Samarkand and the marvelous observatory: did you ever think a place of serious science could look so magnificent?

Samarkand is a city of gorgeous tiled architecture, but in a way the most interesting site is the observatory of Ulugh Beg. You can only see the remaining sextant now, although a small bit of the observatory building has been reconstructed to help visitors imagine its earlier splendor. The astronomical discoveries made here are awe-inspiring enough, but the architecture must have been dazzling even to people who had no idea what the building was for. 

Have a look at the photos on these sites to bring the place to life:

Observatory of Ulugh Beg, Samarkand (the first picture shows what the huge sextant looks like today; scroll down to see a very partial reconstruction and the model of how it may have looked when it was in use)

The clever prince Ulugh Beg built — and used — an ingenious observatory in the 15th century (Astronomy Magazine online)

Registan Square (see some photos of Samarkand's old buildings and read about the old city's central square)

 

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