Inside Kalon

All the medresas had an architecture more reminiscent of the classical caravanserai.

Kalon medresa

But inside the Kalon they let us stray, so more to come.

Kalon Minaret

Opposite the Mir-i Arab, stands the Kalon medresa, with it's minaret. Djingis Khan spared this imposing structure, in awe.

Mir-i Arab medresa

One of few living religious institutions of a classic Islamic sort in Uzbekistan. We were not allowed into the yard, only in the beautiful portico.

Responsible shopping in Uzbekistan

There were small crafts and souvenirs shop all over, as you can probably see from the pictures. I would like to highlight some (but not all, most don't seem to have websites) that we found or heard of with an edge of social responsibility in their production and marketing.

Samarkand Bukhara Silk carpets in Samarkand (with a factory outside the city and a selling point in the Registan)

and

Human House in Tashkent.

I always like to honour and prefer to pay shops where I know the revenue goes back to the people (hopefully even women) who make the produce and where it contributes to a lively SME development and the perpetuation of traditional crafts and production methods, for example.

We saw examples of this almost all over (and the Lonely Planet-guide we used had a good list), but the ones above are the only ones I could find through googling).

Inside Bukhara ark

The "ark" - the citadel in Bukhara - is the legendary spot where Stoddart and Connolly were held in a vermin-infested pit, before being assassinated in the square in front.

Today the Ark holds quite a nice museum, and as many other sites, a lot of crafts shops.

Chor-minar

The four minarets of the Chor-Minar were originally towers on the gatehouse of a 19th century medresa.

Ducks in the pond

In the pond, the swimming ducks had a house and even a little mosque for themselves!

Say no!

Sign against sexual exploitation of children on www.sayno.eu - supported by Ecpat and Save the Children.

June reading - backlog...

Having travelled during 10 days in June and posted a lot of photos, I instead have a backlog of links, from the past month.

The National writes about the future culture climate in Abu Dhabi and the Gulf.

Dagens Nyheter writes about the finding of a new Saqqara pyramid.

Svenska Dagbladet reviews the new book on Swedish neutrality policy by international law professor Ove Bring. The same paper wrote in April on the editorial pages on the book.

Aftonbladet praises Egyptian diplomatic efforts to reach dialogue and compromise with all parties of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Svenska Dagbladet is less sure that this dialogue leads to peace, in this editorial.

BBC has hopes for seeds of dialogue in the Middle East.

Bitte Hammargren of Svenska Dagbladet writes on recommended books about Gaza and Israeli compassion with Gazans plight.

Swedish radio interviews a Yemeni journalist on developments in that country.

BBC writes about the trial against Turkish singer Bülent Ersoy.

Amnesty International reports on the plight of Iraq's population and the large numbers of Iraqi refugees.

Exoressens Anna Dahlberg worries about the policy consequences of the budget situation of the Swedish Foreign Service.

BBC reports on identity crises and wealth in Saudiarabia.

Ingrid Hedström of Dagens Nyheter writes on French legal decisions and women's sexuality.

BBC writes about debts and marriage in Afghanistan and on fragile stability in Pakistan.

Dagens Nyheter follows the road to Sweden braved by a young Afghan boy fleeing his country. In Svenska Dagbladet, an Iraqi woman tells of her underground trip to Sweden in the early 90's.

Svenska Dagbladet continues to show the Lithuanian bathing paradise on the Curonian Spit.

Svenska Dagbladet writes on drawings of the Soviet Gulag.

Swedish journalist Erika Bjerström writes a debate article in Svenska Dagbladet on respect for the citizen in the building of the EU.

Svenska Dagbladet interviews an Iranian-Swedish interior decorator.

BBC reports on the 14th World Sacred Music festival in Morocco.

Lyabi-Hauz

In central Bukhara, between the Nadir Divanbegi and Kukeldash medresas, a pool was built in the 17th century. Trees shade it and chaikhanas surround it. People drink tea and play boardgames. The sound of streaming water soothes the ears in the dry desert climate.

Controlling cyberspace????

Svenska Dagbladet writes about a new report by an EU parliamentarian on controlling cyberspace, seemingly equating trivial blogging with spam....

I really fail to see the point. There is no need at all for such regulations.

Instead I will highlight the Global Voices Citizen's Media Summit in Budapest this weekend. Discussing the cyberspace in terms of opportunities, activism, advocacy and free speech seems infinitely more meaningful to me.

Update: Dagens Nyheter claims the passage was voted down. Let's hope!

Inside the medresa

Some pictures from inside the Abdel aziz medresa, including details from the inner vaults and ceiling.

Renovation

Renovation work was going on on the medresas.

Vaults

The medresas (Ulugbek and Abdul aziz) both had beautiful vaults.

Bukhara medresas - Ulugbek

Now in Bukhara, with a different history before Russian domination, but the same sense of magnificent blue tiling work.

Kizil-kum desert

The desert of red sand, enormous stretches of sparse vegetation and emptiness. In the classical stories, caravans tooks weeks to get through, struggling with the desiccating winds.

The Oxus!

Speeding through the desert from Khiva to Bukhara, we stopped and I got my first glimpse of the Oxus! Amu-darya flows through the plain and the desert, along Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, north-west to the Aral (or what is left of it...).

Khiva in the dusk

Amazingly, I caught the new moon over the desert.

New ICG-reading

Already last week, this report on the Ikhwan in Egypt was published. And today, one on Cyprus came out. (for both links, you will find first the press release and then a link to the full pdf report)

Alloquli Khan

The Alloquli Khan complex was both madrasa, bazaar and caravanserai.