In this episode of Silk Road Adventure, we discover how Ulugh Beg, a 15th-century ruler and scholar, transformed Samarkand into a centre of astronomical excellence, leaving a legacy that continues to shape modern science.
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00:00In the Silk Road era, the stars guided the caravans that traveled to Samarkand, and in the 15th century, a ruler of this city changed the course of the science of stars.
00:19On these steps, Lukbek went down to observe the sun and the moon.
00:30In the 15th century, Samarkand was the astronomical capital of the world.
00:48Here is a table that symbolizes the astronomical tables that Mirzo Ulukbek composed here in the 15th century.
00:59Mirzo Ulukbek, the ruler of the Timurid Empire, was one of the most advanced astronomers of his time.
01:08My journey begins at the hill where Ulukbek chose to build his observatory.
01:13Equipped with cutting-edge technology, it became the astronomical center of its era.
01:18It is in the Samarkand Observatory that Ulukbek creates the famous Zizh, a hurricane table with the coordinates of 1018 stars.
01:28Many generations of scientists up to the 19th century use the works of Ulukbek.
01:40We get a chance to take a close look at a piece of unique equipment from Ulukbek's observatory.
01:49Is this the only thing left from Ulukbek's observatory?
01:52Yes, this is a unique and gigantic instrument, a sextant fahri.
01:58It was a perfect instrument for the 15th century, which helped to make many scientific discoveries.
02:08Ulukbek promoted enlightenment and science.
02:11He commissioned the construction of this madrasah. It was the first educational institution on Rajasthan Square.
02:33I went to the center of Islamic civilization in Tashkent to see one of the rarest portraits of Ulukbek.
02:41This is a facsimile of a copy of the Book of Fixed Stars by the astronomer Al-Sufi made for Ulukbek's library.
02:49On one of the pages, the chronicle depicts Ulukbek himself.
02:53It was made at the request of Ulukbek himself.
02:56This is a life-long portrait of Ulukbek. This is the uniqueness of this book.
03:01The Silk Road was a highway of knowledge. Books and discoveries traveled with caravans as freely as goods.
03:09Our outstanding scientists, such as Al-Farghani, Kharizmi, Biruni and even Avicenna, made a huge contribution to astronomy,
03:18and this knowledge spread all over the world.
03:21And the culmination of this process was the Ulukbek Observatory.
03:38The final destination lies somewhere between Tashkent and Samarkand.
03:43Here I meet Medet Isatov, a successor of the local nomads. He is an expert in how to construct a yurt.
03:58These yurts are now used to welcome tourists at the Aydar Yurt Camp.
04:03A camel ride is another essential experience for fully immersing oneself in life in the desert echoing the days of caravans.
04:14I can so vividly imagine those caravans surrounded by the desert on their way to Samarkand.
04:20The same constellations that guided medieval travelers still light up the sky today.
04:33Back in the times of the caravans, scholars and explorers looked to the heavens not just for direction but for understanding.
04:42Ulukbek was one of them, one of the greatest minds of humanity who brought the astronomical science to the modern sky.