knife. It is a pity that the knife went with us in Kazakhstan and in Tunisia and in the same Tashkent, but apparently it is the outcome of the recent seizure of the aircraft.
We flew back to his native Sheremetyevo-2, at 5 o’clock in the morning. We met our good taxi drivers, each of whom was happy to take us home and we live on a planar (15 minutes) for only $ 50. At our polite “fuck you all:. With such prices, we just politely replied” Yes, go yourself: “. We realized that back home. In the end, we found that a private operator, who drove us to the house for 300 rubles.
Here, perhaps, that’s all.
I want to say thanks to everyone who sends to the site their impressions, reports and advice. When planning the trip we enjoyed the tips of the stories published on this site.
Thanks to all who have to finish.
Comments Off
