History indicates that central Asia’s city of Samarkand became a haven for Jewish refugees, fleeing persecution when World War II erupted. While they did not experience the horrors of concentration camps like those in Nazi-occupied territories, they faced significant hardships, including starvation and displacement.
My late mother Sarah was a teenager when, together with her family and a quarter of a million Polish Jews, she fled to the interior of the Soviet Union. For years, she migrated from one labor camp to another in central Asian Moslem regions. Years passed, and in the 1970s when I was at the very same age in independent Israel, she, as a mother, spoke about the most beautiful town she witnessed during that time. It was Samarkand.
For years, I heard the name but never imagined that 85 years after the deadliest disaster of the Jewish people, I will make my way to this intriguing town, far, far away in independent Uzbekistan.
We took a comfortable five hours night flight and landed in Tashkent Airport by the capital city. The view from a taxi was of a modern, impressive metropolis, with wide, green boulevards highlighted by its iconic Independence Square with vibrant fountains, an impressive park, and spacious walkways. But our minds are with the anticipated arrival at our desired destination 300 kilometers away: Samarkand.
Everything on offer in Samarkand
Uzbekistan offers modern transportation, including domestic flights, modern, high-speed trains, and regular trains from the Soviet days. The 250 km/h Afrosiyob train was fast and convenient. The two-hour ride passed quickly, and we unexpectedly found ourselves in a Samarkand “time tunnel” to the 14th century.
The city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited ones in Central Asia. It is known as a crossroads of culture and trade. Samarkand flourished under the rule of empires. Its strategic location on the Silk Road made the city a melting pot of diverse cultures, fostering advancements in science, art, and particularly in astonishing architecture.
It was home to Amir Timur, the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty (1370-1449 CE), widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of Central Asia and Uzbek’s national hero. The Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, a beautiful structure with its incredible huge azure fluted dome, contains tombs of Timur, his sons and grandsons. Surely a site not to miss.
THE ANCIENT Registan Square ensemble of Madrasas is the main highlight here. Due to time and lack of resources, it was neglected over the years. Major restoration works were undertaken between 1967-1987, however, and the outcome is jaw-dropping. We are left speechless facing this grand architectural collection that has earned Samarkand global fame and status as a monument of oriental engineering.
I couldn’t help thinking about my late mother as a teenager admiring the unmaintained sites in the 1940s during the war, before the restoration. Pictures from those days are seen in the history rooms of the impressive madrasas. Even in a sad period and circumstances when it would have been hard to be impressed by Samarkand, she still thought it was the most beautiful city she had ever seen in her life.
The old town is gigantic in size, much bigger than what I imagined. We explored endless additional breathtaking structures, monuments, and mausoleums, as well as the famous Bibi-Khanum Mosque, named after the emperor’s wife. At the time, it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. It is considered a masterpiece of the Timurid Renaissance and left us speechless.
A visit to the colorful bazaar next to this astonishing historical mosque is refreshing; a must to enjoy local agricultural goods and atmosphere. Numerous restaurants are offering delicious Uzbek cuisine. We tried the plov, the national dish of Uzbekistan, with carrots, rice, and lamb – tasty and definitely the ultimate social food here that brings people together.
Within a half an hour drive, we are at the recently opened “Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center,” offering hotels and a congress hall. But we are here for the “Eternal City,” a jaw-dropping highlight (free entrance). It is a version of ancient Samarkand, completed with domes, mosques, restaurants, and bazaar-style shops. This is certainly an oriental fairy tale: turquoise domes, mosaics on palaces, and high minarets that pierce the sky.
Enjoying the architecture, we definitely imagined the versatile heritage of bygone centuries here. The trade routes of the Great Silk Road paved the way to Samarkand paper manufacturing. The silk papermaking process is one of the most impressive things to see here, presenting thousands of years of astonishing technology by Samarkand craftsmen.
With these magical landmarks and cultural heritage sites, Samarkand will certainly stay in our hearts forever. We felt completely safe here, surrounded by the friendly Uzbek people.
ENCOURAGED, WE found ourselves the next day at the city’s railway station waiting for the next Sharq to arrive. It is the popular and comfortable tourist-class train in Uzbekistan from Soviet times. Our destination is the city of Bukhara, a two-hour ride away. Not as smooth as the Afrosiyob fast train, the Sharq was clean and comfortable.
If you ask a typical Israeli what Bukhara is, the answer will probably be a region, an autonomy, or a state in the former Soviet Union that Jews migrated from to Israel. Evidence indicates that the Jews from Bukhara were among the oldest Jewish Diaspora groups, dating back to the Babylonian exile. This ethnic group lived predominantly in what is today Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. Only a few of them remain.
Today’s Bukhara is a modern city. With 300,000 inhabitants, it offers one of the most intriguing historical centers in Central Asia. Also situated on the Silk Route, the city is more than 2,000 years old. What we experienced here is beyond imagination. We arrived at the most complete example of a medieval city on the continent, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact. Discovering the endless sites here is a joy to every traveler.
With two-humped Mongolian camels in sight, we are in the impressive Ark of Bukhara Fortress, which was in use until 100 years ago. An ancient symbol of state power, it was inhabited by the various royal courts that held sway over the region.
After Samarkand, Bukhara is perhaps Uzbekistan’s most famous city. The famous restored minaret, mosque, and madrasa of the Kalyan complex stand out. Each of the buildings displays its beauty through various styles of ornate mosaics, colorful tile work, or decorative bands. A must visit.
For my money the endless yet unrestored structures surrounded by mulberry silk trees impressed us with their originality. Bukhara is not perfectly revived, and its authenticity is embracing. Restoration began in the late 1960’s under the USSR, and has been continued by Uzbekistan since its independence. We strolled through the upgraded mosques, madrasas, mausoleums, and other monumental structures that are now craft centers, studios, and galleries.
THE UNPARALLELED architecture surprises here are priceless. The Bolo Hauz, a mosque by a calming pond that faces an elegant pillared facade, is impressive. Not far, crossing the park, we encountered the magnificent tomb of Ismael Samani, a famous Persian Amir. It is the oldest, best preserved and most breathtakingly original building in Bukhara. For architects, it is one of the highlights of a visit to Uzbekistan.
The Lyabi Hauz ensemble of structures is surrounded by a pond that was one of hundreds of pools throughout the city in the Middle Ages. Today, it is the social beating heart of the Bukhara, highlighted by the Nasreddin statue, a half-mythical figure who crops up in local legends. We see locals in this scenic plaza drinking tea, playing board games, and socializing day and night. Here, one can observe the secularism of Uzbekistan. Religious Islam expressions are not noticed and beer and wine are consumed freely in every corner. This country is moderate and hospitable.
The old town offers small attractive boutique hotels, but we made our home at the charming recently opened Wyndham Bukhara, a 15-minute walk away from the old town. Global brands are hard to find in this city. Our hotel offers a modern relaxed atmosphere and contemporary design. The Wyndham is unique as it is the first American global-branded hotel in Bukhara. It is part of the New Jersey based Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brand, the largest hotel franchiser in the world with 9,100 locations.
Almost 30 years ago, the hotel was opened, locally owned, under the name Bukhara Palace. It ceased to function a decade ago due to financial difficulties.
After extensive renovations, this family hotel was rebranded and reopened two and a half years ago with 212 rooms, under the Wyndham umbrella.
“Why should a guest arriving in Bukhara skip a stay in a boutique hotel in the historical center and stay with you a few blocks away?” I asked General Manager Oybek Shagazatov. “While boutique hotels offer charm, Wyndham provides something different: global brand standards and international brand trust.” For my money, Uzbekistan hospitality is moving forward in Bukhara by offering and marketing international brands hotels.
The sun has set and we are in the magical golden hour by the iconic Kalyan Minaret and the renowned mosque entrance. The orange-colored illumination scenery leaves us speechless. We sat for an hour, relaxed, enjoying this magical beauty, and contemplating the bygone eras.
The next morning after checkout, General Manager Shagazatov assisted us to mount the taxi to the town’s tiny airport with a smile: “2% of our guests are from Israel,” he reminds me. “We would definitely welcome more Israeli guests and we are actively exploring ways to promote our hotel to travelers from your country,” he says.
Magical and mystical Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan are as close as a flight to the United Kingdom. This is certainly a unique and intriguing destination to visit that you should consider.
The writer is the Travel Flash Tips publisher and was a guest of the hotel.