Our first visit this morning was to Gur Emir, Temur’s mausoleum. Temur or Tamerlane (1320-1405) was a Turco-Mongol conqueror and the founder of the Timurid Empire which ruled over modern day Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. He was undefeated in battle and is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders and tacticians in history, as well as one of the most brutal and deadly, but he was also considered a great patron of the arts and interacted with scholars and poets.
Another building that's hopeless to photograph without converging verticals.
Inside was quite spectacular and very beautiful with its extensive use of gold leaf.
The dark green jade stone in the centre marks the tomb of Temur himself and the surrounding tombstones belong to his sons, grandsons, and spiritual teachers. The actual burial crypts are located in a chamber directly beneath these visible markers.
So I stayed, watched and took a video. The poor guy didn't seem to have a clue what he was supposed to do.
I'm sure the finished film is amazing but, yet again, it seems very narcissistic to me.
These pansies are obviously past their best.
Now a couple of snaps from the coach, firstly a bronze monument to Tamerlane himself.
And Registan Square in daylight. Registan translates to 'sandy place' or 'desert'.
I wonder if Farik is teasing us with the drive by and not actually stopping and so building up the expectations of what the square will look like at close quarters.