Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,129 --> 00:00:04,210
(upbeat music)
2
00:00:04,210 --> 00:00:05,780
[Alfred Translator] As a reporter, I've traveled the
3
00:00:05,780 --> 00:00:07,540
Middle East for many years.
4
00:00:07,540 --> 00:00:09,910
It's an area that has always fascinated me,
5
00:00:09,910 --> 00:00:12,038
but in my work, I've mainly covered its war zones,
6
00:00:12,038 --> 00:00:14,600
its crises, and its tragedies.
7
00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,438
This journey, which takes me down the Silk Road
8
00:00:16,438 --> 00:00:18,398
in the footsteps of Marco Polo,
9
00:00:18,398 --> 00:00:21,410
gives me the opportunity of exploring the great
10
00:00:21,410 --> 00:00:23,240
historical and cultural significance
11
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:24,540
of this part of the world,
12
00:00:24,540 --> 00:00:27,490
its ancient melting pot of peoples and civilizations
13
00:00:27,490 --> 00:00:29,717
that have contributed so much to our own.
14
00:00:30,679 --> 00:00:33,429
(dramatic music)
15
00:00:49,405 --> 00:00:52,072
(intense music)
16
00:00:54,550 --> 00:00:56,146
The second leg of my trip through Uzbekistan
17
00:00:56,146 --> 00:00:59,170
takes me from Bukhara to Samarkand.
18
00:00:59,170 --> 00:01:01,266
The old caravan trail still follows the same route
19
00:01:01,266 --> 00:01:02,885
as it did thousands of years ago,
20
00:01:02,885 --> 00:01:05,505
except that today the trail has become a highway
21
00:01:05,505 --> 00:01:08,791
and the Bactrian camels have been replaced by trucks.
22
00:01:08,791 --> 00:01:11,458
(intense music)
23
00:01:17,007 --> 00:01:19,948
(camera clicking)
24
00:01:19,948 --> 00:01:22,615
(intense music)
25
00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:26,349
We're on the Royal Route,
26
00:01:26,349 --> 00:01:29,190
what was formerly the middle section of the Silk Road,
27
00:01:29,190 --> 00:01:30,990
that connected Bukhara to Samarkand.
28
00:01:34,100 --> 00:01:37,100
Every 40 kilometers, there was a fortified caravansary
29
00:01:37,100 --> 00:01:38,400
called a ribat.
30
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,900
This is Ribat-I Malik, the king's ribat,
31
00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:43,050
with its monumental gate, 12 meters high,
32
00:01:43,050 --> 00:01:45,423
that opens onto, well, not much at all.
33
00:01:47,630 --> 00:01:50,940
Built in the 11th century by the Sultan Shams Al-Muluk,
34
00:01:50,940 --> 00:01:53,260
this is one of the largest and oldest caravansaries
35
00:01:53,260 --> 00:01:55,010
in central Asia.
36
00:01:55,010 --> 00:01:57,510
On the routes, caravansaries were placed approximately
37
00:01:57,510 --> 00:01:59,370
40 kilometers apart at the most,
38
00:01:59,370 --> 00:02:01,165
since this was the distance a caravan of camels
39
00:02:01,165 --> 00:02:02,905
could walk in a day.
40
00:02:02,905 --> 00:02:05,765
The Royal Route, also known as the Golden Road
41
00:02:05,765 --> 00:02:08,605
due to the prosperity and significance of this area,
42
00:02:08,605 --> 00:02:11,270
thus had five main ribats on the way from
43
00:02:11,270 --> 00:02:12,493
Bukhara to Samarkand.
44
00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,840
These ribats were just as important as gas stations,
45
00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:17,690
but the truckers today don't even glance at them
46
00:02:17,690 --> 00:02:18,603
as they go by.
47
00:02:20,090 --> 00:02:22,360
The Golden Road has been a vital part of the Silk Road
48
00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,350
ever since the first caravans were reported to have
49
00:02:24,350 --> 00:02:27,140
traveled it nearly 3,000 years ago.
50
00:02:27,140 --> 00:02:28,830
And in the 4th century, this was the road that
51
00:02:28,830 --> 00:02:31,460
the Chinese monk Faxian took when he set off
52
00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:33,415
in search of the sacred Buddhist texts in India
53
00:02:33,415 --> 00:02:35,380
and Afghanistan.
54
00:02:35,380 --> 00:02:37,132
Later on, it was also via this road
55
00:02:37,132 --> 00:02:39,830
that Manicheism, the religion of good and evil,
56
00:02:39,830 --> 00:02:43,023
was spread from Iran, and Islam from Saudi Arabia.
57
00:02:44,900 --> 00:02:46,240
A little to the north of the road
58
00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,200
lies the ancient city of Nurata.
59
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:49,840
It would become one of Alexander the Great's
60
00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,683
most distant conquests.
61
00:02:53,570 --> 00:02:55,360
If Alexander stationed his army here,
62
00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,099
it was because of the pure freshwater spring
63
00:02:57,099 --> 00:03:00,220
which gushes forth in the middle of this desert.
64
00:03:00,220 --> 00:03:02,887
(playful music)
65
00:03:06,426 --> 00:03:08,120
Fishing is not allowed here.
66
00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,300
Drinking the water, however, will ensure you,
67
00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:12,873
the pilgrims say, a long and prosperous life.
68
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,777
This is the sacred water from the spring.
69
00:03:16,777 --> 00:03:19,444
(playful music)
70
00:03:37,940 --> 00:03:40,650
This fortress in adobe was built by Alexander the Great
71
00:03:40,650 --> 00:03:44,053
in 300 BC using the same technique that is still used today.
72
00:03:46,110 --> 00:03:48,430
Although worn down by centuries and centuries of erosion,
73
00:03:48,430 --> 00:03:50,297
Alexander's fortress is still standing
74
00:03:50,297 --> 00:03:52,040
in spite of everything.
75
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,810
Like a witness, a sentinel, keeping a lookout
76
00:03:54,810 --> 00:03:56,130
on the steps of the ancient world,
77
00:03:56,130 --> 00:03:58,570
as it was known to Europe until Marco Polo.
78
00:03:58,570 --> 00:04:00,540
It's seen all the great conquerors of Asia come by
79
00:04:00,540 --> 00:04:02,308
from Genghis Khan to Stalin.
80
00:04:02,308 --> 00:04:04,975
(playful music)
81
00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,570
As we continue our way down the Golden Road,
82
00:04:09,570 --> 00:04:12,110
we come to the crown jewel of the Silk Road.
83
00:04:12,110 --> 00:04:13,860
The Timurid Emperor set out to make it
84
00:04:13,860 --> 00:04:15,490
one of the most beautiful cities in the world
85
00:04:15,490 --> 00:04:17,110
in the 14th century.
86
00:04:17,110 --> 00:04:19,773
The city that sounds like a promise, Samarkand.
87
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,844
Even though Afghanistan is located just to the south,
88
00:04:25,844 --> 00:04:27,991
it's the Russian influence that at first
89
00:04:27,991 --> 00:04:29,410
seems to prevail here,
90
00:04:29,410 --> 00:04:32,060
especially in terms of its more joyful aspects.
91
00:04:32,060 --> 00:04:34,198
Rococo buildings in stucco with pastel colors,
92
00:04:34,198 --> 00:04:36,053
women in bright outfits.
93
00:04:37,390 --> 00:04:39,070
After the starkness of the desert,
94
00:04:39,070 --> 00:04:40,940
it's a delightful surprise to discover
95
00:04:40,940 --> 00:04:43,320
how pleasant life can be in this lush green city,
96
00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,392
where even the doves are tinted green,
97
00:04:45,392 --> 00:04:46,743
the color of hope.
98
00:04:48,210 --> 00:04:50,870
Samarkand indeed owes its fortune to the mildness
99
00:04:50,870 --> 00:04:52,030
of its climate,
100
00:04:52,030 --> 00:04:54,290
or more precisely, to the man who thus decided
101
00:04:54,290 --> 00:04:57,950
to make it his capital, a capital unsurpassed by any other:
102
00:04:57,950 --> 00:05:00,400
Tamerlane or Timur the Lame,
103
00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,380
the Turco-Mongol clan leader who became a world conqueror.
104
00:05:03,380 --> 00:05:05,950
Tamerlane is the heart and soul of Samarkand.
105
00:05:05,950 --> 00:05:08,490
He considered himself a descendant of Genghis Khan,
106
00:05:08,490 --> 00:05:11,040
and established the largest land empire in history.
107
00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,920
He razed and slaughtered his way across Asia,
108
00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,360
plundering and destroying ancient cities in his wake.
109
00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,760
But Tamerlane was also a great builder.
110
00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,330
He made Samarkand his capital,
111
00:05:21,330 --> 00:05:23,740
and his mausoleum an architectural masterpiece
112
00:05:23,740 --> 00:05:25,353
to serve as his testament.
113
00:05:32,648 --> 00:05:35,470
This is Tamerlane the Terrible's cenotaph.
114
00:05:35,470 --> 00:05:37,270
It's a cenotaph because the tomb is empty.
115
00:05:37,270 --> 00:05:39,400
His body's in the crypt below.
116
00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:40,755
Legend tells us that the following words
117
00:05:40,755 --> 00:05:42,710
were inscribed on his tomb:
118
00:05:42,710 --> 00:05:45,570
Whosoever disturbs my tomb will unleash an invader
119
00:05:45,570 --> 00:05:47,190
more terrible than myself.
120
00:05:47,190 --> 00:05:48,180
It was a warning that meant
121
00:05:48,180 --> 00:05:50,011
do not open my grave, or you will let loose
122
00:05:50,011 --> 00:05:51,373
the spirits of war.
123
00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,290
Everyone heeded this warning for centuries
124
00:05:56,290 --> 00:05:58,310
until the Soviets, who were neither religious
125
00:05:58,310 --> 00:05:59,143
nor superstitious,
126
00:05:59,143 --> 00:06:01,170
decided they wanted to open the tomb
127
00:06:01,170 --> 00:06:03,290
in order to study his remains.
128
00:06:03,290 --> 00:06:05,064
It was the anthropologist Gerasimov
129
00:06:05,064 --> 00:06:06,974
who opened it on the night of the 21st
130
00:06:06,974 --> 00:06:10,100
or 22nd of June, 1941.
131
00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:12,320
And that same night, Hitler launched the Nazi operation
132
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:15,800
Barbarossa and invaded the USSR.
133
00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:16,979
That didn't stop the Soviets from pursuing
134
00:06:16,979 --> 00:06:19,370
their examination of the skeleton.
135
00:06:19,370 --> 00:06:21,259
One of the things they discovered was that the hair
136
00:06:21,259 --> 00:06:24,280
that was still on Tamerlane's head was red.
137
00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:25,550
Again, according to the legend,
138
00:06:25,550 --> 00:06:27,239
which the Uzbeks firmly believe in,
139
00:06:27,239 --> 00:06:28,848
Stalin started having nightmares,
140
00:06:28,848 --> 00:06:31,139
seeing Tamerlane in his dreams.
141
00:06:31,139 --> 00:06:32,559
So he said to his henchmen,
142
00:06:32,559 --> 00:06:34,915
"Listen, we have to get rid of that corpse."
143
00:06:34,915 --> 00:06:37,081
It was taken out of the Kremlin's basement,
144
00:06:37,081 --> 00:06:40,159
put in a plane that circled over Moscow three times
145
00:06:40,159 --> 00:06:43,150
before bringing the body back here to Uzbekistan.
146
00:06:43,150 --> 00:06:45,679
Tamerlane's remains were buried with full Islamic rituals,
147
00:06:45,679 --> 00:06:47,770
and a few weeks later, the Soviets won
148
00:06:47,770 --> 00:06:49,020
the Battle of Stalingrad.
149
00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:53,439
The Registan in Samarkand is regarded
150
00:06:53,439 --> 00:06:56,683
as one of the finest examples of Persian architecture.
151
00:06:57,706 --> 00:07:00,170
Although construction began under Tamerlane,
152
00:07:00,170 --> 00:07:02,392
the mosques and gigantic madrasahs around the square
153
00:07:02,392 --> 00:07:04,500
are mainly the work of his grandson,
154
00:07:04,500 --> 00:07:06,533
the Timurid Sultan Ulugh Beg.
155
00:07:07,740 --> 00:07:10,590
Completed in 1420, the Madrasah Ulugh Beg
156
00:07:10,590 --> 00:07:13,380
was the largest university in Central Asia.
157
00:07:13,380 --> 00:07:14,790
Many subjects were studied here.
158
00:07:14,790 --> 00:07:16,770
The Quran, of course, as well as astronomy,
159
00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:19,353
mathematics, philosophy, and literature.
160
00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,060
The Sultan himself would come to talk
161
00:07:22,060 --> 00:07:23,532
or even study with the students.
162
00:07:23,532 --> 00:07:26,324
Ulugh Beg was a poet, mathematician, and astronomer,
163
00:07:26,324 --> 00:07:28,420
who made Samarkand the empire's
164
00:07:28,420 --> 00:07:30,003
brilliant intellectual center.
165
00:07:31,090 --> 00:07:33,900
Professor Murid Khan Ergashev is very passionate
166
00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:35,400
about the history of his city.
167
00:07:42,048 --> 00:07:44,320
[Murid Translator] Before all this architecture was here,
168
00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,498
this was a huge marketplace back in the time of Amir Timur.
169
00:07:48,498 --> 00:07:49,619
[Alfred Translator] The Registan.
170
00:07:49,619 --> 00:07:50,810
[Murid Translator] The sandy place.
171
00:07:50,810 --> 00:07:53,250
And all six avenues in the city of Samarkand
172
00:07:53,250 --> 00:07:54,350
came through here.
173
00:07:54,350 --> 00:07:57,498
This was the terminus for the caravans.
174
00:07:57,498 --> 00:07:59,090
[Alfred Translator] Of course, everything here is
175
00:07:59,090 --> 00:07:59,923
spectacular.
176
00:07:59,923 --> 00:08:00,756
It's extraordinary.
177
00:08:00,756 --> 00:08:02,570
But there's one thing in particular that I find
178
00:08:02,570 --> 00:08:03,790
really interesting,
179
00:08:03,790 --> 00:08:05,080
and that's the mosaics,
180
00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,318
especially on this madrasah.
181
00:08:06,318 --> 00:08:07,769
They're very original.
182
00:08:07,769 --> 00:08:10,119
I've never seen anything like those tigers and gazelles
183
00:08:10,119 --> 00:08:12,330
before in Islamic decoration.
184
00:08:12,330 --> 00:08:13,253
What's it about?
185
00:08:14,258 --> 00:08:15,736
[Murid Translator] Listen, in my opinion,
186
00:08:15,736 --> 00:08:18,099
they have to do with the signs of the zodiac.
187
00:08:18,099 --> 00:08:21,136
You see, I think they began or perhaps finished
188
00:08:21,136 --> 00:08:24,758
building here when the sun had entered the sign of the lion.
189
00:08:24,758 --> 00:08:26,920
There are also other theories
190
00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,320
that say that the lion represents the students
191
00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:32,653
or it represents power.
192
00:08:34,010 --> 00:08:36,580
And in fact, on Ulugh Beg's standard,
193
00:08:36,580 --> 00:08:38,270
and on the money of the time,
194
00:08:38,270 --> 00:08:39,783
we find this tiger.
195
00:08:42,288 --> 00:08:43,352
[Alfred Translator] Okay, so it's not really a tiger,
196
00:08:43,352 --> 00:08:44,767
it's a lion.
197
00:08:44,767 --> 00:08:46,187
[Murid Translator] We usually call it a lion.
198
00:08:46,187 --> 00:08:49,010
[Alfred Translator] Okay, and the figure being carried,
199
00:08:49,010 --> 00:08:50,668
is that the sun?
200
00:08:50,668 --> 00:08:52,530
[Murid Translator] Ah yes, the sun with a human face
201
00:08:52,530 --> 00:08:54,810
represents the enlightened mind.
202
00:08:54,810 --> 00:08:56,213
You see, the light?
203
00:09:01,448 --> 00:09:02,440
[Alfred Translator] By bringing craftsmen
204
00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,013
from all over his empire to come and work here,
205
00:09:04,013 --> 00:09:06,640
Tamerlane, or Amir Timur if you prefer,
206
00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,590
encouraged a syncretic style of art
207
00:09:08,590 --> 00:09:09,963
called Timurid art.
208
00:09:09,963 --> 00:09:12,343
One of its trademarks is the glazed tiling
209
00:09:12,343 --> 00:09:15,570
made of terracotta covered with a thin layer of glass
210
00:09:15,570 --> 00:09:18,153
that gets its bluish hue from the copper dyes.
211
00:09:21,770 --> 00:09:23,033
Wow, it's stunning.
212
00:09:23,983 --> 00:09:26,733
(dramatic music)
213
00:09:48,916 --> 00:09:50,640
The Timurid style is also known for its
214
00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,210
trompe l'oeil designs.
215
00:09:52,210 --> 00:09:54,610
For example, on this dome in the Tilla Kari Mosque,
216
00:09:54,610 --> 00:09:56,373
which is covered with gold.
217
00:09:56,373 --> 00:09:59,123
(dramatic music)
218
00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:08,023
What's interesting is that you speak of Tamerlane
219
00:10:08,023 --> 00:10:09,860
as the builder of empires,
220
00:10:09,860 --> 00:10:11,663
where as in France we see him as a conqueror
221
00:10:11,663 --> 00:10:13,190
or someone who was destructive,
222
00:10:13,190 --> 00:10:15,407
who killed tens of thousands of people
223
00:10:15,407 --> 00:10:17,443
like Attila or Genghis Khan.
224
00:10:18,423 --> 00:10:19,700
But you see him, on the contrary,
225
00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:20,930
as a great king.
226
00:10:20,930 --> 00:10:24,160
Besides, you don't see Tamerlane, that is Timur the Lame,
227
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:25,747
but Amir Timur.
228
00:10:25,747 --> 00:10:28,608
[Murid Translator] Tamerlane is somewhat pejorative.
229
00:10:28,608 --> 00:10:29,992
[Alfred Translator] Tamerlane is pejorative?
230
00:10:29,992 --> 00:10:31,190
[Murid Translator] Yes, it means, like you said,
231
00:10:31,190 --> 00:10:32,748
Timur the Lame.
232
00:10:32,748 --> 00:10:33,841
[Alfred Translator] But wasn't he lame?
233
00:10:33,841 --> 00:10:35,745
[Murid Translator] Yes, he was lame.
234
00:10:35,745 --> 00:10:37,950
But that doesn't mean we should call him lame.
235
00:10:37,950 --> 00:10:39,853
You know, it's not polite.
236
00:10:40,855 --> 00:10:41,688
[Alfred Translator] I see.
237
00:10:41,688 --> 00:10:42,967
So what do you call him?
238
00:10:42,967 --> 00:10:44,589
[Murid Translator] Simply, Amir Timur.
239
00:10:44,589 --> 00:10:45,422
[Alfred Translator] Amir Timur.
240
00:10:45,422 --> 00:10:46,454
Prince Timur, right?
241
00:10:46,454 --> 00:10:47,914
[Murid Translator] Yeah.
242
00:10:47,914 --> 00:10:49,340
[Alfred Translator] So was Amir Timur's empire,
243
00:10:49,340 --> 00:10:50,880
real empire, a centralized state,
244
00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,077
or was it mainly just a lot of conquered territories?
245
00:10:54,077 --> 00:10:55,950
[Murid Translator] It was a real empire.
246
00:10:55,950 --> 00:10:58,253
A truly centralized state.
247
00:10:58,253 --> 00:11:01,470
For us, and for me personally,
248
00:11:01,470 --> 00:11:04,610
comparing Amir Timur to Attila or to Genghis Khan
249
00:11:04,610 --> 00:11:07,780
is, well, a little insulting.
250
00:11:07,780 --> 00:11:10,900
Look, the Mongols were here in our lands
251
00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:14,043
for almost 150 years, and they never built anything.
252
00:11:15,888 --> 00:11:19,530
While Amir Timur, even in the countries he invaded,
253
00:11:19,530 --> 00:11:21,445
set about building a lot of things.
254
00:11:21,445 --> 00:11:25,373
He built madrasahs, caravansaries, bridges, et cetera.
255
00:11:28,513 --> 00:11:30,870
He spent most of his time on horseback,
256
00:11:30,870 --> 00:11:32,720
going out to conquer countries,
257
00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:34,450
but after each expedition,
258
00:11:34,450 --> 00:11:36,050
he would come back to Samarkand.
259
00:11:38,779 --> 00:11:39,790
[Alfred Translator] And he was always thinking
260
00:11:39,790 --> 00:11:41,260
of his capital here in Samarkand,
261
00:11:41,260 --> 00:11:43,400
since he did something that was rather peculiar,
262
00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,239
quite astonishing for a conqueror, really,
263
00:11:45,239 --> 00:11:48,100
which was to capture, to kidnap, or imprison
264
00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:50,270
all of the highly skilled craftsmen in the cities
265
00:11:50,270 --> 00:11:53,388
that he took, and then bring them back here.
266
00:11:53,388 --> 00:11:55,419
And so how many craftsmen, how many artists,
267
00:11:55,419 --> 00:11:56,773
were there here in the end?
268
00:11:57,899 --> 00:11:59,390
[Murid Translator] Well, I can't tell you how many
269
00:11:59,390 --> 00:12:01,169
artists there were.
270
00:12:01,169 --> 00:12:02,022
[Alfred Translator] Dozens?
271
00:12:02,022 --> 00:12:02,855
Hundreds?
272
00:12:02,855 --> 00:12:03,850
[ Murid Translator] Maybe.
273
00:12:03,850 --> 00:12:06,450
There were at least 12 to 15 architecture schools here
274
00:12:06,450 --> 00:12:09,260
at the same time in the city of Samarkand.
275
00:12:09,260 --> 00:12:12,200
The ribbed domes, the torsades,
276
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,769
everything was invented in Samarkand.
277
00:12:14,769 --> 00:12:15,820
[Alfred Translator] The ribbed dome was really
278
00:12:15,820 --> 00:12:17,005
invented in Samarkand?
279
00:12:17,005 --> 00:12:17,838
[Murid Translator] Yes.
280
00:12:17,838 --> 00:12:18,671
[Alfred Translator] Because later on we find them
281
00:12:18,671 --> 00:12:20,344
in Delhi and in many different places.
282
00:12:20,344 --> 00:12:21,464
[Murid Translator] But they're more recent.
283
00:12:21,464 --> 00:12:23,300
[Alfred Translator] So they were inspired by Samarkand.
284
00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:25,404
The city was already legendary back then.
285
00:12:25,404 --> 00:12:27,650
[Murid Translator] Yes, it's often said that
286
00:12:27,650 --> 00:12:30,284
Alexander exclaimed when he saw Samarkand
287
00:12:30,284 --> 00:12:33,744
that everything he'd heard about it was true.
288
00:12:33,744 --> 00:12:37,300
Except that it was even more beautiful
289
00:12:37,300 --> 00:12:38,313
than he'd imagined.
290
00:12:39,684 --> 00:12:42,253
So if he said that, he must have been right.
291
00:12:46,341 --> 00:12:47,840
[Alfred Translator] Samarkand is thus so beautiful
292
00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,644
that it makes Professor Ergashev get all mixed up
293
00:12:49,644 --> 00:12:52,100
in his chronology, since the city was built
294
00:12:52,100 --> 00:12:53,960
more than a thousand years after Alexander
295
00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:55,540
came through here.
296
00:12:55,540 --> 00:12:57,500
But after all, there are all kinds of legends
297
00:12:57,500 --> 00:12:59,650
about the Greek conqueror on the Silk Road.
298
00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:01,803
Thank you.
299
00:13:03,723 --> 00:13:06,306
(upbeat music)
300
00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:10,640
In Samarkand the Grand Bazaar is still here
301
00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,660
to remind us of the Golden Age of the Silk Road.
302
00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:16,010
Dried fruits and nuts are a custom left over
303
00:13:16,010 --> 00:13:17,420
from those days.
304
00:13:17,420 --> 00:13:19,386
Light and long lasting, they were a favorite food
305
00:13:19,386 --> 00:13:20,883
among caravaners.
306
00:13:22,686 --> 00:13:23,823
Can I taste them?
307
00:13:26,356 --> 00:13:27,623
[Server Translator] Are you French?
308
00:13:28,497 --> 00:13:29,330
Francais.
309
00:13:29,330 --> 00:13:30,163
Francais, je suis.
310
00:13:30,163 --> 00:13:30,996
Je suis, yes.
311
00:13:33,935 --> 00:13:34,997
[Alfred Translator] Thank you.
312
00:13:37,228 --> 00:13:40,310
The fabled dried fruit and nuts of the Silk Road.
313
00:13:40,310 --> 00:13:41,680
They could be carried in caravans,
314
00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:43,388
and they were one of Samarkand's big attractions.
315
00:13:43,388 --> 00:13:46,088
The city lured people by selling these delicious
316
00:13:46,088 --> 00:13:48,200
fruits and nuts.
317
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,750
And it's true that the raisins here are incredible.
318
00:13:51,870 --> 00:13:53,893
Wow, honey crystals, can I taste?
319
00:13:56,430 --> 00:13:58,450
The diversity of the faces is amazing.
320
00:13:58,450 --> 00:13:59,450
I can't get over it.
321
00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:03,830
Transoxiana lies at the crossroads between several worlds,
322
00:14:03,830 --> 00:14:05,268
and the result is a mosaic of the many peoples
323
00:14:05,268 --> 00:14:08,470
who have crisscrossed Asia throughout history.
324
00:14:08,470 --> 00:14:10,690
Today, some Uzbeks look like Turks,
325
00:14:10,690 --> 00:14:13,470
others like Iranians, while some look Chinese,
326
00:14:13,470 --> 00:14:15,023
Mongol, or almost Russian.
327
00:14:16,816 --> 00:14:19,210
It was said that the bread in Samarkand was so good
328
00:14:19,210 --> 00:14:21,430
that on his forays into faraway lands,
329
00:14:21,430 --> 00:14:24,020
Tamerlane would requisition bakers, flour,
330
00:14:24,020 --> 00:14:26,040
and all of the ingredients, because he wanted to eat
331
00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:27,100
the same bread,
332
00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:28,690
and each time he'd be disappointed
333
00:14:28,690 --> 00:14:30,090
the bread wouldn't be right.
334
00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:32,972
And it was said that a lot of bakers were executed
335
00:14:32,972 --> 00:14:35,363
to punish them for the bad bread they'd made.
336
00:14:36,581 --> 00:14:38,329
And in the end, he decided he would never travel
337
00:14:38,329 --> 00:14:40,410
without his own stock of bread.
338
00:14:40,410 --> 00:14:42,281
And so every day while he was out on his conquests
339
00:14:42,281 --> 00:14:45,680
in India or Russia, there would be people going
340
00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:47,652
back and forth on horseback to bring him bread,
341
00:14:47,652 --> 00:14:48,913
freshly baked.
342
00:14:50,758 --> 00:14:53,508
(dramatic music)
343
00:14:58,550 --> 00:15:00,350
If we go outside of the city center to
344
00:15:00,350 --> 00:15:03,770
Afrasiab Hill, we come upon the remains of Marakanda,
345
00:15:03,770 --> 00:15:06,350
as the city was called at the time of Alexander the Great.
346
00:15:06,350 --> 00:15:08,330
We can see the ruins of a palace which belonged to
347
00:15:08,330 --> 00:15:09,910
the king of the Sogdian people.
348
00:15:09,910 --> 00:15:13,020
This palace also served as an enormous caravansary.
349
00:15:13,020 --> 00:15:15,830
The king of Sogdiana thus acted at the same time
350
00:15:15,830 --> 00:15:17,172
as the head of the merchants guild.
351
00:15:17,172 --> 00:15:19,410
Which was to be expected since he was the ruler
352
00:15:19,410 --> 00:15:21,960
of one of the greatest trading cultures in history.
353
00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,040
Samarkand was founded in the 6th century BC
354
00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:26,180
by the Sogdians.
355
00:15:26,180 --> 00:15:28,112
And the Silk Road exists precisely because of the
356
00:15:28,112 --> 00:15:29,870
Sogdian people.
357
00:15:29,870 --> 00:15:31,759
They came from the Scythians, the nomads who dominated
358
00:15:31,759 --> 00:15:34,330
Eurasia for thousands of years.
359
00:15:34,330 --> 00:15:36,293
They were brilliant traders, as well as very educated
360
00:15:36,293 --> 00:15:37,580
and refined.
361
00:15:37,580 --> 00:15:39,660
One of the most famous Sogdians was the woman whom
362
00:15:39,660 --> 00:15:42,702
Alexander the Great fell in love with, Roxanne.
363
00:15:42,702 --> 00:15:45,202
(piano music)
364
00:15:47,910 --> 00:15:49,817
For a long time, historians didn't know much about
365
00:15:49,817 --> 00:15:50,930
the Sogdians,
366
00:15:50,930 --> 00:15:52,560
except that their merchant kingdom controlled
367
00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:53,748
all of the caravans and trading posts
368
00:15:53,748 --> 00:15:55,793
from Persia to China.
369
00:15:57,370 --> 00:15:59,803
As the capital of Sogdiana, Samarkand was strategically
370
00:15:59,803 --> 00:16:03,080
located at the crossroads of all the major trade routes,
371
00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,394
and the Sogdians, who were basically a peaceful people,
372
00:16:05,394 --> 00:16:08,040
managed to turn their city into the main economic
373
00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,470
and cultural center of the entire region.
374
00:16:10,470 --> 00:16:13,220
(dramatic music)
375
00:16:20,100 --> 00:16:22,369
Under the Soviet regime, archeological excavation
376
00:16:22,369 --> 00:16:25,050
brought to light more information about the Sogdians.
377
00:16:25,050 --> 00:16:27,760
In particular, due to the discovery of the ambassador's
378
00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,403
painting, dating from the middle of the 7th century.
379
00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,510
This extraordinary mural shows the diplomatic activity
380
00:16:34,510 --> 00:16:35,973
of the Chinese, who were depicted here
381
00:16:35,973 --> 00:16:38,593
on a ceremonial visit to the king of Sogdiana.
382
00:16:39,620 --> 00:16:42,120
The Russian restorer, Marena Rotova,
383
00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,920
has devoted her life to trying to unravel its mysteries.
384
00:16:47,101 --> 00:16:49,840
The Sogdians are considered to be the true founders
385
00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:50,853
of the Silk Road.
386
00:16:51,740 --> 00:16:54,569
Can you tell us how far away their trading posts were,
387
00:16:54,569 --> 00:16:56,483
geographically speaking?
388
00:16:58,587 --> 00:17:01,090
[Marena Translator] The people who lived here
389
00:17:01,090 --> 00:17:02,230
were very enterprising.
390
00:17:02,230 --> 00:17:05,380
And in Sogdiana, of course, there were a lot of goods
391
00:17:05,380 --> 00:17:07,890
that were valued in other countries.
392
00:17:07,890 --> 00:17:10,370
Sogdian merchants went to China where they had their
393
00:17:10,370 --> 00:17:11,680
trading posts.
394
00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:13,645
When I visited China, I saw many pictures
395
00:17:13,645 --> 00:17:15,970
of Sogdians in the museum.
396
00:17:15,970 --> 00:17:18,670
And so they also went as far as the Al Tahi,
397
00:17:18,670 --> 00:17:20,443
and thus all along the Silk Road.
398
00:17:21,330 --> 00:17:23,050
They were a very educated people
399
00:17:23,050 --> 00:17:25,278
and very enterprising in business.
400
00:17:25,278 --> 00:17:27,240
Even though the journeys were long,
401
00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:28,200
some took years,
402
00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,531
they traveled up and down the Silk Road on foot,
403
00:17:31,531 --> 00:17:34,040
were able to deal with all of the difficulties
404
00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:35,340
along the way,
405
00:17:35,340 --> 00:17:36,930
discover new territories,
406
00:17:36,930 --> 00:17:38,800
and conquer new markets.
407
00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,020
And so they not only forged strong commercial ties,
408
00:17:42,020 --> 00:17:43,633
but political ties as well.
409
00:17:44,630 --> 00:17:46,124
When a new baby was born,
410
00:17:46,124 --> 00:17:48,998
the family would smear its mouth and hand with honey
411
00:17:48,998 --> 00:17:52,030
so that later it would grow up to talk sweetly
412
00:17:52,030 --> 00:17:54,460
and money would stick to its hands.
413
00:17:54,460 --> 00:17:56,450
In other words, they prepared their children
414
00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:58,727
to go into commerce from a very early age.
415
00:18:00,838 --> 00:18:03,588
(dramatic music)
416
00:18:20,343 --> 00:18:21,850
[Alfred Translator] Marena, you're a chemist.
417
00:18:21,850 --> 00:18:23,890
In the techniques used to create this mural,
418
00:18:23,890 --> 00:18:26,270
do you see the historical influences as coming more
419
00:18:26,270 --> 00:18:29,093
from the Middle East or more from methods from Asia?
420
00:18:32,182 --> 00:18:34,170
[Marena Translator] The wall was prepared using a plaster
421
00:18:34,170 --> 00:18:36,800
made of clay, and then another kind of plaster
422
00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,280
called ganch was applied.
423
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,363
Once the ganch was dry, they painted on top of it.
424
00:18:43,490 --> 00:18:46,423
This is a technique that is only used in central Asia.
425
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,640
As for the colors, various pigments were used.
426
00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,143
Ochre, charcoal, and gypsum were local pigments.
427
00:18:56,657 --> 00:19:00,200
But lezurite, which provided the color blue,
428
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:01,773
was imported from Badakhshan.
429
00:19:02,820 --> 00:19:05,191
And studies have shown that the cinnabar
430
00:19:05,191 --> 00:19:07,100
used for the red paint
431
00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:09,650
and the ceruse, or white lead,
432
00:19:09,650 --> 00:19:11,403
were probably imported from China.
433
00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:15,250
[Alfred Translator] Marena, you've been restoring
434
00:19:15,250 --> 00:19:17,290
this mural for almost four decades now.
435
00:19:17,290 --> 00:19:18,510
You've dedicated your life to it.
436
00:19:18,510 --> 00:19:20,680
What do you think about when you're working on it?
437
00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:22,980
What is it that moves you in this work of art?
438
00:19:26,697 --> 00:19:28,670
[Marena Translator] When you're working,
439
00:19:28,670 --> 00:19:30,880
especially out on the excavation site
440
00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:32,480
with the archeologists,
441
00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:34,960
you feel like you're traveling back in time.
442
00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,300
You've left the 21st century and gone back
443
00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:39,283
to the 8th or the 7th century.
444
00:19:42,060 --> 00:19:44,044
Or even earlier, depending on the period in which
445
00:19:44,044 --> 00:19:45,723
the painting was created.
446
00:19:47,370 --> 00:19:48,550
It really is extraordinary.
447
00:19:48,550 --> 00:19:51,160
Your heart starts to beat as you uncover the painting
448
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,350
very delicately, centimeter by centimeter.
449
00:19:54,350 --> 00:19:56,400
You can't wait to see what comes next.
450
00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:57,600
What else will you find?
451
00:19:58,510 --> 00:20:00,610
It's a very fascinating process,
452
00:20:00,610 --> 00:20:02,214
revealing the painting and seeing
453
00:20:02,214 --> 00:20:05,107
what was painted thousands of years ago.
454
00:20:06,601 --> 00:20:09,351
(dramatic music)
455
00:20:17,276 --> 00:20:18,109
[Alfred Translator] It can now be seen
456
00:20:18,109 --> 00:20:20,040
in the mural that Marena is restoring.
457
00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,210
What makes Samarkand the epicenter of the Silk Road
458
00:20:22,210 --> 00:20:24,593
is the very visible influence of China.
459
00:20:26,380 --> 00:20:29,690
Silk, paper, printing, porcelain, gunpowder.
460
00:20:29,690 --> 00:20:31,480
The Chinese discovered all of these things
461
00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:33,490
centuries before Europe did,
462
00:20:33,490 --> 00:20:35,930
and these technical advances then passed through the hands
463
00:20:35,930 --> 00:20:37,770
of the Sogdians of Samarkand.
464
00:20:37,770 --> 00:20:39,530
A small paper mill continues to thrive
465
00:20:39,530 --> 00:20:40,950
on the outskirts of the city
466
00:20:40,950 --> 00:20:43,063
as a testimonial to this historical role.
467
00:20:44,910 --> 00:20:47,850
In the year 751, an Arab army defeated the army
468
00:20:47,850 --> 00:20:48,980
sent by the emperor of China
469
00:20:48,980 --> 00:20:50,223
to conquer central Asia.
470
00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:53,540
The Chinese prisoners of war were sent to Samarkand
471
00:20:53,540 --> 00:20:55,782
as slaves, where they would reveal the secret
472
00:20:55,782 --> 00:20:58,483
of making paper from the bark of the mulberry tree.
473
00:21:00,030 --> 00:21:02,240
Samarkand would become the main supplier of paper
474
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,500
to the Arab world, and then to all of Europe
475
00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:06,150
until the end of the Middle Ages.
476
00:21:08,166 --> 00:21:10,916
(dramatic music)
477
00:21:25,532 --> 00:21:26,850
This fiber is incredibly resistant.
478
00:21:26,850 --> 00:21:28,663
I can't, I can't even.
479
00:21:30,830 --> 00:21:31,663
Can I try?
480
00:21:35,290 --> 00:21:38,930
So, I'm taking it, I put it here.
481
00:21:38,930 --> 00:21:39,763
And then I pull?
482
00:21:43,674 --> 00:21:44,813
Is that right?
483
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,510
To make paper, you need a lot of bark,
484
00:21:50,510 --> 00:21:52,250
and even more water.
485
00:21:52,250 --> 00:21:54,380
The technique is relatively simple.
486
00:21:54,380 --> 00:21:56,538
First, the mulberry bark is left to soak in boiling water
487
00:21:56,538 --> 00:21:58,810
in order to soften it.
488
00:21:58,810 --> 00:22:00,810
Then a knife is used to remove the outer skin
489
00:22:00,810 --> 00:22:02,410
from the long fibers underneath.
490
00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:05,280
By mixing these fibers together again,
491
00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:06,440
and pounding them for hours,
492
00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,130
in this case with the mechanical pestles
493
00:22:08,130 --> 00:22:09,650
operated by the water mill,
494
00:22:09,650 --> 00:22:11,500
a fairly liquid paste is obtained,
495
00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:13,680
which is then filtered, pressed, and dried,
496
00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:15,780
to obtain these beautiful sheets of paper.
497
00:22:24,660 --> 00:22:26,610
In the Middle Ages, Europe went crazy
498
00:22:26,610 --> 00:22:28,700
for these sheets of paper from Samarkand.
499
00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:31,170
They enabled writing to be distributed via a medium
500
00:22:31,170 --> 00:22:33,713
other than parchment or tanned animal hides.
501
00:22:35,450 --> 00:22:37,890
The intellectual revolution that Gutenberg would bring about
502
00:22:37,890 --> 00:22:39,791
with his invention of the printing press in the 15th century
503
00:22:39,791 --> 00:22:42,070
would not have been possible without
504
00:22:42,070 --> 00:22:43,713
the prior introduction of paper.
505
00:22:48,610 --> 00:22:49,798
In the travels of Marco Polo,
506
00:22:49,798 --> 00:22:52,675
Marco Polo described Samarkand as a noble city
507
00:22:52,675 --> 00:22:54,218
adorned with beautiful gardens
508
00:22:54,218 --> 00:22:56,808
surrounded by a plain in which are produced
509
00:22:56,808 --> 00:22:59,000
all the fruits that man can desire.
510
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,270
But how could so many gardens grow
511
00:23:01,270 --> 00:23:03,003
on the edge of a desert?
512
00:23:03,003 --> 00:23:05,750
The secret, in fact, lies in the glaciers and snow
513
00:23:05,750 --> 00:23:07,384
from the Pamir Mountains in the Himalayas
514
00:23:07,384 --> 00:23:09,380
that melt and provide water,
515
00:23:09,380 --> 00:23:11,370
which is all the more abundant in summer.
516
00:23:11,370 --> 00:23:14,973
Explains Uzman Kurimof, who is an agricultural manager.
517
00:23:17,264 --> 00:23:19,320
There's a lot of talk about the fabulous gardens
518
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,780
owned by Tamerlane or Amir Timur.
519
00:23:21,780 --> 00:23:23,980
Do we know where they were around Samarkand?
520
00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:26,710
[Uzman Translator] We are, in fact, standing in
521
00:23:26,710 --> 00:23:28,450
Amir Timur's gardens.
522
00:23:28,450 --> 00:23:30,400
There were only big trees here in the past,
523
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,340
but today the younger generation has created
524
00:23:32,340 --> 00:23:35,642
modern gardens and new technologies are being used.
525
00:23:35,642 --> 00:23:36,990
[Alfred Translator] Were these pleasure gardens
526
00:23:36,990 --> 00:23:40,033
filled with flowers or instead orchards that bore fruit?
527
00:23:41,162 --> 00:23:42,700
[Uzman Translator] Amir Timur's gardens were
528
00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:43,930
quite extraordinary.
529
00:23:43,930 --> 00:23:45,950
There were all kinds of fruit trees grown here.
530
00:23:45,950 --> 00:23:48,000
These gardens furnished all of the nutrients
531
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,050
that people needed.
532
00:23:49,050 --> 00:23:50,843
Merchants who were tired after being on the road
533
00:23:50,843 --> 00:23:52,480
and were looking for a place to rest
534
00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:53,740
and regain their strength
535
00:23:53,740 --> 00:23:55,430
would stop next to the gardens.
536
00:23:55,430 --> 00:23:57,320
And so shelters were then set up near the gardens
537
00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,950
because they provided an environment that was
538
00:23:59,950 --> 00:24:00,993
cool and refreshing.
539
00:24:02,437 --> 00:24:03,270
[Alfred Translator] And back in the days
540
00:24:03,270 --> 00:24:04,103
of the Silk Road,
541
00:24:04,103 --> 00:24:06,903
which fruit was exported from the area around Samarkand?
542
00:24:08,153 --> 00:24:09,700
[Uzman Translator] There were no refrigerators back then,
543
00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:11,800
so it was dried fruits that were exported.
544
00:24:12,870 --> 00:24:15,810
Raisins, dried apricots, dried apples, dried melons,
545
00:24:15,810 --> 00:24:17,170
and nuts were produced.
546
00:24:17,170 --> 00:24:18,810
Everything was dried under our wonderful sun,
547
00:24:18,810 --> 00:24:20,910
which allowed the natural properties of the fruits
548
00:24:20,910 --> 00:24:21,743
to be preserved.
549
00:24:22,905 --> 00:24:25,655
(dramatic music)
550
00:24:33,781 --> 00:24:34,710
[Alfred Translator] As I leave Samarkand,
551
00:24:34,710 --> 00:24:36,790
I feel like I'm crossing a milestone.
552
00:24:36,790 --> 00:24:38,571
We have passed the halfway point in our journey,
553
00:24:38,571 --> 00:24:41,253
and there are many little signs that tell us this.
554
00:24:41,253 --> 00:24:44,090
This is the end of the world known to Western culture,
555
00:24:44,090 --> 00:24:46,483
the world of the Mediterranean and of Persia.
556
00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:52,160
I'll soon be entering a new world,
557
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,282
the realm of the Middle Kingdom.
558
00:24:54,282 --> 00:24:57,032
(dramatic music)
43202
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.