Fifteenth-century Samarkand
Two questions, one major, one utterly trivial.
How would a stranger arriving in Samarkand in the 1420's go about looking for work? He's a soldier and a gifted administrator, though the latter isn't immediately apparent. I'm trying to give him a rest from "caravan guard"; poor bloke's already been travelling for two years and is getting a bit tired.
Secondly, whereabouts in Samarkand was Ulug Beg's giraffe kept? I'm assuming it was in one of the parks, but would the general public have been able to see it?
Books:
Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo's account of his trip to the city in1402
David Nicolle "History of Medieval Life"
Francis Robinson "The Mughal Emperors"
Colin Thubron "The Lost Heart of Asia" and "Shadow of the Silk Road"
Google:
"Medieval sourcebook" and Samarkand
Combinations of Samarkand, job, emplyoment, work, giraffe and "Ulug Beg".
Any help gratefully received!
How would a stranger arriving in Samarkand in the 1420's go about looking for work? He's a soldier and a gifted administrator, though the latter isn't immediately apparent. I'm trying to give him a rest from "caravan guard"; poor bloke's already been travelling for two years and is getting a bit tired.
Secondly, whereabouts in Samarkand was Ulug Beg's giraffe kept? I'm assuming it was in one of the parks, but would the general public have been able to see it?
Books:
Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo's account of his trip to the city in1402
David Nicolle "History of Medieval Life"
Francis Robinson "The Mughal Emperors"
Colin Thubron "The Lost Heart of Asia" and "Shadow of the Silk Road"
Google:
"Medieval sourcebook" and Samarkand
Combinations of Samarkand, job, emplyoment, work, giraffe and "Ulug Beg".
Any help gratefully received!