Another day to explore more of what Samarkand has to offer. The first sight was the Mausoleum Rukhabad "Abode of the Spirit" - built over the tomb of a medieval scholar and theologian, preacher, and mystic Burhaneddin Sagaradzhi, who died in the XIV century.

Headed to the north of the city to the settlement of Afrasiab where we saw walls from the 6-7th century. Archeological excavations in this area have revealed remnants of a rich trading city - very much ancient Samarkand.

Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis. This stunning necropolis, one of the most renowned sites in Samarkand, showcases rich tilework and history back to the 14th century. Upon entry, you are met by a series of steps and the idea is that you should get the same number going up as you get coming down for eternal good luck - the aim is 40 (steps of paradise). The avenue of mausoleums is one of Samarkand's most beloved sites and consists of grand tombs resembling palaces decorated with brilliant bursts of colour and geometric patterns exuding the essence of Central Asian artwork and design. The necropolis holds the grave of 7th-century Kusam, the cousin of the prophet Mohammed. Many of these tombs were controversially restored in 2005, leaving much of the mosaics, majolica, and terracotta to be restorations and not in their original state. 'Shakh-i-Zinda' translates to 'Tomb of the Living King'.

A visit to the Ulugbek Observatory was most interesting. Originally built in 1428 the remains of this observatory remained hidden for centuries. In its prime, the observatory consisted of a three-story cylindrical building with a diameter of 46.4 m and a height of at least 30 m constructed around three huge astronomical instruments. The Fakhri sextant can still be seen and is orientated against the south-to-north meridian with precision. Each step equals one degree and was used to measure celestial bodies. Remember this was before the telescope was invented!!
According to the astronomical treatise Ulugbek catalogued 1018 stars. The small museum on site is a testament to the amazing work of this astronomer.

It was then time to farewell Samarkand and endure the 5+ hour bus trip to Tashkent. We are all pleased to say this will be our last long bus trip!! While it's been great to see the countryside we are all over the many hours on the bus!!

Of interest on this trip were the storks nesting on the power poles. Have to say I have never seen that before but there were heaps of them along the road.