Now this is as close to the Silk Road (as I imagined it) as we have been! And we know there’s more to come! How wonderful! So many beautiful buildings, that are works of art. Many have been restored and rebuilt after devastating earthquakes over the centuries. Quite amazing really when you see the state of the buildings in some of the old pictures. Today we visited The Registan, as well as Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Gur-E-Emir Mausoleum and Ulugbek Medressa. Beck, our guide is very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of his country, and gave us an insight into the past in Samarqand. A highlight was The Avenue of Mausoleums (Shah-I-Zinda), each mausoleum was unique, there were 14 still intact, and artisans from various parts of the Islamic world had worked on them. Absolutely gorgeous.

School kids keen to practise their English

The Registan

The Registan