SILK ROAD SPECTACULAR
A FORMER TRADING CENTRE ON THE GREAT SILK ROAD, UZBEKISTAN IS NOW AN EXCITING HOLIDAY DESTINATION, SAYS
BARELY five feet tall, slender and softly spoken, 62-yearold Rimma Gazalieva may be small of stature, but she’s a giant in the world of Uzbek artistr y. The shelves of her cosy Tashkent studio are piled high with an eclectic array of porcelain plates, tea sets and bowls, all hand-painted by the artist, who has practised her craft for 35 years.
As well as taking private commissions, Gazalieva runs ceramic painting masterclasses, where amateurs like me can try their hand at the traditional technique for around £15. She’s also got a social media presence that would put most millennials to shame, with more than 5,600 followers on Instagram.
Honouring history but embracing the modern world; that’s how you could describe Uzbekistan as a whole, in fact.
The central Asian country was at the heart of the Great Silk Road, a network of trade routes that criss-crossed from China to the Roman Empire used from around 130 BC until the end of the mid-1400s.
For most of the past 200 years, Uzbekistan was part of the Russian Empire and then Soviet Union, finally gaining independence in 1991.
The government has recently made it easier for Brits to obtain a visa and has seen a 40% upturn in holidaymakers as a result.
Joanna Lumley passed through as part of her Silk Road Adventure T V series, which aired on IT V in September, and I’m following in her footsteps.
So, what should a first-timer do in Uzbekistan? As one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world (the other is Liechtenstein, to save you Googling), beaches are out of the question, but if arts and architecture float your boat, there’s a lot to admire.
TASHKENT
IN THE leafy capital, the Metro isn’t just a method of transport, it’s a must-see.
Each station in the underground system, opened in 1977, is elaborately decorated to represent a different part of the country, and a ban on taking photos (because of its secondary use as a nuclear bomb shelter!) has just been lifted.
Some of the most impressive stations are royal blue-hued Kosmonavtlar, featuring portraits dedicated to famous cosmonauts ; Pakhtakor, thanks to its technicolour tiling; and
Alisher Navoi, with its intricate multi-domed ceiling.
Back at street level, make a beeline for bustling Chorsu Bazaar in the centre of the city and grab a large loaf of ‘non’.
You’ll find this fluffy flatbread at every meal in Uzbekistan, but at the market, you can taste it fresh from the scalding tandoor ovens in which it’s baked.
Tashkent has its fair share of mosques and The Tashkent Underground system, above, which it was forbidden to photograph until this year, and left is Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa, the summer palace near Bukhara
madrasahs (religious schools) too, but, truth be told, they pale in comparison to what you can find beyond the urban sprawl, so a day or two is all you need in the capital.
SAMARKAND
A T WO-HOUR high-speed train journey from Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s second largest city was once a booming trading stop on the Great Silk Road.
First port of call should be the magnificent Registan, comprising three madrasahs, in the centre of the old town.
Completed in different eras between 1417 and 1660, the three buildings have been restored inside and out out. The façades show sym symbols of both Islam and Zo Zoroastrianism (an a ancient pre-Islamic religion) while inside, high-domed ceilings gleam with intricate gold leaf and bronze tiles.
Even more impressive is the nearby Shah-I Zinda nec necropolis – a series of mauso mausoleums decorated with elaborate mosaics and glazed ‘majolica’ tiles – and the Gur-Emir, the mausoleum of Amir Timur, a 14th century military leader.
Another hugely respected figure is astronomer and mathematician Ulugh Beg.
At the Afrasiab Museum, a 10-minute drive from Registan, you can geek out on star-gazing history and see the remains of the observatory he built nearly 600 years ago.
Samarkand is also the best place to sample ‘plov ’, the national dish of Uzbekistan and a hearty blend of lamb, vegetables, spices and rice usually made outside in a big, deep pan. A bit like the meatiest paella you’ve ever had, it will fuel a full day of sightseeing.
BUKHARA
FOUR hours west of Samarkand, Bukhara is most famous for the Kalyan Minaret, a tower so breathtaking even Genghis Khan couldn’t bring himself to destroy it.
The sand-coloured 47 metre-high structure is part of the serene Poi Kalan mosque complex.
The other major architectural draw of the region is the Ark of Bukhara, a huge fortress that was home to the ruling emirs from the 5th century up until 1920.
Outside town, see Sitorai MokhiKhosa, the emir’s beautiful summer palace, completed in 1918.
It boasts décor fit for a king and rooms peppered with lavish ceremonial gowns and embroidery.