Great Silk Road

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (Jul. 2008) - my #sketch of the otherworldly #arch of neutrality #monument when it was still in central #ashgabat, topped with a golden statue of former authoritarian president niyazov, which rotated with the sun (seriously!). It has since been dismantled and moved to the outskirts of the city, and while the statue is still there, it no longer rotates 😉 ...

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (Jul. 2008) - trying on some fluffy traditional #hats at the famous #tolkuchka #bazaar in #ashgabat! 😁  sadly, the bazaar was demolished in 2011, but it was replaced by the altyn asyr bazaar, the largest open-air #market in #centralasia! 🇹🇲 ...

Samarkand, Uzbekistan (Jul. 2008) - the bright #turquoise blue #dome and ornate brick and tile work of the tilya-kori #madrasah in #samarkand`s monumental #registan square ...

Almaty, Kazakhstan (Aug. 2008) - the palace of the republic in #almaty, the largest city and former capital of #kazakhstan.  the concert hall was renovated and modernized in 2010, which completely changed its appearance, including, sadly, this awesome gold painted roof! 🇰🇿 ...

Edirne, Turkey (Aug. 2008) - the #selimiye #mosque in #edirne, completed in 1754, is considered one of the most #beautiful examples of #islamic #architecture in the world, and #architect #mimarsinan`s #masterpiece ...

Konye-Urgench, Turkmenistan (Jul. 2008) - the #mausoleum of il-arslan is #konyeurgench`s oldest standing monument and famous for its unique #architecture ...

Almaty, Kazakhstan (Aug. 2008) - the #beautiful ascension (or zenkov) #cathedral in #almaty`s panfilov park was completed in 1907, and is one of the tallest wooden #buildings in the world (and was also built without any nails!) ...

Istanbul, Turkey (Aug. 2008) - the beautiful #hagiasophia in #sultanahmet #istanbul, one of my favorite cities in #europe! ...

Khiva, Uzbekistan (Jul. 2008) - the unusual shape of the #beautiful yet stumpy kalta minor #minaret in #khiva was not intended, as the khan who commissioned it died during its construction and it was never finished ...

Bukhara, Uzbekistan (Jul. 2008) - the chor minor (meaning "four minarets") #mosque in #bukhara, one of the most #beautiful and unique #buildings on the #silkroad ...