Day 11 – Today we are off Early to Shahrisabz.

It was originally called Kesh. It was renamed the Green City by Tamer Lam

We stopped at Shahrisabz on the way to Bukhara. Shahisabez is the birthplace of Tamerlane or Tamir the Lame. As we passed through the entry, we can see where the palace once stood. It would have been a colossus. He pushed the building sciences to their limits in his day.

All that remains now is a statue of him looking out over his once powerful empire.

Day 12- Bukhara

The old city of Bukhara is as old as Samarkand but it is much better preserved.

It is an oasis today as it was in the days of the camel caravan.

There are several ancient pools of water for drinking and resting after a long journey. They are calm and reflect the image of the city back to those who pay attention and look for such things.

The town is laid out behind its city walls and eleven entry gates. Sadly only two gates remain.

We visited the 12th century Kalon Mosque and minaret and the Mir-i-Arib Madrassah, the Bazzars, the Zindun Prison and The Ark Citadel. The minaret is the tallest building iin the town and casts a shadow between the Madrassah and the mosque. It is more than a hundred and fifty feet tall.

You might want to read about the two Btittish soldiers held in the Zindun Prison’s “bug pit.” It is an important bit of 19th century history.

The Kukeldash Madrassah, the largest of the Central Asian Koran schools is nearby.

The Lyabi-Hauz Plaza lies in the heart of the old city. There are mulberry trees here all around us.

We had an architect as a guest speaker today at lunch. He, along with his wife, designed a large monument here in the city. He also explained the design of the old city.

We saw the location of Jobe’s remains here in a mosque. That’s correct, that Jobe.

The narrow walkways and the buildings are designed to keep people in the shade as much as possible. It is interesting to think about how smart these ancient people were.

The buildings have thick mud walls for insulation, low windows and high ceilings to create drafts, and tall western walls to create shade to the inner courtyards.

We have been without water today. It is a mystery, but we are not alone. The entire city is without water.

We went to a private home this evening for dinner. As usual, the dinner was perfect.

We had a male singer, three-piece band and three dancers who wore three different costumes from three different regions. We ate outside in the cool night air. The music was exactly as you might expect. It was perfect for the local and the occasion.

The water is back on in time for a nice shower.

We are staying at the wonderful Sasha and Son’s Bed and Breakfast. It was a large Jewish home at one time and is beautiful.

Look at our photos at Ray-Andrea Matthews on Face Book. My friend Ray, has put them up there for us. It is public. The rooms are fantastic and filled with the most intricate plaster designs that one can imagine. The walls are painted in many different colors inside of the geometric patterns.

There is also a Jewish Synagogue just down the alley from where our hotel is. This was the Jewish quarter centuries ago.