Saturday 8th April 2023
Day 12 – Samarkand – Shah-i- Zinda
Today we leave Samarkand. Our plan for this morning is to revisit the Shah-i-Zinda Tombs as soon as it opens and then to return to the hotel to finish packing.
During breakfast Pete joined us and said that for some reason our airline wouldn’t allow him check in for our flight home tomorrow from Istanbul. Apparently it was saying that our flight was the 10th and not the 9th as per all our information. Pete agreed that he would double check all his emails, in case he had missed something.
Dave and I arrived at Shah-i-Zinda at 9am; however by the number of people already there it had clearly been open a little while. Once again the information on the internet was incorrect.
This time when we reached the holiest inner shrine, it was empty, giving us time and space to admire the peaceful setting and its tile work and ganch work.
The mausoleums are all astonishing with an intensity of blue colours; sapphire, turquoise, cobalt and the varying shades of the lapis lazuli stone.
We continued to wander through the amazing site until time dictated that we had to leave.
Shah-i-Zinda
On the way to the exit we bumped into Pete who informed us that he had, indeed, received a change of flight email. Therefore, we will not be returning home until the day after tomorrow. However, we would still be leaving Uzbekistan this afternoon on a flight to Istanbul.
Dave rang the airport hotel in Istanbul and booked an extra night. We all agreed that there was no option but to go with the flow and enjoy an unexpected day out in Istanbul!
As we commenced our journey home, we chatted about some of the remarkable places we have visited, the breathtaking beauty of the architecture and the immense patience and skill of the craftsmen.
The cities and people of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand will stay in our hearts forever.
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