Miramsmeanderings: Samarkand 16.10.13

I suffered 5 bouts of diahorrea from 3.30 am to 7am. Took two of Judy's gastro stop tablets and no further trouble during the day. An 8.30am start. First a visit to the mausoleum of the great Tamerlane. Stunning architecture, tiles, and colours, minarets etc. Then onto the Registan. What an amazing place!!! Four huge Madrassas around a square. All magnificent. Built around the 1400s. This is one of the wonders of the ancient world. Then lunch at the same place we had dinner last night. Undoubtedly the source of my tummy problem. Salads sitting out on tables when we arrived and dubious hygiene. Then another Mosque. Bibi Khanum, being one of the most brilliant examples of medieval architecture in Samarkand. Construction began in 1399, the largest Mosque in Central Asia. It accommodated 10,000 pilgrims and takes ones breath away with it's size and beauty. Later we went to a market and I bought things I really didn't need to. 2 silk scarves in cream sort of crochet and another large shawl in pinks and blues. Then onto the Mausoleum Complex. 40 Mausoleums, all different, all wonderful. Then back to the hotel about 4.30pm before the final dinner. We went in the bus to a restaurant which was obviously for tourists. We had "wedding plov". Plov is a rice based dish with a few vegetables and a couple of lumps of meat in a big heap on a plate in the centre of the table that we helped ourselves to. Glad we only had that dish once! On the way back to the hotel we passed the Mausoleum of Tamerlane all lit up. The dome
looked as if it was floating. Very pretty. The Registan was also lit up to a small extent.

Bibi Khonum Mosque