Salt Storm hits Nukus

A strong salt storm enveloped large areas of Western Uzbekistan covering the city of Nukus in a layer of salt and dust and reducing visibility to only a few meters. The storm also blocked flights departing from Urgench airport. Strong gusty wind brought salt dust from the Aral Sea shores (and the Aralkum) following warm weather and rain. According to Uzhydromet, in Nukus after a 40-degree heat on Sunday 27th May the temperature dropped to + 20-22 ° C.  The salt laden forcing residents of Nukus to use masks when venturing outdoors as the storm made it difficult to breathe. 

Salt storm from Aral sweeps Western Uzbekistan and Northern Turkmenistan

Photo: A strong salt storm enveloped large areas of Western Uzbekistan and northern Turkmenistan for three days from May 26, the storm has hit the Uzbek regions of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm and the Turkmen province of Dashoguz.  

Modernisation of meteorological and hydrological weather stations in Karakapkstan

The first automatic weather station in Central Asia manufactured by SIAP+MICROS of Italy was opened in Nukus, Uzbekistan, on 14th of April 2017 as part of UNDP’s collaboration with the Centre of Hydrometeorological Service under a joint project with the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan for “Developing climate resilience of farming communities in the drought prone parts of Uzbekistan” in the Republic of Karakalpakstan with financial support of the Adaptation Fund. The project provides the modernisation of 10 meteorological stations and 2 hydrological posts in 5 pilot regions of Karakalpakstan focusing on introduction of climate change adaptation measures, with the aim to increase resilience of farming communities and farms. The sensors of each station measure temperature and relative humidity of air, pressure, wind speed and direction, snow depth, solid and liquid precipitation, and can be used to measure also soil temperature.

Source: https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2017/04/15/meteo-project/

A  VHDD-350C Doppler weather radar systems for the Centre of Hydrometeorological Service (Uzhydromet) in Nukus (and Tashkent) Uzbekistan.

Installed to ensure higher resolution weather surveillance so that they could enhance their short-term weather forecasting. The instrumentation and software made by the US company Baron Services Inc. of Alabama allows users to differentiate between types of precipitation, specifically rain, snow, sleet, and hail, by allowing Uzhydromet operational staff to have more control over the radar so that they can look for specific meteorological conditions at different atmospheric elevations based on the weather phenomena being detected at the time. Thus allowing the agency to make more accurate short term forecasts. Source: https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/.../O2_05_Riksiev_Uzbekistan.pdf

Karakalpakstan Map

Wonders of Samarkand

 Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia and is the site of many wonderful examples of Islamic architecture. It was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Prospering from its location on the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean by the time of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, it was the capital of the Sogdian satrapy. The city was taken by Alexander the Great in 329 BC, who called it in Greek Marakanda. The city was ruled by a succession of Iranian and Turkic rulers until the Mongols under Genghis Khan conquered Samarkand in 1220. In the 14th century it became the capital of the empire of Timur (Tamerlane)  His grandson, Ulugh Beg, took the throne after Timur’s death and made Samarkand into one of the most important scientific centers of the Middle Ages. Ulugh Beg built a unique observatory, where many important mathematicians and astronomers from all over the Islamic world gathered to study the heavens. The astronomical research that was carried out there was still being used by Europeans in the 17th century. After the collapse of the Timurids the importance of Samarkand decreased and the capital moved to Bukhara. Rising again to prominence after the annexation by the Tsarist empire in the mid 19th century, today Samarkand is the second city of Uzbekistan and draws large numbers of visitors each year to see its architectural wonders.

Samarkand was noted for being an Islamic centre for scholarly study, three important Madrasas are situated around Registan square at the heart of the city these include:

• Madrasa of Ulugh Beg (1417–1420)
• Sher-Dor Madrasa (Lions Gate) (1619–1635/36)
• Tilla-Kori Madrasa (1647–1659/60)

Ulugh Beg Madrasa’s façade is decorated with geometrical stylised forms centres on four imposing iwans (rectangular vaulted halls walled on three sides, with one end entirely open framed by minarets). The square courtyard within includes a mosque and lecture rooms fringed by dormitory cells for students. The 17th-century ruler, Yalangtush Bakhodur, constructed of the Sher-Dor Madrasa opposite the Ulugh Beg Madrasa and the Tilla-Kori Madrasa at right angles to it to form the present monumental complex. Tiger motif mosaics in the spandrels of the Sher-Dor’s facade flout Islam’s proscription of the depiction of living beings on religious buildings. The Tilya-Kori acted not only as a madrasa but also a grand mosque. It has a two-storied main façade and a vast courtyard fringed by dormitory cells, with the usual four iwans on its axes. The mosque whose main hall is abundantly gilded, occupies the western flank of the building.

The huge Bibi Hanum Mosque is, one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world. Its construction started in 1339, after Temur’s victorious campaign to India, and lasted up to 1404. The best architects, craftsmen, stonemasons and artists from Samarkand as well as from the countries Temur had subdued, laboured at the construction of the Mosque. Ninety Indian elephants were used to do the hard work at the site. During his stays in the capital between his military campaigns, Timur personally supervised the construction works. In his long absences, its construction was watched over by his wife Sarai-Mulk-Khanum, who had the title Bibi-Khanum, or ‘Senior Wife’ hence its name. It was neglected during the Shaybanid Dynasty and much of it collapsed over time. It is orientated on an axis between a vast entrance portal and a huge domed prayer hall and has recently been restored with the aid of UNESCO. Its vast scale gives a vivid impression of Timur’s great vision. Situated next to the mosque is the busy Siyob Bazaar which is well worth a visit.

An important pilgrimage site in Samarkand is home of the An important pilgrimage site in Samarkand is home of the Shahr-i-Zindar, a mausoleum complex dating from the 7th century. Shahr-i-Zindar stands for 'The Living King' and refers to the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed, who is said to have first introduced Islam to Central Asia in 676. Under the Abbasids his tomb was venerated and the legend developed that he did not die but was miraculously engulfed in a cliff, hence the name. According to the great Islamic traveler Ibn Battuta, the shrine was so famous that it was not destroyed during the Mongol invasions. Today the shrine is in a much-dilapidated condition but is still visited by many hundreds of pilgrims each day. Other nearby tombs, dating mostly to the 14thand 15th centuries, belong to the family and friends of Timur (Tamerlane) and Ulugh Beg. The Shah-i Zinda cemetery is one of the most resplendent necropolis in the Islamic world, its intense and unified architecture inspires visions of worldly wealth and of paradise. Its most important feature is the tile work that covers many of the tomb façades, arguably the greatest single collection of architectural ceramics in the world. The predominant colour is blue, worked in myriad gorgeous hues by the craftsmen whom Timur collected during his conquests and transported to his capital.

The Afrasiyab Museum and the Ulugh Beg Observatory. The remains of the earlier Sogdian city of Afrasiyab, which is now a huge mound on Samarkand’s outskirts. The Sogdians had been renowned traders along the Silk Road and consequently their culture absorbed motifs from as far apart as Persia and China. Although little remains of the former city, one corpus of wall paintings has survived, preserved in a purpose-built museum. It depicts processions of courtiers and merchants wearing fabulously rich textiles, many of them obviously silks of the highest quality giving an insight into early culture that produced and traded them. Nearby is the Ulugh Beg Observatory built in the 1420s, it is considered by scholars to have been one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world. Some of the famous Islamic astronomers who worked at the observatory include Al-Kashi, Ali Qushji, and Ulugh Beg himself. Ulugh Beg observatory was destroyed by fundamentalists (including his own nephew) in 1449 and was only rediscovered in 1908.

In the Samarkand region there are two other famous pilgrimage shrines called Khodja Abdi Darun and Chupan Ata. Situated on the outskirts of Samarkand, among rolling hills and bordered by a quiet stream, the Mausoleum of Khodja Daniar is a much-visited holy place for Islamic, Christian and Jewish pilgrims, the crypt is believed to contain the arm of Prophet Daniel brought by Timur from Mecca.  Twelve kilometres north of Samarkand stands the recently renovated shrine complex of the 9th century Islamic saint Muhammad Ibn Ismail al-Bukhari. Born in Bukhara in 810 AD, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca as a teenage boy, spent 12 years living there and then travelled widely throughout the Muslim world collecting Hadith, these being the traditional sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Nearly 3000 of these were compiled into a book known as Al-Jami al-sahih, which is considered by many Sunni Muslims to be the most authoritative collection of Hadith and a religious book second only to the Koran. Al-Bukhari died in 870 and his tomb became a celebrated place of pilgrimage for Muslims from throughout Central Asia.

 

Sources: Wikipedia 

http://www.centralasia-travel.com/en/countries/uzbekistan/places/samarkand/

https://sacredsites.com/asia/uzbekistan/samarkand.html

S7 Airlines commences flights from Moscow to Samarkand

S7 Airlines commences flights from Moscow to Samarkand starting 30 April 2018. Direct scheduled flights of S7 Airlines from Domodedovo Airport to Samarkand will be carried out on Mondays. Flights will depart from Moscow at 21:35 and arrive in Samarkand at 03:35 local time the next day. Return flights will depart from Samarkand at 05:05 on Tuesdays and arrive in Moscow at 07:20. The flights will be carried out by S7 Airbus A320 aircraft.

S7 was established in 1992. Since 2008 it has been Russia’s largest domestic airline. S7 Airlines is headquartered at Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, with offices in Moscow - main bases are Domodedovo International Airport and Tolmachevo Airport. S7 Airlines Tashkent, 12B Afrosiab St  Telephone contact numbers:   998 71 252-78-71

Source: https://www.uzdaily.com/articles-id-43364.htm

Road Trip Tashkent to Nukus

Tashkent - Samarkand - Bukhara: It is a 625km from Tashkent to via Qarshi. Generally able to drive at 80 km/h average except in built up areas with lower speeds and greater caution required on the Samarkand Qarshi sector due to winding hilly roads. Alternative route from Samarkand via Navoi a shorter distance around 440km and faster speeds possible than going through scenic route via Shahrisabz and Qarshi.

Bukhara – Khiva - Nukus:  It is a 460km drive to Khiva from Bukhara and a further 200km onto Nukus. The first 70km is slow however after that there is a new road all the way to Turtkul followed by more slow conditions onto Urgench and Khiva. The road however is being upgraded over last few years, and so now I expected to be much better. Sand drifts in desert sector however always an issue. Can drive at around 60Km/hr on average most of the way.

(ED: Any comments on current road conditions or other relevant information welcome below).