GETTING THERE

Amazing architecture, irresistible crafts and the prettiest metro stations in the world – Judith Baker finds Uzbekistan full of surprises.

In Samarkand, the very name as mysterious and magical as the legends it evokes, I am surrounded by blue. From the twinkling peacock colour of the domes to the azure tiles and the turquoise minarets, the city’s famous square is awash with shades of sparkling sapphire. For centuries, travellers have been mesmerised by the romance of the Silk Road, conjuring its images of caravans bearing spices and treasures from East to West. Great names from Marco Polo to Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan are all linked with this remarkable region and now a new generation of adventurers are poised to make their own discoveries.

Because with improved infrastructure, these thousands of architectural wonders and Unesco sites are easier than ever to explore — bookings on one leading tour operator’s Silk Road trip are up by 150 per cent this year.

Independent from the Soviet Union since 1991, Uzbekistan’s own history

AN 11-day Highlights of Uzbekistan tour with Steppes Travel costs from £2,175 per person, including direct international flights from Heathrow to Tashkent. steppestravel.co.uk

A 10-day Uzbekistan Revealed tour with Pettitts costs from £2,835, including flights via Istanbul with Turkish airlines. pettitts.co.uk dates back millennia and its traditions live on. Dancers in colourful robes spin to the rhythms of drums and tambourines in a square in Tashkent’s city centre and again in a restaurant after lunch, the warmth and energy epitomising the country’s distinctive personality, which combines rich culture with modern dynamism.

Most journeys start here in the capital, much of which was destroyed by earthquake in 1966, now rebuilt with modern buildings alongside 18th century architecture and squares. Beyond the Soviet architecture, such as the Hotel Uzbekistan, one of its treasures lies underground. I was entranced by the city’s metro system, built in 1973 and said to be the most elegant in the world. Adorned with mosaics, mirrors and chandeliers each station is different and makes our own tube stations look very dowdy indeed.

Two hours away on the stylish Afrosiyob high-speed train lies Samarkand, home to some of the area’s iconic architecture. Three beautiful madrasas dominate Registan square, the heart of the old city, with breathtaking turquoise domes and minarets above the religious schools.

Here too I found the observatory of Ulugbek, grandson of Temur or Tamerlane, Uzbekistan’s most famous conqueror. An astronomer, scientist and architect, Ulugbek lies buried next to his grandfather in the beautifully reconstructed Gur-Emir Mausoleum.

And after haggling in the bazaars over the azure blue ceramics and luxurious silk rugs for which Samarkand is famous, I headed east into the narrow streets of the Jewish quarter or mohallah, which dates back to 1893. These days, the country’s Jewish population is small — around 5,000 of more than 30 million, all Muslim apart from around five per cent Russian Orthodox Christians. But its Jewish heritage, which traces back to the centuries before Genghis Khan, still endures.

I visited the small synagogue in Samarkand where caretaker Yosef Tilayev was on hand to show me round and tell of the days when this was the centre of a thriving community.