085 - The Registan of Samarkand and Ulugh Beg, the Astronomer-King

Ulugh Beg was the Astronomer King of Samarkand, who in one of the richest cities of the Silk Road, built a madrassa and observatory to chart the stars. Wonderful astronomer. Not much of a king. His madrassa though stands on, one of the three grand buildings of the Registan square. Scott Chesworth of the Ancient World and Nadeem Ahmad of Eran ud Turan both visited Uzbekistan just before the pandemic, and they join us with tales of gorgeous tilework, empty museums, and more plov (Uzbek rice pilaf) than you can imagine. Bradley, Chris. The Silk RoadCarter, Jamie. "The Tragic Story Of The Man Who Unlocked The Universe" in ForbesIbbotson, Sophie. Uzbekistan : the Bradt travel guideKrisciunas, Kevin. "Ulugh Beg's Zij," in H. B. Paksoy, ed., Central Asian Monuments. Manz, Beatrice Forbes. Power, Politics and Religion in Timurid IranWaugh, Daniel C. "Ulugh Beg and His Observatory" in Silk Road Seattle Photograph by Euyasik, @Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Om Podcasten

In this podcast, we'll visit 200 Wonders of the World, from the Pyramids to the Great Barrier Reef, to tell the story of our people, our civilization, and our planet. My name is Caroline Vahrenkamp, and I'm a travel junkie. The world is filled with amazing places that reflect the greatest achievements of human accomplishment. In these uncertain times, understanding our great shared history may help to bridge the divides between us. And if not, it will be a fun ride anyway! We'll discuss the history of each place and the story of the men and women who lived there. We'll cover travel notes, examine what else to see while you're in the area, and dig into the local cuisine. Expect a new episode every two weeks. And thanks for listening!