Pe Drumul Matasii in Uzbekistan 21. Istorie, strazi si piete in Buhara / On the Silk Road in Uzbekistan 21. History, Streets and Markets in Bukhara

Bukhara, one of the oldest town in Central Asia, has nowadays 250000 inhabitants. Its long and impressive history it’s a long row of events, dynasties, and religion changing. The archeological drenches went in depth to  a 20 m horizon, to reveal the remnants of the town.

Certain historical sources fix the beginning in the 13^th century B.C., almost 1000 years before the Alexander the Great! Aryans migration, Iranian Soghdian ruling, being part of the Persian Empire, Arabs conquest, Genghis Khan invasion, Russian protectorate, being part of the former Soviet Union is a very short synopsis of Bukhara’s history. The name of the place is o Soghdian origin, claim some historian, “Buxarah” meaning “lucky place’. Others sustain that the name comes from the Sanskrit “Vihara”, meaning “monastery” and sustaining the Budhist past of the time.

During the conversion to Islamism (after the conquest of the Arabs, in the 8^th century), Bukhara became a world renowned center of science and education. Over 350 mosques and 100 maddrasah determine dthe nickname od “Noble Bukhara”.

Around 500 B.C., when the actual town was constructed, the God Sin was worshiped here, the God of the Moon, who protects the nomads people. The town developed to 350 B.C., when it was captured by the Hua Mongolian tribes, who brought upon it the decline.

As every traditional plain town, Bukhara had also an ark – a fortress where local rulers lived -, the shakhristan, which was the town itself, and a necropolis, outside town limits, with the crypts asnd tombs. Two main crossroads streets parted the town in four sectors, representing the universal order in society and nature. From that time, 140 historic and archeological monuments remained.

The Ark looked into the old Registan square of which only a minaret remained. The Ark had powerful, impressive walls and four gates (only two can be seen today). The site was in reconstruction, so we could only see one gate and the walls, from outside.

The trade domes, which are very near, where the place were the traders gathered. It is a dome covered area, were you may see now the souvenir vendors. Walking after the locals, we saw also the modern market.

 

Buhara, unul dintre cele mai vechi orase ale Asiei Centrale, numara astazi 250000 locuitori si se afla la vest de Samarkand. Istoria sa multimilenara este bogata in evenimente, siruri de dinastii, schimbari de religie. Orasul a crescut pe verticala timp de peste 2500 de ani dar nu si-a schimbat niciodata locul. Santurile sapaturilor arheologice au mers pana la 20 m adancime pentru a revela urme ale asezarilor anterioare.

Arigato, Japonia! 30. Piata Nishiki / Arigato, Japan! 30. Nishiki Market

After a day of temple visits, you may relax in Nishiki Market. This is a 400 m length covered arcade, with 126 stalls, where you can see and buy traditional Japaneze foods or have a snack. It is a street full of colors, smells, and sounds. Always a lot of people there, because the stalls are opened between 9-18.

At the end of Nishiki Market you may visit the Shin Kyogoku Shrine, and pray for prosperity by rubbing the bronze cow. The name of the temple means "the margins of the town", as this street was in the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who relocated some temples here.

Further on, you may walk the Teramachi Shopping Arcade to Shijo (the main commercial street of Kyotot). Here you will find a lot of shops, selling almost everything, and also patchinko and karaoke parlors.

Dupa o zi de vizitat temple, Piata Nishiki poate fi prilej de relaxare. Ea se prezinta sub forma unui culoar lung de cca. 400 m, acoperit de o cupola de sticla colorata, sub care se insira cele 126 standuri ale vanzatorilor. Aflata in aceasta locatie inca din epoca Heian, ea este supranumita "bucataria orasului Kyoto". Te deplasezi aici de la un stand la altul, printre produse alimentare tipic japoneze si locuri in care poti servi o gustare. Localnicii vin sa cumpere legume proaspete, carne, fructe de mare sau dulciuri traditionale. Este o lume care incanta simturile: miros (uneori nu tocmai placut pentru noi, europenii), vaz, auz (strigatele vanzatorilor) si gust. Standurile sunt deschise intre 9 - 18, dar unele se inchid chiar si mai tarziu.

 piata Nishiki

 legume murate, acoperite cu nuka, tarate de orez

 La capatul pietei, spre Teramachi, pitit intre magazine, se afla altarul Shin Kyogoku (insemnand "marginea orasului", fiindca asa era in timpul lui Toyotomi Hideyoshi, care a relocat unele temple pe aceasta strada), unde te poti ruga pentru prosperitate. Dupa cat de lustruita este vacuta din bronz pe care trebuie sa o freci in acest scop, as zice ca multi sunt in cautarea acestui deziderat.

 intrarea la Shin Kyogoku Shrine

Daca vrei, iti poti continua plimbarea pe Teramachi, pana in bulevardul comercial Shijo. In Teramachi gasesti o multime de magazine de imbracaminte, suveniruri, saloane de pachinko (joc de noroc japonez) sau sali de karaoke.

Circuit in Turcia 5. Bazarul de mirodenii/egiptean din Istanbul / Roundtrip in Turkey 5. Spice/Egyptean Bazaar in Istanbul

Spice Bazaar or Egyptian Bazaar was constructed at the beginning of the XVIIth century near the New Mosque. They used the money obtained from taxes for the merchandise brought from Egypt, hence the name of the bazaar. The income was used to finance the  mosque.

The Bazaar is something which address all senses: it is color, smell, sound. Spices, sweets, almonds, nuts, walnuts, figs, dried fruits and dried flowers, herbal teas - it is something for everybody. Other tourists oriented merchandise could be fiund too. Nevertheless, the guides warn the tourist to prefer the little streets behind the bazaar, where they find the same products much cheaper.

Bazarul de Mirodenii sau Bazarul Egiptean e ceva ce se adreseaza simturilor: mirosuri, culori, zgomote. A fost construit la inceputul secolului al 17-lea, cu bani proveniti din impozitele pe marfurile aduse din Egipt, de unde si numele. Piata a fost construita in continuarea Moscheii Noi si banii obtinuti serveau la finantarea acesteia.

Doritorii pot gasi aici tot felul de mirodenii, dar si dulciuri, alune si miere. De asemenea, se mai vand pastrama de oaie si caviar iranian, cel mai bun dar si cel mai scump, ceaiuri de plante, flori uscate. Se mai gasesc aici si alte marfuri, orientate spre turisti.

Majoritatea ghizilor avertizeaza sa nu cumparati insa mirodeniile de aici, unde sunt mult mai scumpe, ci pe stradutele din spatele bazarului, de unde cumpara si localnicii.

Moscheea Noua

in fundal, Turnul Galata, aflat in zona

instrarea in Bazarul de Mirodenii

in bazar

Calator in Thailanda 14. Bazarul de noapte din Chang Mai / Traveller in Thailand 14. The Night Bazaar in Chang Mai

The Night Bazaar in Chang May is one of the evening attractions. It is situated near the Tha Phae Gate of the Old Town. In the evening,  the inhabitants but mostly the tourists are going there so the near by streets are full of cars and motorcycles.

It is not the single one of the kind but it is the most well-known. You may find here a lot of things, including good little presents and souvenirs to take home, including tribal handmade products. The prices are seldom marked, so, as elsewhere in Asia, bargaining is expected. If your skills are good, you may obtain a 20-30%  off the asking price. The photos offer you a hint about what you may find there.

If you dare, you may eat at the numerous stalls. Rarely is something like the explicit "sausage", you have to guess what it is about. Of course, beside the obvious like fruits or corn.

If you are tired, you have the chance of a massage, if you are not disturbed by the audience.

There I had the impression that to take photos is more tolerated than approved but this could be my experience. May be you had another one. So, try to be not so obvious.

Oh, not to be overlooked are the paper umbrellas, made in a village near Chang Mai.

In Chang Mai, Bazarul de noapte este una dintre distractiile de seara. El se afla in apropierea portii Tha Phae, langa Orasul Vechi si seara parca toti locuitorii orasului, inclusiv turistii, se indreapta intr-acolo. Strazile din apropiere sunt pline de masini si motociclete.

 in zona Bazarului de noapte

Nu este singura piata de acest gen din Chang Mai dar este cea mai cunoscuta si vizitata. Mail ales noi, care am stat atat de putin in oras, ne-am bucurat ca avem si seara ceva de vazut. Orientata spre turisti, piata ofera cele mai diverse marfuri, inclusiv produse artizanale ale triburilor din nord. Preturile nu sunt afisate si, ca mai peste tot in Asia, targuiala face parte din regula jocului. In general, se incearca a se obtine un pret cu 20-30% mai mic decat cel cerut. Chiar daca nu vreti sa va cumparati o amintire, puteti gasi aici mici daruri pentru cei ramasi acasa. Gasiti aici:

tesaturi cu intrebuintari diverse, viu colorate

masti sau tavi frumos sculptate din lemn

diverse obiecte de iluminat

artizanat tribal

Ca in orice piata care se respecta, puteti manca "la botu'calului" diverse produse, daca intelegeti ce sunt sau daca va incumetati sa gustati, fara a cere explicatii. Am avut impresia ca cei care fac fotografii sunt mai mult tolerati decat acceptati cu placere, asa ca incercati sa nu fiti prea ostentativi. Poate nu e peste tot la fel, altii au avut, poate, alte experiente.

Daca vizitele din timpul zilei sau umblatul prin piata v-au obosit, gasiti chiar acolo numeroase locuri in care se face masaj. Daca nu va deranjeaza privitorii...

Una peste alta, bazarul nu se deosebeste (cu exceptia masajului:) prea mult de un targ de la noi, doar produsele sunt altele. Si, sa nu uit, nu treceti cu vederea umbrelutele din hartie - specialitate a unui sat de langa Chang Mai.