Things to see and do Route de la soie

Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia, Hakhtanak Park tel (10) 25 14 00

It is here that you will see the main pieces unearthed throughout the many excavation campaigns that have marked the life of the site since the Russian conquest. In particular, you will find many period photos and the history of the excavations that have brought to light the life on Afrosyab Hill at the time of the first installations and foundations of the city. The centerpiece of the museum is a 7th century fresco known as "The Ambassadors". It is a unique work, and one of the few available to archaeologists and historians to study Sogdian painting and art. On the four walls of a house discovered by chance in 1965, while the municipality was drilling a new road, this major fresco depicts the Sogdian king Vakhourman receiving ambassadors from neighboring countries. Thus, it is China which is represented on the north wall. It shows the emperor hunting and the empress on a boat. The south wall depicts Samarkand celebrating Navrouz and the east wall depicts India, its pygmies and astrologers. Archaeologists and specialists disagree on the western wall at the moment. The hypotheses of each one are still debated. This major fresco was greatly deteriorated in places. In 2014, France has decided to finance major restoration work. These should last 8 years, under the direction of a French team. In the meantime, a copy can be seen at the Museum of the Peoples of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.

Located behind the Gur Emir, the "White Palace" is a mausoleum from 1470, renovated a few years ago and still surrounded by houses. Much quieter than its large neighbour, you can admire a blue and gold dome, frescoes and beautiful bas-reliefs in the main room. Some historians believe that it is the mausoleum of the male descendants of the Timurids. Others opt instead for nobles, close to Tamerlan. A decapitated skeleton was discovered in the crypt and could be that of Abd-al-Latif, the parricide son of Ulugh Begh.

One of the most beautiful monuments in the city! Built by Omar Khan between 1809 and 1812, its style is monumentally reminiscent of the style of the mosques at iwan. 99 wooden pillars, a veritable forest, support a ceiling with woodwork painted with traditional motifs. It is said that 100 elephants left India to bring back the precious wood from the pillars. One elephant died en route, so there are only 99 to support the awning. The total length of the iwan is 100m. In the middle of the courtyard rises the minaret, which is 22 m high.

Opposite the entrance to the palace, on the other side of the square is the madrasah of the poet khan, known under the pseudonym of Ferouz. The huge portal of the madrasa opens onto a first courtyard surrounded by a floor of cells, an area for traders. The construction follows a square plan, but is characterized by a vaulted passage with 8 domes, the largest in Khiva. Through a second portal, the first courtyard leads to the interior of the madrasa, which houses a museum dedicated to Ferouz.

The highest minaret of Khiva (44.50 m) was built in 1910 by the vizier of Isfandiar Khan, Islam Khodja. It is one of the last Islamic architectural achievements in Central Asia. The minaret had a triple role: religious (the muezzin calls for prayer), military (like the Kalon minaret of Bukhara, it is an ideal observation post to prevent frequent attacks) and that of being an ideal landmark so that one does not get lost in the desert or ... in a city full of meanders. Its slender shape and colourful rings narrowing towards the top would almost make it appear taller than the Kalon Minaret, although it still yields to it nearly 4 m. To have Khiva at your feet and a view of the surrounding desert, take a breath, the minaret has 120 steps. The Islam Khodja Madrasa, built in 1908, is small in size, only the façade has two levels to harmonize with the powerful minaret. The Wazir Islam Khodja was a reformer, but he had the misfortune of serving Isfandiar Khan with a sulphurous reputation. He still managed to build a hospital, to have the telegraph installed in Khiva, but was assassinated when he tried to reform the education system. The madrasa now houses the Museum of Applied Arts where woodwork, carpets, hangings, etc. are on display

Turning right after the minaret leads to a street parallel to the main street, leading to the Pakhlavan Makhmoud Mausoleum.

Pakhlavan Makhmoud (1247-1325) is the patron saint of the city. He was an outstanding character: a furrier of his state, he was also an outstanding wrestler, a great warrior and a poet. Coming from the Kungrad tribe, he is considered the spiritual founder of the dynasty. His tomb was built on the site of his furrier's workshop, and in 1810 he was included in the dynastic mausoleum of the khans kungrad. While the first mausoleum was modest in appearance, it was not until the 19th century that it acquired its present appearance. A high portal leads to an inner courtyard overlooked by the khanaka topped by a drum and a turquoise-blue dome, a summer mosque and annex buildings housing the tombs of the mother and son of Isfandiar Khan. In the courtyard there is also a well where newlyweds wishing to have a child come to drink. The majolica that decorates the interior of the khanaka is breathtakingly beautiful. The walls and the dome are entirely covered with blue and white vegetal arabesques in which are inserted poems by Pakhlavan Makhmoud. These majolica were made by the famous Abdullah Djinn. The tomb of Pakhlavan Makhmud is located in an adjoining room to the left of the main hall. Pilgrims come to gather in front of the openwork gate that protects his tomb. The tombs of Khans Abdul Gazi (1663), Anucha (1681) and Muhammad Rakhim are placed in the khanaka.

East of the jewelers' bazaar. "Kosh madrasa" means "two madrasas". This term refers to all buildings facing each other or belonging to the same complex. Thus, southwest of the Bolo Khaouz Mosque, the two madrasas Modar-i-Khan and Abdullah Khan are also known as "kosh madrasas". The Ulugh Begh Madrasa dates from 1417, it is the oldest of the two. It was built by Ulugh Begh, the astronomical prince of Samarkand, Tamerlan's successor. The inscription on the front door recalls the wisdom and open-mindedness of its builder: "To aspire to knowledge is the duty of every Muslim. "Open-mindedness that few of his contemporaries and successors shared, since the building, like all madrasas, remained closed to women. This was the first of three madrasas built by Ulugh Begh, the other two being in Samarkand and Gidjuvan, 45 km from Bukhara in the direction of Samarkand. The Madrasa of Bukhara is smaller in size than its sister Madrasa of the Registan of Samarkand, but its harmonious proportions and the skilful sobriety of its decoration make it a fine example of Bukhara's medieval architecture and a precious legacy of the Timurid architecture in Bukhara, which was much neglected in this period compared to Samarkand. After independence, students were able to return to study in the madrasah cells, but the government finally preferred to restore it and open it to tourism.

The city's Restoration Museum is housed in the old mosque on the right, and souvenir and craft shops have invaded the cells. A spiral staircase leads to the vaulted roof above the entrance. Much less sober than its neighbour, the madrasa of Abdul Aziz Khan was built two hundred years later, in 1654, when Bukhara had become the capital of the khanate. The architecture and decoration of the imposing madrasa built under the Chaybanids were carried out by the best master craftsmen of the time.

The mosaic of the pishtak, or entrance portal, as well as that of the portals leading to the inner courtyard, is a bright yellow tangle of vegetation with simorgh birds and even a dragon. These decorations, like those on the façade of the Nadir-Divanbeg Madrasa, are a departure from the Islamic rule forbidding figurative art. But the decorator of the madrasah, Abdul Aziz Khan, seems to have ventured to the limits of tolerance: from the darskhana, looking at the back of the mosque when the lights are off, and letting the eyes get used to the darkness, one can see the faded silhouette of a man in a turban, which disappears as one walks towards the entrance and the eyes get used to the light again. Many different techniques were used to decorate the madrasa: relief majolica, painted gantch casts, engraved marble, chiselled mosaic... The decoration of the interior domes of the winter and summer mosques is particularly remarkable. The darskhana to the right of the entrance, transformed into an antique shop, is worth seeing for two reasons: its unrestored decoration is sublime and there are beautiful carpets and suzani. The madrasa also has fireplaces, a great innovation for the time. The decoration of the façade and part of the courtyard has remained unfinished. Indeed, Abdul Aziz Khan was dethroned and his successor put an end to the work.

Before the Arab conquest there was a market and a Buddhist temple on this site, then a Zoroastrian temple dedicated to the moon. The first mosque was built in the 9th century - making it the oldest in Central Asia - on the ruins of the temple, as was customary at that time, building on the existing foundations. It was completely rebuilt in the 12th century and remodelled in the 16th century. But following the destruction of Genghis Khan, it was found below ground level and was only discovered in 1839 by Shishkin, the same archaeologist who had unearthed the Samani mausoleum in the cemetery, which was buried under the ground for the same reasons. Excavations have also brought to light the south portal of the 12th century mosque. Shishkin also discovered traces of the Zoroastrian temple dating back to the ^5th century, and the even older Buddhist temple. Over the centuries, the ground level had risen several meters and the Magok Mosque had been half buried underground. Already for the construction of the east portal, which dates from the 16th century, the entrance had to be adapted to the change in street level, and a staircase with wide steps leads down to the entrance of the mosque. The mosque has a very colourful name that reflects its history: "agok" means "underground" and "attor" means "merchant". The mosque now serves as a carpet exhibition hall. To the east, the wells go down into the earth to where the Buddhist temple used to be.

The mazar, in fact a chapel, is a place as revered as the Ismail Samani mausoleum. Chachma Ayoub means "source of Job". Legend has it that Job, the Old Testament prophet, brought a spring of pure water by planting his pilgrim's staff there. It is not the only mausoleum in the Muslim world dedicated to Job, and his tomb will be found more than once where a spring of pure water springs in Syria, Iraq or the Sultanate of Oman. Recent archaeological research has established that a mazar was built here as early as the 9th century, but the present building dates from the 14th and 16th centuries. It consists of four main rooms in which the gurkhana, the holy water spring, and the rooms for pilgrims are located. Near the entrance to the gurkhana, an inscription attributes the construction of the mazar to Amir Hadjaj and thanks Tamerlan for his benevolence. On the wooden plank, another inscription records the arrival of the Prophet Ayub and his death in Bukhara. It is the only building in Bukhara that dates back to the time of Tamerlan. The cone-shaped dome, built in the 14th century, is typical of Khorezm architecture and was executed by craftsmen from Kounia Ourgench whom Tamerlan had brought back from his military campaigns. The round lantern dome was added in the 16th century. The spring, reputed for its healing properties, is supposed to cure skin diseases. The mazar now houses a museum dedicated to the history and different techniques of water supply in Bukhara.

The summer residence of the khans of Bukhara is located in a huge park of more than 6 ha, 5 km from the city. It is a privileged place for walking because of its coolness, especially during the hot summer hours. A first palace surrounded by gardens was built by Amir Akhad Khan at the end of the 19th century. Alim Khan, his son, added a new building in 1914. Bukhara's last khan had studied in St. Petersburg, and his way of life was affected. He commissioned a palace that was undoubtedly intended to be at the cutting edge of modernity, blending Russian architecture with the decorative style of Central Asia. The result is surprising. The tour includes three different bodies of buildings, which have been transformed into museums: the apartments and reception rooms of Alim khan, the octagonal palace and the harem. The reception rooms of Emir Alim Khan, built in a row, in the western style, are a contribution of the Russian architects working at the court of the Emir. The white room is a unique work of art, its walls are entirely covered with finely chiselled white gantch on a background of mirrors. The construction of this Bukhar version of the Ice Palace took three years, during which the architect refused the khan entry to the construction site. When Alim Khan was finally able to admire the result, he was overwhelmed and, resuming the good old ancestral habits, decided to have the architect killed so that he could not share his art with others. Fortunately, Chirin Muradov, the architect of the clean room, was warned in time and managed to escape. At the entrance, a high boudoir is decorated with stalactite niches in which are painted unusual and beautiful bouquets of multicoloured flowers. The walls and ceiling of the games room and waiting room are entirely decorated with gold panels, covered with an extraordinary and somewhat oppressive mosaic of mirrors. The banquet hall is the most original and sumptuous, it had four decorative walls, one for each season, which were changed thanks to a mechanism that no one remembers, but, in any case, the other three decorations disappeared after the revolution. In these rooms are displayed various gifts offered to the Emir, including an original all-glass refrigerator. The mirzo-khona, or secretary's room, is the most sober of the rooms, its three-wing mirror is, it seems, magical. Looking at it, you have to make a wish, which comes true within 40 days... At the end of the building, the veranda exposes a beautiful collection of antique vases from all over the world. The octagonal palace is a museum devoted to national costume, where ceremonial clothes, multicoloured khalat or dark paranjas are displayed amidst pictures of the princely family. Clothes were usually made by women, but gold thread designs were embroidered only by men. The octahedral hall for guests was originally decorated with gold leaf; after the revolution, gold would have been replaced by bronze and taken to Russia. The harem houses the Embroidery Museum. The different decorative techniques are illustrated by one of the most beautiful collections of suzani from Uzbekistan. In front of the harem is a large body of water. It is said that the Emir used to sit in the domed platform that borders this pool to watch his wives bathe, and would choose the chosen one from his heart by throwing an apple at her.

A hill has been constantly going on, night and day, for almost 50 years. This natural phenomenon originated in the very name of Azerbaijan, the «land of fire». In fact, these are underground pockets of methane, which go back to the surface: Shot accidentally in 1958, the flames have never gone off since! Attraction is very popular in winter when the flames seem to emerge from snow. By bypassing the flames, you can climb up the hill, which offers a beautiful view of the peninsula, to the sea.

This icebreaker was built for the Czar's navy in Newcastle in 1916. But, after the revolution, England confiscated it, until Krasin, the People's Commissar, recovered it in 1921 for a fee. Krasin was at the forefront of the international mission to save the Italian Nobile expedition in 1928, whose airship was damaged on its return from the Pole. During the Second World War, she was the only Soviet ship to take part in the convoy to Murmansk, which was under fire from Nazi warships, with the aim of distributing war material to the USSR. It also receives Gagarin at the time of its landing. An exhibition with many photos retraces all these anecdotes.
But the highlight of the visit remains the boat itself. Its spacious deck contains both old and recent navigational instruments. We also visit the engine room, and the cabins of the various crew members, from the captain's to the machinists' cabins. A very fun visit, as you immerse yourself in the intimacy of life on board. Beware, the icebreaker Krasin is not open to the public, but only through excursions organized by the conservation team in charge of the administration of the precious ship, now retired. Guided tours depart at fixed times, at the beginning of each hour.

Night of the Museums: The icebreaker is a great fun to visit during the Night of the Museums, on June 15.

Bring sturdy footwear.

The west side of the Mendeleevskaya linia includes one of the oldest monuments on the island and the largest Baroque building in the city, the Twelve Colleges. With its 400 m long façade, its sienna red colour and its white pilasters, it is easily recognizable. It was to house the 12 identical ministries of three levels (called Colleges) founded by Peter the Great. Built between 1722 and 1742 by the Swiss-Italian architect Domenico Trezzini (who also designed the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Summer Palace), this building was to correspond to the modern idea of bureaucracy as conceived by Peter the Great. It also attests to the Tsar's desire to make Vasilyevsky Island the great administrative district of the new imperial capital. It therefore hosted Russia's highest authorities for much of the 18th century. The separate doors between the twelve colleges indicated their autonomy, while their common facade indicated their common purpose. In 1819, these buildings were assigned to the university, and it was here that Mendeleyev set up his Periodic Table of the Elements and Pavlov experimented with conditioned reflexes.

A rather tedious official authorization is required to visit the premises, so you will certainly have to be content to admire the building from the outside. Contact a local agency in advance to arrange a visit.

This museum devoted to the history and culture of the peoples of Russia occupies the left wing of the Mikhailovsky Palace (Russian Museum). This museum of the ex-Homo sovieticus has more than 500,000 pieces from 150 peoples living on the territory of the former USSR, from the Caucasus to Yakutia, from Moldavia to Sakhalin through Central Asia: an invaluable testimony to the cultural traditions of these peoples, through their ritual objects, their crafts, their weapons, their clothing.

Impossible to miss this magnificent mansion designed on the Quai des Anglais, by Vallin de la Mothe. In the 19th century, it housed the collections of Count Nikolaï Roumiantsev, a diplomat and man of culture. Today it is annexed to the History Museum of Saint Petersburg and hosts the exhibition Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. More than 2,000 objects are on display: photos, weapons, personal belongings of the inhabitants and defenders of the city under blockade.

The museum is located in the apartment where Kirov lived between 1923 and 1934, the year of his assassination, in conditions still unsolved, which gave the signal for the Great Stalinist Purges. Many people today regard Stalin as the person who ordered the assassination of this very popular member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Stalin decrees that Kirov is the victim of a conspiracy by his rival Grigory Zinoviev and his supporters, accused of launching a "campaign of terror" against the Party. The investigation of the trials and the judicial proceedings are accelerated on the very evening of the assassination by exceptional decree. The "law of ¹ December" will be the tool of the purges. But the most important part of the museum is located on the floor above. Entitled "For Our Happy Childhood", the permanent exhibition describes the birth of the scout movement, its transformation into a pioneer movement and the lives of children during the early years of Soviet rule. A large part of the exhibition is devoted to the children's counter-revolution during the Civil War: secret documents on children's protests against the Bolsheviks' ruin are shown, as well as the cruel repression of abandoned children (Bezprizornikis). A classroom from the 1930s is reconstructed, with a map hanging on the wall showing the routes of exile taken by white Russians, the social strata close to the Tsarist power.

Visible from Saint-Nicolas-des-Marins Cathedral, the neoclassical-style Trinity Cathedral is at the antipodes of the latter's Baroque exuberance. It must be said that its martial vocation - it is dedicated to the imperial Izmaïlovski regiment, one of the oldest in Russia - did not invite the lightness of the Baroque. The cathedral has marble plaques on its walls with the names of the fallen officers of this regiment engraved on them. Although it follows the rigorous models of Greco-Roman antiquity, it is nevertheless not lacking in elegance with the classic pediment and colonnade of its façade, whose immaculate white contrasts with the blue of its five domes. It was designed by the architect Vladimir Stassov, one of the most eminent representatives of the neoclassical style, who designed the refurbishment of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration and the completion of the Smolny Cathedral and Convent.

Among the church's titles of glory is the fact that Dostoyevsky was married there. Less glorious episode, the church will be disused during the Soviet period to serve as a warehouse for the sets of the Kirov Theatre. The Cathedral regained its original vocation and, in 2006, survived a terrible fire that destroyed the large and small domes. The main dome was known as the largest in the world with a wooden frame. The restoration work lasted 11 years and was completed in 2017.

This 68 ha park, south of St. Petersburg, was created in 1945 to celebrate victory at the end of the Second World War. Sport is at the honor, with a rink and cross-country skiing trails in winter, and rowing on the summer basin. Tennis courts are located in the part of the park that overlooks the Gagarin perspective.

" The doors of the Father ", or doors to the west, were the main doors of the city. They had a bazaar and also hosted the changers. Destroyed in 1920, they were restored by the Soviets in 1975. It is usually by these doors that tourists begin their visit to the old town and buy tickets that give them access to all monuments inside (except access to minarets and watch towers).

This place was redesigned during the time of Nasser, which gave him Tahrir name, which means "liberation." It is much more extensive than the small Ismailieh square which is segregated at the beginning of the rue Talat Harb. At that time, between the Nbts museum and the Qasr el-Nile Bridge, there was precisely the Nineveh el-Nile barracks, where a military garrison protected that part of the city. Today, around this place, the headquarters of the Arab League, the seat of the NDP political party which burned during the revolution of January 2011, the Egyptian museum (behind the Hotel Rameses Hilton, stands at the headquarters of television and radio), the American University in Cairo, the Geographical society (which also burned in 2011!), the mogamma., the mosque Omar Makram, a remnant of the Ismailieh Palace, most of which was destroyed. At the centre of the square is the statue of Sheikh Omar Makram, one of the great figures of Mohammed Ali Pasha, who was realized in 2002 by the sculptor Al Ibrahim in the style of the great sculptors such as Jacquemard and Cordier who delivered monumental statues in Cairo. It was in this place that the greatest demonstrations of the revolution of 2011 took place, using the symbol of liberation, but this time meant to tell President Mubarak that he had to leave; what he did. Since then, Egyptians have been in the habit of demonstrating there to demonstrate their opposition in a very regular way…

This 8-hectare park is a lively place, attracting many locals for an evening stroll. Young and old come to enjoy open-air music, ice cream and merry-go-rounds until late in the evening. Several open-air restaurants offer plov and kebabs, or simply a drink, all to the constant sound of impromptu karaoke and the clatter of pellet guns on the shooting ranges. A place to recommend for a relaxing evening in the open air, in a very local atmosphere.

More modest, it faces the fortress of Rumeli. Anadolu means "Anatolia" in Turkish, although it is usually called Güzelce Hisar. It was built under Beyazıd I, known as Lightning (Yıldırım; 1389-1402), because the sultan was known as lively, energetic and, of course, coveted Constantinople. The fortress appears in order to control the strait. It is small in size and has lost part of its overall size over time, as houses have come to lean against it.

Passing through Boyacıköy, we arrive in Emirgan. A darling of film, song and poetry, the district evokes two pleasures dear to Turks: tea and its park. The coast is very pleasant. The Sabancı family's Atlı Köşk has been turned into a museum. The small, shady district of Çınaraltı is perfect for a cup of tea. Continuing straight on, you come to Emirgan Park (Emirgan Korusu). Here you can admire the many yalı (villas) once occupied by the strongmen of the Ottoman Empire. Today, these residences belong to the state.

The lakes upstream of the Ching River are a prized area of the Fan Mountains. Treks are organized along the seven lakes that spread to Margouzor lake, 2 139 m, and Azorchachma Lake at 2 400 m altitude.

Located on the outskirts of the city, the statue of Lenin found in the old Leninabad is almost no surprise in Central Asia. It dominates the town of its 22 m, deployed on a hill across the river over the city centre.

Erkindik Avenue is certainly the greenest of the city's avenues. It was laid out in 1902 and divided into two small alleys lined with oak trees. It quickly became a privileged place for walking and remains so to this day. At the railway station there is an equestrian statue of General Frounze, whose legend has it that he was born in a small house in Bishkek, where the museum dedicated to him has been set up. There follows a monument more evocative of Asia and dedicated to Kurmanjan Datka, the only Kyrgyz woman to reach the rank of general in the 19th century.

An unavoidable visit to Tabriz for one of the most beautiful museums in Iran, deployed on 3,000 m ² and hosting 4,500 archeological finds of the region. On the ground floor, see the potteries and sculptures of the Ve in the millennium before our era as well as the always impressive skeletons from excavations undertaken in Hasanlu and in different tepe (old fortresses or small towns built on hills) of the region. Note also the beautiful bronzes of the Acheside era and the beautiful silver jewels of the sassanide period. On the upstairs, two sections devoted to numismatic and Islamic times respectively. See in the first, apart from currencies, the beautiful collection of translated maps translated into English and highly instructive. The section dedicated to Islamic art includes beautiful food ceramics covering the period of the nineteenth century in the eighteenth century. Dwell on the collection of sabers, daggers and the original sword of Shah Ismaïl, which will impose chiism as state religion in the sixteenth century.

In the basement, you can admire a splendid collection of monumental sculptures due to Hasad Hosseini, native artist of Tabriz, whose name you may know if you are a fan of the Info's Guignols: he actually worked on the creation of sixty puppets of the cult program of Canal Plus. Works displayed at the Museum of Azerbaijan are much closer to the very black universe of the artist, who works on the human condition and the report of man to what surrounds him, whether politics, nature or wars.

Don't forget to finish visiting the small courtyard, where there are very beautiful carved stalls from various excavations.

The remains of the imposing citadel (or Arg) in decrepitude, built in the early days of the Mongolian occupation, at the beginning of the XIV century, occupy the location of an ancient mosque disappeared five centuries earlier. The heavy bastion that stands at more than 40 m high, reinforced by two powerful cylindrical towers and pierced with two high doors, retains a certain look. The thickness of the walls (10 m) and the quality of the equipment testify to the mastery of the military art of Mongols in these exposed border cities. A few years ago, it was possible to climb the top of the remains to enjoy the street, but at the moment the citadel was taken in the restoration yard of the nearby Imam Khomeiny mosque. It was even thought of a time to shave, but the population mobilized to save the remains of the city's great past.

Facing the Ile Barbe, in a sumptuous natural setting, Charles Couty has opened a museum dedicated to the work of his father, the painter Jean Couty (1907-1991) - winner of the Paris Critics' Prize in 1950 and the Grand Prix des Peintres Témointres de leur Temps in 1975 - but also to modern and contemporary art. A place out of the ordinary by the beauty of the site, the architectural beauty of the building and by the collections that one discovers there. Jean Couty, a figurative painter who loved to paint Lyon - but also the landscapes from here and elsewhere, the Romanesque churches -, gives us his vision of the city, the women and men he met there. A total of 150 works, including 120 paintings, are on display with sketches, drawings and other objects familiar to the artist. The hangings allow visitors to come back regularly to discover new works, such as these "Landscapes from here and elsewhere". It's a great idea to highlight a Lyon artist who left his mark on his time: a museum that catches the eye and pleases the mind.