Char Minar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
The Russian rehabilitation of the chimney-tall minarets and its mosques made me wander in fascination.
The Russian rehabilitation of the chimney-tall minarets and its mosques made me wander in fascination.
A Shadow of The Silk Road, nicely crafted by the British travel writer and novelist Colin Thubron, was another interesting book that gave me a very pleasurable reading. The author trudges from the Chinese tomb of the Yellow Emperor, in the Chinese Xian, to southern Turkey, more precisely the Mediterranean port of Antakya (known as Antioch in ancient times), in search of the lost hope of struggling with transition.
In this epic journey through China and Central Asia, the literary travelogue, with elements of history, anthropology, personal experience and quest, I found a lot of information about places where I have already been and others that have been in my bucket list for a long time, already.
Bukhara (the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia), the Holy and Noble, still burgeons with crafts and merchandise: rugs, silks, furs are sold everywhere, even in old madrassas (educational institutions).
Today, I end this post by mentioning an 'intriguing' reference made by Thubron about an inscription he saw at a memorial park for the II World War, near Samarkand. Roughly translated into English, it would be: 'You are ever in our hearts, my dears.'
Do you think this might relate to the arrival and expansion of American goods, such as Nike or McDonald's, in Islamic lands??? I would like to hear your comments about it.
In this epic journey through China and Central Asia, the literary travelogue, with elements of history, anthropology, personal experience and quest, I found a lot of information about places where I have already been and others that have been in my bucket list for a long time, already.
Bukhara (the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia), the Holy and Noble, still burgeons with crafts and merchandise: rugs, silks, furs are sold everywhere, even in old madrassas (educational institutions).
Today, I end this post by mentioning an 'intriguing' reference made by Thubron about an inscription he saw at a memorial park for the II World War, near Samarkand. Roughly translated into English, it would be: 'You are ever in our hearts, my dears.'
Do you think this might relate to the arrival and expansion of American goods, such as Nike or McDonald's, in Islamic lands??? I would like to hear your comments about it.
Meanwhile, I wish you all, a wonderful weekend!
Globalization is a phenomenon that anyone can't help but accepting even if sometimes might like to stop it from being widespread. I think that sentence might have something to do with the Americanization of a Region of the World that's culturally and historically peculiar. Other than having its very unique idiosyncrasies that would like to keep well preserved as genuine, might see globalization/Americanization as a 'threat' to that preservation.... Nice shots! Good post!
ReplyDeleteIn Uzbekistan there are commercial buildings called TIM but, even so, they turn madrassas and some mosques into shops for tourists. There are no American influences as they sell only their crafts mainly rugs and furs.
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