“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.” —Hans Christian Anderson
Silk Roads, the term coined by Ferdinand Richthofen during his expeditions to the east, stretched from China to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean with Uzbekistan right in the middle, its cities important trading posts. Pearls, spices, aromatic oils, horses and most importantly silk were all traded on these routes. Silk was a symbol of political and social power, a diplomatic tool to negotiate better terms, since China guarded jealously, the secrets of its production.
They were roads of trade of not only exotic goods like silk, but of powerful concepts related to the divine, a melting pot where ideas were exchanged, and repackaged – intellectual and theological spaces as well as places of commercial importance. Before Islam came, Buddhism, Manichaeism, Nestorianism co-existed in peace for centuries in Central Asia. Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, Timur all travelled along these roads and left behind not only tales of blood and conquest but awe inspiring architectural marvels …
The BBC called Uzbekistan the “Land of a Thousand Shrines” and indeed there are countless religious sites across the country, from the Graeco-Bactrian era Buddhist monastery at Fayaz Tepe, to the Zoroastrian altars excavated in Khorezm. But, it is for the Islamic shrines that most people visit Uzbekistan. There are shrines connected with the Prophets Job (Ayub in Uzbek) and Daniel, too, and as Daniel’s body is said to still be growing, his casket is now more than 18 metres long. Travelling Uzbekistan’s long stretch of the Silk Road marvels, in the footsteps of legends is like being in a long blue dream, a dazzle of arches, and glazed turquoise domes decorated with mesmerising patterns of tiles where echoes of the past whisper.
Samarkand
Look ’round thee now on Samarcand, (7)
Is she not queen of earth? her pride
Above all cities? in her hand
Their destinies? with all beside
Of glory, which the world hath known?
Stands she not proudly and alone?
And who her sov’reign? Timur he (8)
Whom th’ astonish’d earth hath seen,
With victory, on victory
So said Edgar Allan Poe about that magical city Samarkand, the queen of Silk roads, today a UNESCO World Heritage, listed as ‘Samarkand — Crossroads of Cultures’. The lure of those magic names, Bokhara and Samarkand, the sense of adventure, romance and magical stories they evoke – of long lines camels laden with fabled treasures, bustling markets and ancient palaces, the oil lamps flickering like thousand stars as weary travellers lay down to rest in the caravanserais…
The Franco-Lebanese author Amin Maalouf says “Samarkand, is Omar Khayyam’s Persia, poet of the wine, free-thinker, astronomer, but also that of Hassan as-Sabbah, founder of the order of the assassins, the most formidable sect of the history…” . Samarkand is a journey into a world where dreams of freedom have always challenged fanaticism. Founded in the 7th century BC, it is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. Its geographic location in the centre of major trade routes, attracted travellers and invaders. The introduction of Islam in the 8th century saw many Arabic groups immigrate into the area, before Genghis Khan and his Mongol army arrived in the 13th century. Today’s Samarkand was called Marakanda by the Greeks after they conquered the city in 329 BC. Even then it was so majestic that it surprised Alexander the Great. It is believed that he exclaimed “Everything that I have heard about Marakanda is true, except that it is more beautiful than I ever imagined…”
Uzbek guides joke about the four Ms: mosques, minarets, madrasas and mausoleums. Museums makes five. It is exhausting, but exhilarating exploring this beautiful city.
The Registan, a square with three of the world’s oldest madrasas is a vast open-air plaza covered with mosaic tiles and majolica – sheets of blue and gold. The Ulugbek Madrasa, on the western side, finished in 1420 under Ulugbek who is said to have taught mathematics here (other subjects taught here included theology, astronomy and philosophy). The stars on the portal reflect Ulugbek’s love of astronomy.
The entrance portal of the Sher Dor Madrasa, which took 17 years to build, opposite Ulugbek completed in 1636, is decorated with roaring felines that look like tigers but are meant to be lions. The lions, the deer they are chasing and the Mongolian-faced, Zoroastrian-inspired suns rising from their backs are all unusual, flouting Islamic prohibitions against the depiction of live animals.
In between them is the Tilla Kori Madrasa, Tilla Kori translates to ‘gilded,’ completed in 1660, with a pleasant, garden courtyard. The highlight here is the mosque, which is to the left of the courtyard and is intricately decorated with blue and gold to symbolise Samarkand’s wealth. The interior walls glisten with gold and the delicate ceiling, lavishly adorned with gold leaf, is flat but the tapered design makes it look domed from the inside.
In the past, the courtyards of Registan’s madrassas were surrounded by residential rooms for students and professors. These rooms were typically on the first floor of the madrasas. Today, many of them have been turned into souvenir shops selling everything from suzanis and ikat scarves to intricate paintings and ceramics.
Shah-i-Zinda which means ‘Tomb of the Living King’, built on a high green hill looking over the city is a complex of cool, quiet rooms around what is probably the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, who is said to have brought Islam here in the 7th century. It is a necropolis of many royals and nobles, including a number of Timur’s relatives. The site is a dazzling avenue of blue tombs and various mausoleums and has some of the richest tilework in the Muslim world. The exquisite majolica and terracotta work, with minuscule amount of space between the tiles was of such exceptional quality that it required almost no restoration. The legend goes that the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, Kusam ibn Abbas, was buried here. It is a place so holy that a visit here is regarded by some as equivalent to a pilgrimage to Mecca. A legend that can keep one awake at nights, says, there is a headless body roaming the corridors every night holding his severed head in his hands!
Samarkand was the centre of Tamerlane’s empire, built on his own giant scale. Some two kilometres from the Registan is the Gur-e Amir mausoleum, where his body lies beneath a solid block of green jade surrounded by statues and arches that light up beautifully at night. The Gur -e -Amir Mausoleum is widely considered a masterpiece of Central Asian medieval architecture. ‘Gur-e-Amir’ translates as ‘tomb of the king’ – it holds headstones of Timur’s sons and grandsons. Guides here whisper about the curse of Tamerlane. Legend has it that when Stalin ordered the grave to be opened, in 1941, archaeologists found an inscription inside: “Whosoever disturbs my tomb will unleash an invader more terrible than I”. Three days later, Hitler ordered the invasion of the Soviet Union. Stalin ordered the body to be reinterred with full Islamic ritual the following year. Agatha Christie was spellbound by the great tiled buildings and wrote of Tamerlane’s final resting place, the Gur-e-Amir: “I can never forget the sight of that fluted blue dome rising far above the delicate spring green.” She found it “Amazing, considering that he lived as far back as the fourteenth century, that so much remains of those architectural adornments added by him to Samarkand, which he made his capital.” One-eyed and with crippled limbs, Tamerlane is believed by some historians to have wanted to beautify his surroundings as he was not a handsome man, refusing to ever look in a mirror; while others say it was simply his way of venerating God.
Bukhara
“In ruins, there’s a story waiting to be told.”
Bukhara, a maze of a city-museum, more than 2,000 years old, is a city filled with ancient religious architecture and a well preserved historic centre, where the visitor time travels through centuries of wonders. It was Central Asia’s cultural and religious heart. Poets, philosophers and scientists, including Firdausi, Ibn Sina were nurtured by its glories. Architecturally, it is one of the country’s best-preserved cities with the majority of buildings dating from the 10th century. Every stone has a story to tell. Marco Polo’s father and uncle lived here for a couple of years before moving to the court of Kublai Khan. Omar Khayyam travelled to Bukhara, where he frequented the renowned library of the Ark, as had Avicenna earlier – his medical research and books were used in medieval Europe up until the 17th century. Built in the 5th century and oldest structure in the city, the Ark is home to palaces and museums. Those were the days when a soldier or priest would climb the 45-metre spiral staircase to the top of the glowing Kalyan minaret to light a signal fire every night to guide travellers. They would enter through iron gates guarding the massive Ark Fortress; just beyond is the Khan’s vast open-air arena, looking like something straight from Game of Thrones, are the cells where prisoners spent their last, miserable night before being executed in public. Here are tales about the secrets and traditions of old Bukhara, such as the code of the doors: a woman caller knocks gently on the wood; a man rattles the chain.
Bukhara has its fair share of magnificent blue monuments. At sunrise and sunset, the cupolas, and the minarets glisten with gold and a metallic sheen. The ruler Emir Shahmurad ordered the construction of Bolo Khauz in 1712. Legend has it that he had red carpets laid out for him to walk down the road to the fortress Ark Citadel. The peaceful and serene Bolo Khauz Mosque has twenty beautifully carved pillars that hold up the ceiling and reflect elegantly in the pond at the foot of the building. Spotting the reflection of all 40 pillars is supposed to bring great luck, 40 being a sacred number. The Po-i-Kalyan is made up of the Kalyan Minaret, the Miri Arab Madrasa, the Kalyan mosque and the small Amir-Allimkhan Madrasa, which are little architectural masterpieces, beckoning visitors from across the globe. The Kalyan Minaret built in 1127, was so ‘great’ that when Genghis Khan conquered the city, he spared the tower. All of its 47-meters have stood tall since, without the need for any restoration! The Kalyan mosque is Bukhara’s largest and more than 500 years old. Its architecture and layout are unchanged from the Timurid dynasty.
Founded in 1417, it’s said that the Ulug Bek Madrasa is the oldest surviving madrasa in Central Asia. Ulugbek was enlightened and an intellectual, devoting his skills to nourishing cities with educational institutions. In the incredibly strict and conservative Bukhara, the madrasa has a carved inscription at the entrance door which reads: ‘The pursuit of knowledge is the responsibility of every Muslim man and woman.’
In Tajik, Chor Minor translates to ‘four minarets’, and is quite an intriguing attraction. The four minarets, crowned by blue domes, are believed to represent four different religions practised in Central Asia – Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism. In fact, one can see certain elements of these religions depicted on the towers including a Christian fish and a Buddhist prayer wheel. These ‘minarets’ are decorated towers, used not for prayer but as an entrance portal to a long destroyed madrasa.
One can shop till you drop in Bukhara. Under these domes and in plazas are the bazaars where you can buy embroidered jackets, shawls, knives, jewellery, carpets and wonderful hats from traders who’ve set up shops under the arches of ancient caravanserai, where the camels slept. Taki-Telpak Furushon – a colourful domed bazaar has lots of interesting shops selling local arts and crafts. And To get a taste of the “real Bukhara,” lie down for a traditional massage at a medieval bath house. The Bozori Kord Hammam is one of the oldest in the world, built in the 14th century and a great place to experience this exotic ancient ritual.
Khiva
“Captivated by the echoes of the past.”
From a sleepy town on the outskirts of the Silk Road to the largest slave market in Central Asia, from imperial Khanate to Communist Republic: The stories of history are best told by the places where they unfold.
Khiva, my favourite city in Uzbekistan is a seven-hour drive west through a bleak landscape of sand and stones, where our van was buffeted by legendary sandstorms. It is the smallest of Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities, circled entirely by the desert, that defines its character: sand-coloured, sun-baked and perhaps the most intact, remote, and best preserved of them all. Walking through its history is like walking through a museum without walls where every historical site unveils the secrets of bygone eras.
Exploring the inner city surrounded by a fortress that encloses ancient madrasas, mosques, minarets, and clay-coloured houses, is like time-traveling with your imagination. Behind the massive walls is a small city centre known as Ichan-Kala. Walking the ancient streets of Ichan-Kala, climbing the impressive mud walls, visiting the palace, mausoleum, and mosques and enjoying refreshments in its teahouses are all essential experiences in this atmospheric place. This little patch of terracotta-coloured houses, dotted with bright blue tiles is one of the country’s most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architecture, in colours of clay makes this town resemble a real life sand castle city — something truly unique and hard to find anywhere else in the world. Khiva was an important trade hub of the Silk Road, the setting for glorious and marvellous stories that also talk about the harsh realities of life in the desert, a life lived according to rigid social conventions. Once it was a slave trading city, with very strict rules and punishments for crime. Now a living open-air museum, its narrow lanes are full of music, markets and when we were there, colourful Navroze festivities; travellers are encouraged to join in the dancing and try on furry hats made of astrakhan wool.
Tash Hauli is a palace inside the Itchan Kala with extravagant interior decorations, more than 150 rooms, and 9 courtyards. Translated as ‘Stone House’, the complex was once the summer home of the Khan in Khiva. Full of dazzling blue tiles and delicately carved furniture, the most intriguing section is the Harem. It’s said the Khan had five wives… and 41 concubines
One of the most captivating sights is the Juma Mosque with 218 wooden columns supporting the roof. Originally built in the 10th century, the current mosque today is mostly an 18th-century renovation. Entering, one’s eyes adjust to the dim light, and the time-worn wooden pillars come into focus, some of them dating back to the original 10th century. Golden light filters through a skylight in the centre, spreading out towards the four corners to illuminate the intricately carved details on the columns – each one different and unique. The carvings on the columns read like the pages of a history – with calligraphy and floral patterns depicting the many tales of this city.
A turquoise-tiled mesmerizing minaret embellished with teal and golden tiles shimmering in a red glow at sunset, Kalta Minor Minaret built in 1851 by Mohammed Amin Khan, who dreamed that it would be the tallest minaret at 80 metres, enabling the residents to see all the way to Bukhara. Unfortunately, his dream was never fulfilled as he died leaving the structure unfinished at 29 metres – which is why Kalta-Minor actually translates as ‘short minaret’. … Legend also has it that the architect was thrown off the building because he apparently accepted an offer from a Khan in Bukhara who was planning to build an even higher tower…
Islom Hoja Minaret, a symbol of the country, is an early example of the architecture of the XIV century and resembles a lighthouse. The trunk of the minaret is made of bricks, decorated with white and blue tiles made of glazed ceramic. Islam-Khoja Minaret is the tallest structure in Khiva, visible from anywhere in the city. From the top of the minaret, one can see the most beautiful panoramic views of this fairy tale city.
Tashkent
“Where history meets the lens of your camera.”
The country’s new age capital was also a stopping point on the silk road. Modern buildings jostle with historic monuments including a church. The city is not without its fascinations. The Telyashayakh Mosque or Khast Imam Mosque madrasa houses one of the country’s great treasures: the world’s oldest Koran, one of six commissioned (only four remain), by a 7th-century caliph to collate all versions of Muhammed’s words, shortly after he died. Written in ink mixed made of coal, walnut shells and pistachio blossoms, in Hajisi script it is stained with the blood of the murdered caliph Osman, an uncle of Prophet Muhammed. It was brought by Timur to Samarkand, seized by the Russians as a war trophy and taken to Saint Petersburg. It was returned to Uzbekistan in 1989. It is beautiful and awe-inspiring – “Music for the eyes”, as calligraphy master Bahodir Saliev, a seventh-generation calligrapher, fluent in five languages describes it.
The Yunus Khan Mausoleum is a group of three fifteenth century mausoleums, restored in the nineteenth century, the largest of which is the grave of Yunus Khan, grandfather of Mughal Empire founder Babur (1483-1530).The Palace of Prince Romanov, which was the palace of Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich, a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia, who was banished to Tashkent for some shady deals involving the Russian Crown Jewels is also worth seeing as is The Fine Arts Museum of Uzbekistan, which contains a major collection of art from the pre-Russian period, including Sogdian murals, Buddhist statues and Zoroastrian art, along with a more modern collection of nineteenth and twentieth century art. The Museum of Applied Arts, which is housed in a traditional house originally commissioned for a wealthy tsarist diplomat, has a beautiful selection of nineteenth and twentieth century applied arts, especially some gorgeous pieces of textiles. The Amir Timur Museum, which is an impressive building with a brilliant blue dome and ornate interior and in its gardens a statue of Timur on horseback, surveys his empire..
For some shopping in Tashkent, head down to the famed Chorsu Bazaar and meander in this market maze. It is actually Uzbekistan’s largest bazaar! Spices, scarves, jewellery, trinkets, fruit and veg, beauty bits, meat, balloons, cakes… and shops selling socks. I have never seen so many and such a variety of socks.
The metro stations in Tashkent are truly spectacular. You enter a basement ballroom with the shunting of trains ricocheting off the marble floors. Each station portrays a story from Uzbekistan’s history, and is designed by a different artist or architect. The themes vary from the Soviet space programme to the poetry of Alisher Navoi. But the ultimate station to visit and be awed by is the Kosmonavtlar Metro Station. Decorated in a space-theme, it is dedicated to the cosmonauts of the Soviet Union. Opened in 1984, the ceiling reflects the Milky Way while the walls fade from blue to black to imitate the Earth’s atmosphere. Gold plaques proudly show pioneers from the Soviet space programme, including the first woman sent into space, Valentina Tereshkova.
Food
“This magical, marvellous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey.” – Joel Salatin
Uzbek cuisine is one of the most exquisite and flavourful and it will leave you longing for more even after leaving the country. Traditional Uzbekistan cuisine is influenced by the various traders that passed through over the centuries – Chinese, Turki, Mongolian, Indian and travellers from East Asian countries as well as the large planes of wheat and grain found across the country. Although heavily meat-based, we vegetarians were very absolutely awed by the meatless and vegan choices offered.
Some must-try national dishes are: plov, shurpa, lagman, manti and somsa – a flaky baked – very much like our samosa and a popular dish eaten at all times especially at breakfast; naan bread called goma stuffed with cheese, spinach, potato or pumpkin and eaten with challop, a yogurt based dip, generously flavoured with dill, parsley, radishes and cucumbers; Lagman, which means ‘stretch the dough’ is a delicious and hearty noodle stew, which has meat onions, carrots, peppers tomatoes and potatoes seasoned with cumin seed parsley and basil. A fried version with tomatoes and onions and peppers is finger licking tasty; A vegetarian version is available almost everywhere. Uzbekis love dumplings – Manti, Chuchuvara, Guzlama – are served with yogurt and fresh salad called Achichuk. Walking in the lanes of these cities one sees such a variety of homemade breads – Lepyoshka, that looks like a giant bagel, Kutabi and Tandy Naan – being sold at street corners. There are communal ovens dotted along the way where women bring their prepared doughs to bake. Nothing tastes quite as delicious as a freshly baked bread just taken out of the oven. Another popular dish is the Korean influenced eggplant where the diced vegetable is cooked with herbs and spices.
But the soul of Uzbeki food is plov, which is rice cooked in a certain manner with mutton fat, to which is added small bits of meat, shreds of carrots, quince, and raisins and served with sweet local tomatoes and freshly baked bread. In the vegetarian version the ubiquitous potato is the star! Variously called Pulao, Pilaf in different parts of Asia, it is the Central Asian sister to a biryani, and every region has its own variation of the recipe. There are special ‘Plov Centres” and they cook the dish in giant cauldrons called Kazans over an open fire. Everyone you meet in Uzbekistan will tell you that their mother’s plov is the best and urge you to try a portion. The meal is finished with traditional sweets- Halwa, Baklava and Nawat, which is made from sugar syrup and grape juice.
“Travel broadens our perspectives. Suddenly, the palette with which we paint the story of our lives has more colors.”
This old country is also very young, reborn in 1991 from the ashes of the Soviet Union. Called Transoxonia, Sogdia through the course of its history, it has been ruled by Persians, Greeks, Turks, Mongols, Chinese, and Russians. Half a dozen religions have found a home here. Each generation of rulers has built another layer of the city. Ancient, medieval, and modern marvels jostle for attention, and whether you are exploring the streets or touring one of the many museums, the beauty of Uzbekistan lies in the layers of stories it holds.
