24/08/10 - On the Crossroads of Past and Present

Дата публикации: Jan 19, 2012 1:47:36 PM

On traveling along Uzbekistan’s legendary towns

One of the popular French periodical Le Figaro Magazine, the Sunday supplement of newspaper Le Figaro, publishes colorfully illustrated article “Bukhoro and Samarqand – mythical towns”.

Authors of the article are journalist Jean-Louis Tremblay and photographer Eric Martin. As they mark, the Italian Marco Polo was the first who discovered in the 13th century these legendary towns for Europeans.

As like tracing along his route, journalists invite to make travel to Uzbekistan, starting acquaintance with Khiva through which in the old days the caravan roads passed. “Former trading streets of this town are again overflowed today by customers, mainly, foreign tourists. Here they suggested every possible national souvenirs and carpets,” writes Le Figaro Magazine.

Authors in the article continue their travel to another town located on the way of the Great Silk Road Bukhoro. Today, Khiva and Bukhoro are separated with some hours of car trip through the Qizilqum desert. Here travelers are expected to get familiarized with one of the most popular cities of the East – blessed Bukhoro. Authors notice that in the 9th century this city turned into the outstanding intellectual and cultural laboratory of the East and was popular with its vast library. Italian Marco Polo who visited Bukhoro called it “the town of enormous grandeur”. Today this town is the center of magnificent monuments of the medieval architecture, many of which were included into the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to the French journalists, the monuments of the 13th century are of special admiration - Chashma Ayub Mausoleum, Namozgoh Mosque and 47-meter high minaret Kalon constructed in 1127.

Travel of readers across Uzbekistan proceeds in Samarqand that are called by the journalists as an extremely beautiful city that throughout centuries captivated people by its bewitching beauty. The outstanding commander and architecture Amir Temur made this town the capital of his extensive empire and turned it over the most beautiful cities of that period. Many historical monuments of Samarqand are also entered the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

The article has rather useful regional geographic information for potential tourists willing to visit Uzbekistan. In particular, descriptions of the basic sights in Samarqand, Bukhoro and Khiva, data on local hotels, travel agencies and republic tour guides of the republic, as well as information about the NAC “O’zbekiston Havo Yyollari”, making direct flights Tashkent – Paris – Tashkent.