October 27, 2012
Just another long day of driving from Termez to Shakhrisabz with a few stops in between.
Notice the gold teeth. In Uzbekistan gold teeth are considered a status symbol and sign of wealth. According to our guide, some people will have perfectly good teeth removed and replaced with gold teeth!
Cheese! Yes, really. This is kurt, a dried cheese.
Shepherds
Throughout our travels in Uzbekistan, these Willi Betz trucks were our constant companions on the road. They are hauling supplies from Riga, Latvia to NATO forces in Afghanistan as part of the Northern Distribution Network. In 2014, when NATO forces leave Afghanistan, it is likely that this highway, which is currently being widened and repaved, will be used to transport supplies and equipment from Afghanistan to Europe. It’s an interesting twist of history that the roads and rail lines built for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are now being used by the U.S. and its allies.
Random train on a hill.
We arrived in Shakhrisabz, a small city primarily known for being the birthplace of Tamerlane. Shakhrisabz has existed for at least 2,700 years.
Yep, you guessed it – that’s Tamerlane.
It’s quite popular to have your wedding photos taken in front of a statue of a man who was known for stacking thousands of his slaughtered enemies’ skulls into giant towers.
The remains of Tamerlane’s grandiose Ak-Saray Palace.
Jahongir and Omar Sheikh Mausoleum (both sons of Tamerlane)
Tamerlane’s crypt. He isn’t actually buried here, though. He’s in Samarkand.
Dorut-Tillavat complex, constructed after the death in 1370-1371 of Shamsiddin Kulal, the founder of Sufism and spiritual mentor of Tamerlane.
Sharbat tank.