Temperature: 7 – 17°C, a cool initially wet, then an overcast dull day – Cumulative distance travelled to date: 1,852 miles

The Registan – the Sher Dor Madrassa

Temir’s mausoleum made of jade

The Mausoleum of Amir Timur, built in the 14th and 15th centuries

Murray had spent considerable time calculating just how much fuel we might need to change our route plan to take in Khiva, another key ancient Silk Road city in the north of the country, rather than taking the shorter southern route into Turkmenistan. With the promise of a diesel top up in Samarkand he estimated that we could comfortably make this journey and then head south through the Karakum desert to Ashgabat, the capital. He also established via his kindly Turkmen contact in Islamabad that we could obtain the necessary visas to get us into and out of Turkmenistan, often a stumbling block for people wishing to transit through this lesser known country.

Looking out to the Registan in the centre of Samarkand

The only tomb not have required restoration, the tile work is so fine.

Majolica tile work at Shah-i-Zinda necropolis

Beautiful colours of turquoise, lapis and jade pigments

The Shah-i-Zinda – the Tomb of the Living King, referring to the most holy shrine, the tomb of Qusam ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammed. This avenue of mausolea, containing relatives of Temur and later those of his grandson Ulugbeck, was peaceful and moving drawing many pilgrims who quietly carried out their devotions.

After a day of sightseeing (never quite sure if we should be seeing the ‘site’ or the ‘sight’ – no doubt someone will tell me!) we collapsed back at our hotel to be shaken from our slumbers by a minor earth tremor. Something not so unusual for this region. In fact all the ancient monuments in this region have been renovated or rebuilt since the 1920s to date, due to dereliction and dilapidation caused either by neglect or earthquake or both (and the odd Red Army bomb), giving them all the air of a film set, slightly surreal and just a little too sterile to feel completely authentic. Nevertheless, they are still a sight to behold and testament to the craftsmanship still possible today.

The imposing Registan – sandy square – to be known as ‘the Ensemble’

The grand Registan, all of it has been restored over the last century. Photos from the early 1900s show it to be mere ruins. The restoration work is extraordinary but leaves it feeling a little sterile. The Russians added the bright blue cupola to the central building, causing outrage amongst the locals as it was not an authentic repair!

Many newly weds come to Samarkand for their official wedding photos

The stunning golden Tilla-Kari madrassa