Shah-I-Zinda
Uzbekistan 2012
Turquoise tiles set in geometric designs cover the more than 500 year old mausoleums in the necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda.
I cropped my image, saturated the colors, and used Topaz Impression to get this painted look. I wanted to make the turquoise tiles look like silk. I always think of the stories of Scheherazade when I see this fantastic architecture.
Domes of Bokhara
The ancient city of Bokhara is constructed of a sand-colored brick, but many towers and facades of madrasas are tiled with the turquoise tiles found in Samarkand region. These brick domes, cover a “trading dome” or market place. The high vaulted ceilings with windows allowed the breezes to cool the interior. The stark blacks, the texture of the brick (use the clarity slider here…maybe more than most would like…to emphasize the grit of the bricks), all emphasize the influence of Bokhara on the Silk Road.
The Good Citizen
An old woman sweeps the streets of Bokhara with a twig broom. She lives in the old city. Is she paid to sweep? Or does she do it out of civic pride? She might just qualify as one of the “jewels of the orient”.
Contact Penelope at www.uzbekjourneys.com to plan your visit to Uzbekistan.