Yarkand

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Hi All

Our first adventure up the southern silk road toady to a town called Yarkand, in Uyghur, ShaChe, in Chinese. Yarkand is on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert and we felt the full force of it's heat today, the sun was really strong. We had a wander around the old town and the graveyard while eating some samsa. Samsa are small mutton pasties baked in an oven. I imagine visiting here for a vegetarian would be a nightmare. Both times that we've ordered vegetable noodles or rice there has been mutton in it.

Yarkand was on the end of a trade route that ran from British India, modern Pakistan, over the Karakoram Pass. It was an important oasis town on the southern silk road and today is known for it's tombs.

There is a very large tomb belonging to Ammanisashan who was a Uyghur princess and famous Uyghur musician. It was a splendid building and covered in beautiful coloured tiles. The other tombs were of the Yarkand kingdom's royal family.

There is also a lovely mosque but unfortunately they didn't allow us to take photographs.

Enjoy the photos

Jah Bless

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