Love All Races: Wonders of Central Asia

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Mecca, Turkey, Egypt, China, India, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia are among top 20 most visited countries in the world. But have you ever wondered what Uzbekistan has to offer?

More mysterious than Egyptian pyramids, as multi-cultural as Malaysia, tougher environment than the Amazon and more mathematical than Ottoman architectures (may be). Meet Uzbekistan.

Ikat

Ikat is a Malay word which means "to tie". Through trade from India ikat is now a silk fabric produced after 10 dyeing stages. It is used as movable palaces , women's garments at home and decorations in Uzbekistan. It is used by the Uzbeks, Tajiks, Jewish and many other ethnic groups there. Below is an example of ikat fabric

Architecture

Would you believe these extremely complex-1970s-mathematical patternsss was printed in Uzbeks buildings more than 500 years ahead of time!!! Without Auto CAD, calculators And modern tools , Peter J. Lu and his advisors wondered how much did these craftsmen really know how to design such elaborately symmetrical patterns centuries long before the advent of highly advanced mathematical knowledge?

After reading The Topkapı Scroll: Geometry and Ornament in Islamic Architecture, he found that the patterns were different than the Ottoman architectural style, or the ones found in North African countries. In fact the designs are Timurid architecture (Mongolian origin-created after the fall of the Islamic golden age) . It used Persian style and developed into a style of its own with emphasis on geometry and symmetry.