Twelve items make a dozen, and twelve months make a year. But what do twelve years make? A few Google searches brought me to the conclusion that while everyone agrees that ten years is a decade, it’s harder to reach a consensus on what to […]
All posts tagged: Islamic architecture
The Unyielding Kalyan Minaret
Imagine being a 12th-century ruler who controls an important city on the Silk Road. You would want to build something great to impress not only your neighbors, but also those coming from places farther afield, wouldn’t you? After all, they have travelled weeks and months […]
Shah-i-Zinda: The Turquoise Necropolis
There are many ways to remember those who have died. However, it has been proven over and over again that a very special person usually gets a unique memorial that itself will be remembered for many generations. Of all the things mankind has constructed to […]
Registan: The Jewel of the Silk Road
The taxi that took us from the train station weaved through the streets of Samarkand. We had just arrived from Tashkent on a two-hour journey now made possible thanks to the Afrosiyob, the first high-speed rail system in Central Asia which was named after an […]
Bibi-Khanym Mosque: Too Big for Its Own Good
When one strolls around the downtown area of Samarkand, the Registan will undoubtedly take the spotlight. It is to Uzbekistan what Machu Picchu is to Peru, the Great Pyramid of Giza is to Egypt, or the Great Wall is to China. Simply put, they all […]
Meet Timur the Conqueror
Conquerors must be among the most divisive figures in human history. They are often regarded as heroes by the people they represent, whose territory grows following victorious military campaigns. But on the other hand, the conquered see them either as an evil force or as […]
What an Amazing World! 