Simply the best in Asia

Registan Square in Samarkand, Uzbekistan is undoubtedly the most stunning place in Central Asia, and it could go 15 rounds with the Taj Mahal for the best in all of Asia or the world championship.

Its relaive remoteness means that there are only a small number of people who will ever come here, compared to the Taj, St Peters, Venice, or Il Duoumo di Milano. That only adds to its attraction because it's accessible and not crowded. Indeed, we meet no less than 3 groups of people here that we met as far away as Tash Rabatt in Kyrgyzstan. There is not much crowded to get lost in.

What lies below the surface here is a rich history that most Westerners are entirely ignorant of. These buildings are not just facades. They are fully fledged buildings for study and accommodation with large internal courtyards, that in the past, at the time they were built housed some of the world's leading scholars on subjects such as maths and astronomy.

The three madrasas ( religious colleges ) were built in very different times from the 1400s to the 1700s, but they harmonise perfectly.

We, and particularly I*, got lucky to visit on a beautiful sunny day, with a clear sky at dusk. Such weather just adds the finishing touch to the beauty.

* On a previous visit, I had a bad stomach , and in the last few weeks, I had that a lot.But not today! So, Murphy's law is not infallible 😀.Read more