(Subs: Translations of foreign language parts to English.)
(First sub at 6:07)
Life on the plains is very hard
The climate is bad. Hunters and cattle breeders led a spartan way of life
They were forced to be tough warriors who had to fight to stay alive
Their war strategies were based on excellent horsemanship . . .
and mastery of the bow and arrow.
The open area here is ideal for Turkish war strategy
The small hills are ideal for their tactic of lying in ambush
and drawing the enemy towards them.
Like the steppes, this is land where they could easily move on horseback . . .
and apply their forces as they wished.
The Seljuck's arrows were deadly, even against Byzantine armor.
In 1127 the Kalon Minaret was erected by one of the Karakhanid rulers - Arslankhan
The minaret was built during the peak of the Islamic civilization
when Bukhara became the religious and cultural center of the Islamic world.
From the top of the minaret they could see all the trade caravans entering and leaving
So it was also a watchtower
But the main duty was for the Muezzin to call Muslims for prayer.
After invading Bukhara, Chingiz Khan, mounted on a horse comes directly inside . . .
the main building of the Arc and addresses the population, saying:
"I have been sent to you by God as a punishment for your sins and your bad deeds"
The population was forced out of the city and all homes were raided and looted
Holy places were dishonored
A huge amount of wealth was taken
When the 700 caves were surveyed
We only came across these decorations in this cave
comprising of an arch with two phoenix birds
and a lotus flower in the middle.
For us, what is important . . .
is this composition of the phoenix and the lotus flower in the middle
It is similar to the compositions in Buddhist rock temples in China and Asia
The phoenix and lotus is used in several religions and is not specific to this place
But this composition within an arch and in this form
leads us to believe that this place was used by the Buddhists
We are standing in front of Timur's Friday Mosque
It is the largest facade ever built in Central Asia
It's 20 meters (66 feet) long - a facade of this size is extremely rare
The structure of the facade is perfectly symmetrical
The design is mirrored along this central axis
You can see that there are two minarets on both sides
It was a three story building. Now we can see only one story,
because the upper part collapsed.
The facade and the building itself are raised off the ground,
They are sitting on a base. Altogether it is 47 meters (154 feet) high.
Only Timur could build such a construction.
We are now standing right at the center of the Registan square,
In front of us is the best Madrasah of Ulugh Beg's time.
It was called "the highest, most prestigious University"
The architecture of the Madrasah is astonishing.
The harmony of the shapes . . .
and the beauty of the structure is truly striking.
Not just religious subjects as Shariah, but science . . .
mathematics and astronomy were also taught here.