New-York tribune., 1900-10-14
IN SAMARK AND.
THE ATHENS OF ASIA a THOUSAND
YEARS AGO AS 1T IS TO-DAY


kand The whole world has only two more in
teresting cities than the latter-Athens and
Rome, and indeed this was the Athens Of Asia
nearly thousand years ago It's consecutive
history, however. goes back twice as far that
for il was destroyed by Alexander the Gr-at
GenghiZ Khan raZed il at the beginning Of the
thirteenth century and TanerIane rebuilt in
and adorned il with the superb buildings whose
tOttering ruins are still magnificent to-day.
Russia's ownership of il dates only from lstlS
Between the railway and the native city is
the Russian town, embOwered in trees the Gov
ernOr's residence being a large and handsome
structure IN spacious grounds surrounded by
wall. Next in size is the club. casino The
only place where a decent dinner can b. had.
for the only hotels for visitors CeTtai. '1u-
mera," or furnished rooms where the acc.-r-10-
datiOn is WretChed and the cooking worse- The
club. on the other hand. which IS main "a ned
solely by the officers Of the garrison, WITH an
official subsidy, is spacious and comfortable.
with excellent cooking. perfect service by mill
tary orderlies- reading rooms, billiard To and
large ballroom
[ may cite my experience here as a typical
example Of Russian hospitality 20 strangers.
When | saw how miSeTably uncOmfOTta bile 8 was
going to he in the 'numeTa'' / cast about for
some relief l knew nobody in Samarsand hut
l decided 70 try my luck at the club So
boldly entered and asked who was the claf
oflclaL was told that a certain cap ,aIa was
officer of the day, but he was out Was any
officer in the club? Yes. Lieutenants S0-and-so
and So-and-SO We're playing billiards. Then !
said, please take my card to one Of them" In
moment a young officer came out ana / apollo
gized for disturbing him. proved my resrecta-
bility by showing him my official letters. ex-
planned that Samarkand outside the club cid
not afford decent meal 10 a traveller. and
begged therefore, that I might be allowed the
use OF the club during my brief stay. With
great pleasure" was his instant reply and he
at once entered my name and that Of ms inter
prefer, a young Russian gentleman who accom-
panied every where. in the members book
with his own name and another Officers as m
PRODUCERS
company with Russian officers, waited upon uy
Russian soldiers. and treated in every respect
with the most perfect and friendly cour-
tesy. And this, mind you, while every Russian
paper was filled with abuse of England and
lying stories implicitly believed by every -=ader
/ TO our C1scredit- hope that Russian stranger
would be not less Hospitality received at a re-
, mote British military station
SanaTkand is large city, mud cOlora5. Ike
( all the East, but il is surrounded hv a rolling
fertile country, and high above its houses tower
the glorious dOnes and portals and minar-ts Z
the handIWOrk of 1amerlane. The great market
pace OF the city, called the ItgistdE, has three
o. these for its three sideS-tha MahGre tqu SOL
leges called Shir Oar, the Lion bearing. IT a
haFl, the golden, and that of ClUgh Beg. the
astronomer and grandson OF TameIIape. The
facades of these. in the market place, consist OF
lofty arch ffanked by fiuted dOrnes and ex-
qUiSite slender towers. the whole constructed of
glazed tiles in several cO.OTs, a delicious Persian
blue predominatng-th blue of the Blue
Mosque Of Cairo The lila Kari still retains
some Of the gold with which it was spread. and
high above the gateway Of the Shir Oar may
still be seen huge emblems IN once brilliant
tiles of the Lion and the Sun Of Persia
Behind the FACADE of each madrassa Is a paved
courtyard. with a fountain and q few trees and
all around the cells of the scholars and the
imanS. Time and earthquakes have wrought
destruction, the portals are broken, some Of the
minarets are without tops. square yards Of tiles
have fallen of rubbish heaps have been formed
of the debris, but still the masnifCenc- Of these
great structures persists and 1 know no more
impressive and picturesque sight than this great
market. crowded with stalls and shouting buy
ers and sellers while high above and all around
the human ant heap stand these vast archi-
tectural splendOrS of an age long past. the note
OF heavenly blue dominating all The man who
built them lies not far of. under another >Pl-n-
did dome, behind another porcelain facade, ~
the end of another long avenue
On the ground level IS OctagOnaI cham -
and within kind Of fence of pierced ala baeHr
great block of dark green, almost black jade
said 10 be the largest in the world Directly be-
meath this, in the vault below. was TameridUe
laid SIN hundred years ago. two 90 his
councillors around him. Some rough rrua
have been made in the walls and dome az c-.S
structure. and indeed il would be "A crime 90
allow memorable spot to fall into decay
but on the whole the Russians have done ale
most nothing 10 keep these splendid structures
intact They do strictly forbid Jhs selling Il
the blue tiles but thirty years after they came
here an earthquake wrought destruction and
The piles Of brick and mortar and smashed tiles
lie just they fell.
One of the most beautiful domes of Sarla--
kand, that of the Mosque TamerIane. built for
his spouse, the daughter of the Emperor %
emma has a huge open rift across IL, and may
collapse at any moment. The cost of preserEa-
ton would not he great and il is surprising THAI
some archaeological society in Russia does not
undertake the task which the Government thus