Bukhara

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We are now in Bukhara.... another awesome place in Uzbekistan. We had city tour yesterday and cruised around the sites. Visited the Ismail Samanid Mausoleum a 10th C Mausoleum for Ismail Samani who both the Uzbeks and the Turkmen hold in high esteem as hereos of their country. The terracotta brickwork has features from Zorastrian, Buddhism as well as Islam. The Turkmen want to relocate the tomb to Ashgabat. . . according to our Uzbek guide! The tomb was buried under sand to protect it from the Mongols and later the Russians. We also visited the Ark = 5th C to 1920s when it was bombed by the red army. We visited the Many Medressa of the city, the Death Tower, the Prison and the Chasma=Ayub Mausoleum built in the 12thC over a natural spring which was believed to be the spring of Job. We also spent time down in the series of covered bazaars and then around Lyabi=Hauz for shaslicks in the evening = yep more shaslicks.

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