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Previous: Moscow
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Capital: Tashkent
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A number of post conference tours were offered to the participants of the World Petroleum Congress in Moscow. I chose to visit The Soviet Natural Gas Institute in Tashkent with a side trip to Samarcand and Bukhara because Uzbekistan was the major natural gas producer of the Soviet Union in 1971 and that Institute was the best place to go to see whatever the Soviets were willing to show to westerners at that time. |
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The Soviet experts showed us their computer assisted systems to remotely control wellhead production and gathering line flow rates. Their systems were interesting but no better that those we currently use. We were however quite impressed by the fact that most department heads of the Institute were women and that they really knew their stuff!
Back in the '70s, very few women managed to rise even to middle management positions in the western world. The Soviets were definitely ahead of us on that score.
Their hospitality was perfect. Here some of the delagates relax on these oriental style platforms next to a stream in a park.
Below left, more of these platforms near a water hole in another shaded park and on the right, Muslims doing their prayers in front of an ancient mosque.
Finally we reached the fabled Samarkand. Here is the portal of the Ulug Beg Madrassa (coranic school), as it stood on the western side of Registan Square .in 1971. It has been handsomely restored since.
Behind me is the back of the Shir-Dor Madrassa across Registan Square from the Ulug Beg Madrassa.
This is the southrn side gate of the Shir-Dor Madrassa as seen from the inner courtyard.
This picture of the south-east corner of the courtyard shows the inner side of the main gate and part of the southern side gate seen above.
Further west of Registan Square stands the Gul Emir Mausoleum of which the framed dome is shown here.
The ruins of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque can be seen behind this crowd of shoppers at a local market east of Registan Square.
Our organised tour whisked us off to equally renowned Bukhara where I took this picture of the exquisite Bolo Hauz Mosque near the entrance to the huge Ark Palace Fortress of which I unfortunately did not take a picture on this 1971 trip.
Not far west of the Bolo Hauz Mosque stands this remarkable 47 metre minaret in front of the 16th century Kalyan Mosque that is large enough to hold 10 000 faithfull. The Kalyan Minaret, was built in 1127 so solidly that it has required only minor cosmetic maintenance for almost nine centuries.
Covered markets like this one were natural adaptations to the violently aggressive
sunlight of this desert country. Three of these are still standing in Bukhara. The
most southernly one, the Taki-i-Sarrafan was the domain of money-changers.
This one, not far to the north-west, called Taki Telpak Furushon was reserved for cap makers.
And the last one, further north and not far from the Kalyan minaret, is the Taki Zargaran built in 1417 for jewelry artisans and merchants.
I have another half dozen photos of ancient buildings that I cannot identify but I will show you only this Madrassa and the one in the next photo in the hope that you might be able to put a name on them.
Here is the other madrassa I hope you will identify for me.
From here we flew to Moscow and Leningrad before returning home via Paris.
It had been an interesting and pleasant break from the daily grind...
