Vienna in April 2014
The Silk Road: The Grand Market in the Mountains Pt. 2
Shot in Usbekistan. For an introduction please see Part 1.
The City of Augsburg Pt. 2
For an introduction to the series, please see Part 1. In this one, the focus is on architecture. I took a particular interest in the city’s civic hall (pictures 3 – 6). The Golden Hall is just marvelous. It was completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt entirely. If you get the chance to visit Augsburg, pay a couple of euros and don’t miss it; it’s worth it.
The City of Augsburg Pt.1
In February of this year, I participated in a two-week scholarship program at the University of Augsburg. The weather was surprisingly good, and it wasn’t as cold or snowy as I expected it to be; quite contrary, the first signs of early spring were already in the air by the end of February. As always, I enjoyed being in Bavaria. You can’t beat the beer culture and the hearty cuisine there 😉 Not to forget about the delicious pretzels! They are everywhere. Anyway: Some impressions from the streets of Augsburg, the capital of the Swabian part of Bavaria (Western Bavaria).
The Silk Road: At the Crossroads of Cultures
Samarkand is one of the oldest settlements of mankind. Situated at a central position on the trading route between Asia and Europe as well as between the Orient civilization of the south and the Nomad tribes of the far north, it developed into a place of prosperity and a melting point of different cultures. They came as tradesman and conquerors, as refugees and preachers. Their traces can still be seen in the vivid faces of the inhabitants of this marvelous city. Also, Samarkand is a profoundly religious place with Islamic architecture dominating the central part of the town, primarily impressive madrases (religious schools) and mosques with gorgeous blue cupolas. It is the mixture of people and graceful architecture, so different from Western Europe, that makes the city fascinating and alluring to the traveler. Truly another world worth visiting.
Previous entries in the series: Buxoro, The Enchanted City, The Desert City of Xiva
The Silk Road: Buxoro, The Enchanted City
Further to the west lies another majestic city along the Silk Road: Buxoro or Bukhara. While Xiva is a beautiful but somewhat enclosed desert city in Buxoro, the connection to the world outside of Central Asia can be felt. Influences from Persia and India can be seen here (just look at the first picture). The connecting element to other cities along the Silk Road is the blue cupolas, the symbols or landmarks of Uzbekistan. Oh, and of course, the Soviet cars (picture three). I like how the color of many of them still resembles an older kind of (groaning) vehicle 😉 And in case you wonder, the title of an “Enchanted City” was given to Buxoro by the diplomat Fitzroy Maclean, who worked as a diplomat in the British Embassy in Moscow and visited Central Asia in 1938. Later, he called the city “enchanted” and compared the architecture to the beauty of the Italian Renaissance. Indeed, the mosaics and structures (mostly religious buildings) are a stunning sight.
Michael Hoffman Photography 