On the Siab River. Samarkand

1905
This view, taken in September 1911, shows adobe houses and the high walls of courtyards along the Siab River (“black water”) on the northern outskirts of Samarkand. Low walls line the road on the right. Poplar trees, in brilliant fall colors, are grouped along the river bank and the horizon. An almost identical view was taken during a trip during the spring of 1911 and provides a striking contrast in light and foliage. The Siab River also runs near the ancient settlement of Afrasiab, which is known to have existed at least 2,500 years ago. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states), which he visited on a number of occasions. Turkestan appealed to him not only for its Islamic architecture but also for scenes from traditional life in cities such as Samarkand.

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Filename: 5801.jpg
Copyright: acku Afghanistan
Image Size: 1800x1648 / 449.1KB; 1905 Uzbekistan Samarqand Samarkand Siab River Rivers Poplar Trees Landscapes Adobe Houses Photo WDL 010459
Contained in galleries: UZBEKISTAN

1905<br />
This view, taken in September 1911, shows adobe houses and the high walls of courtyards along the Siab River (“black water”) on the northern outskirts of Samarkand. Low walls line the road on the right. Poplar trees, in brilliant fall colors, are grouped along the river bank and the horizon. An almost identical view was taken during a trip during the spring of 1911 and provides a striking contrast in light and foliage. The Siab River also runs near the ancient settlement of Afrasiab, which is known to have existed at least 2,500 years ago. The image is by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944), who used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire. Prokudin-Gorskii was particularly interested in recently acquired territories of the Russian Empire such as Turkestan (present-day Uzbekistan and neighboring states), which he visited on a number of occasions. Turkestan appealed to him not only for its Islamic architecture but also for scenes from traditional life in cities such as Samarkand.