Ashfona is a small village where Ibn Sina was born more than 1000 years ago.............a scientist, mathematician, philosopher and a doctor are among the many areas he mastered.......we were also informed that he was the founder of musical therapy...........as I write these words I am disappointed at not having the knowledge nor the mastery of words to be able to describe his greatness and the magnitude of his contribution.
The museum, a medical school and a conference centre reside in the premises. The architecture of the buildings is new and we saw no tourists, the entrance was only 1000 cyms (soooms), compared to anywhere 3 to 7 times more for other sites. Mr. Momin a former executive from the tourism industry, was kind enough to suggest this trip and accompanied us to Ashfona. Accompanied by Mansur the guide they wanted us to see their 300 seating conference centre and we were offered tea and candy.
I stood in front of the statue of Ibn Sina, a silent gratitude in my heart....... in awe at the brain and the person that he was........believing that his essence lingers in the human consciousness
a place to park thoughts and ideas....... the people and places.......encountered in the journey of life.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Warm days and cool evenings in Bokhara
As I wander through the streets of Bokhara I notice how this area, protected by UNESCo and encouraged by the tourists, is like being in an unreal world........ the past is remembered in the architecture, the old is restored and the new is built as a continuation of the old......
I enter a carpet store, the weavers are setup in one corner and I walk over and watch how they weave, one knot at a time...... the salesperson rolls out carpets after carpets, and arouses my interest and desire to possess one of the beautiful pieces of art, I am mesmerised and transported in time.......the comments on the quality, the number of knots, the number of weavers and the length of time it took to weave, brings me back.......... I walk out of the store and feel the silk of the carpets on me.........my senses are infused with the indigo, turquoise, gold, red and greens............our mind has an amazing ability to create romance ........soon the reality becomes a reflection of what we perceive.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Samarqand sight seeing on August 14
I was mesmerised when I entered the observatory of Ulugbeg, he was the grandson of Amir Temur and ruled for about 40 years from 1404............he was an a astronomer and mathematician, the site of his observatory has been rebuilt and is now a museum.........a few words and the sample of some of his work........there was a simplicity surrounding the space.........greatness requires no explaination..... .......the brain is not restricted to time and space........
the next stop was Shahizindan..........this is a place worth a visit, if I try and describe in words then the words will not do justice to the way the mausoleums are laid out............climbing the stairs was like climbing towards the greatness that is signified in this tribute to the dead..........I turned back and the view behind was as magnificent as the view in front, and that around the corners and curves of the layout..........I felt a great calmness and peace within........ although we honor and remember the past with its heroes and leader, the past is not for the living...........the present is..... life is meant for living........
the next stop was Shahizindan..........this is a place worth a visit, if I try and describe in words then the words will not do justice to the way the mausoleums are laid out............climbing the stairs was like climbing towards the greatness that is signified in this tribute to the dead..........I turned back and the view behind was as magnificent as the view in front, and that around the corners and curves of the layout..........I felt a great calmness and peace within........ although we honor and remember the past with its heroes and leader, the past is not for the living...........the present is..... life is meant for living........
August 11 - On the Silk Route from Tashkent to Samarqand
The highway built on the ancient silk route is very smooth and wide. One notices fields of cotton, and fruit trees along the road.
We saw the roadside vendors selling melons, of different textures, colors and size. The vendors were always clustered in a row, so the different colors looked very appealing and inviting. We did succumb to the attraction of the fruit. As our driver went out to pick a piece for us, we saw a gypsy woman approach the car.…..she held a small pan with smoke emitting from the pan…there were some wayside weeds and herb burning in the pan…….interesting way to ask for charity or as she called it sadqa……….by moving the pan in a circular direction around a person , it is believed evil spirits are banished and prevents any misfortune from lingering around the person who is so blessed.
We noticed that at places the road had been blocked to one lane with speed bumps, this slows the vehicles down for security monitoring…….we continued the drive as the road wound around the Turkestan mountain range. We were careful with the liquid intake, and asked for one pitstop…….the bushes were a better alternative to the make shift toilet. …..as we continue our travels we notice that the toilets are not for the faint of heart, I once twitched my nose and looked at the woman monitoring the cleanliness of the toilets and she shrugged her shoulders as she said madam, toilet!!!
On to the entry in to Samarqand……….. the architecture of the ancient civilization, influenced by the Turks and the Persian empire is evident even in the new construction……. our attention was diverted to the side where the archaeologists are preserving the remains of the original city of Samarqand. I felt an emotion or feeling, it was so brief that it could only be felt, no label comes to mind…………
The Malika Hotel takes one back a few hundred years in its layout. I feel I am in the home of my grandparents, and their parents, as narrated by them and envisioned by me. The homes were called havali pronounced ha-vay-lee), with a courtyard in the centre and the access to the rooms through the courtyard ). A large covered porch with ceiling over 20 feet overlooks one of the courtyards, This porch has beautiful and inviting day beds, or takht (tah-kht) The size is about 6 ft by 10 feet, they are made of carved walnut wood, with cushions and bolsters for the seating. As I shed my slippers and climbed up with the notebook, I tried to be as graceful as I could, pretending to be a begum (lady) of the house, waiting for her tea, and family and friends to appear. I think where the twist in this imagination is that this could be the courtyard for the men, and it is the man of the house, sitting with his sheesha, and an audience in attendance. I like the part better where I am the mistress, and this is the ladies section, or better still I have transported this into the 21st century, and men and women sit together. I look towards my left and see two more of these beautiful takht………….on the right of me, there is a bar like area where they have beautiful rugs and some handicrafts displayed…… I look away so as not to be caught in this moment of temptation.
We saw the roadside vendors selling melons, of different textures, colors and size. The vendors were always clustered in a row, so the different colors looked very appealing and inviting. We did succumb to the attraction of the fruit. As our driver went out to pick a piece for us, we saw a gypsy woman approach the car.…..she held a small pan with smoke emitting from the pan…there were some wayside weeds and herb burning in the pan…….interesting way to ask for charity or as she called it sadqa……….by moving the pan in a circular direction around a person , it is believed evil spirits are banished and prevents any misfortune from lingering around the person who is so blessed.
We noticed that at places the road had been blocked to one lane with speed bumps, this slows the vehicles down for security monitoring…….we continued the drive as the road wound around the Turkestan mountain range. We were careful with the liquid intake, and asked for one pitstop…….the bushes were a better alternative to the make shift toilet. …..as we continue our travels we notice that the toilets are not for the faint of heart, I once twitched my nose and looked at the woman monitoring the cleanliness of the toilets and she shrugged her shoulders as she said madam, toilet!!!
On to the entry in to Samarqand……….. the architecture of the ancient civilization, influenced by the Turks and the Persian empire is evident even in the new construction……. our attention was diverted to the side where the archaeologists are preserving the remains of the original city of Samarqand. I felt an emotion or feeling, it was so brief that it could only be felt, no label comes to mind…………
The Malika Hotel takes one back a few hundred years in its layout. I feel I am in the home of my grandparents, and their parents, as narrated by them and envisioned by me. The homes were called havali pronounced ha-vay-lee), with a courtyard in the centre and the access to the rooms through the courtyard ). A large covered porch with ceiling over 20 feet overlooks one of the courtyards, This porch has beautiful and inviting day beds, or takht (tah-kht) The size is about 6 ft by 10 feet, they are made of carved walnut wood, with cushions and bolsters for the seating. As I shed my slippers and climbed up with the notebook, I tried to be as graceful as I could, pretending to be a begum (lady) of the house, waiting for her tea, and family and friends to appear. I think where the twist in this imagination is that this could be the courtyard for the men, and it is the man of the house, sitting with his sheesha, and an audience in attendance. I like the part better where I am the mistress, and this is the ladies section, or better still I have transported this into the 21st century, and men and women sit together. I look towards my left and see two more of these beautiful takht………….on the right of me, there is a bar like area where they have beautiful rugs and some handicrafts displayed…… I look away so as not to be caught in this moment of temptation.
August 13 - Samarqand - Uzbekistan
inthe ancient city of Samarqand construction and restoration work is happening all around.......the people are happy to see tourists, and inspite of the language barrier and the heat of the summer I feel a stranger in a familiar land.
the drive from Samarqand to Shahrisabz was just over two hours......the best part was the drive around the mountains, on the Zeravshan range. Unexpected moments of beautiful view of the valleys and the surrounding moutains..........people working in the fields, as a child looks up and waves......the boy riding on the donkey, carrying a sheep as a passenger.............the smell of food mingled with the energy of the sun...........we reach the top of the range on our route, close to 2000 meters..........the air is fresh and we stop at the long line of vendors selling dry fruits............you could taste as much as you want and no one blinks an eye............the camera is a great magnet, as soon as you take it out, people are happy to pose for you...........
Amir Temur looks magnificent in stone, overlooking the park......a huge crowd of newly married couples with their entourage of photographers and friends........they come to be blessed by their past leader as it is a popular spot for the couples to take pictures.
the drive from Samarqand to Shahrisabz was just over two hours......the best part was the drive around the mountains, on the Zeravshan range. Unexpected moments of beautiful view of the valleys and the surrounding moutains..........people working in the fields, as a child looks up and waves......the boy riding on the donkey, carrying a sheep as a passenger.............the smell of food mingled with the energy of the sun...........we reach the top of the range on our route, close to 2000 meters..........the air is fresh and we stop at the long line of vendors selling dry fruits............you could taste as much as you want and no one blinks an eye............the camera is a great magnet, as soon as you take it out, people are happy to pose for you...........
Amir Temur looks magnificent in stone, overlooking the park......a huge crowd of newly married couples with their entourage of photographers and friends........they come to be blessed by their past leader as it is a popular spot for the couples to take pictures.
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