The expansive green meadows dotted with thousands of sheep and the snow-capped Tien Shan mountains in the background feel like a world away from the Navruz celebrations in the busy streets of Samarkand. Few visitors head to the remote mountain villages but today, people from all over Central Asia (and even a Slovene and a […]
Moynaq: the ship graveyard of Aral Sea
The western region of Uzbekistan is as desolate as any place can get, and it is hard to imagine that this region was once Central Asia’s agricultural powerhouse. Years of excessive irrigation depleted the Aral Sea, the main water source for the area, and threw the region into distress. For a glimpse on the effects […]
Samarkand: The city that ruled the Silk Road
Few places are as mythical and as evocative of the Silk Road as Samarkand, standing in the heart of Uzbekistan. The magnificent monuments and mosques scattered throughout the city have inspired poets and artists for hundreds of years – and continue to do so. Today, Timur’s (Tamerlane) constructions are surrounded by a Soviet-style city, but […]
The desert castles of ancient Khorezm, Uzbekistan
The valleys of Khorezm have seen their fair share of brutal and barbaric history. Once, mighty fortresses dotted the landscape, fighting for control of what used to be very fertile lands. While driving through the harsh desert of Khorezm it is very difficult to imagine that this was one of the richest areas in Uzbekistan, […]
The Silk Road desert splendour of Khiva, Uzbekistan
The massive walls of Khiva inspired and terrified Silk Road travellers throughout the centuries. Laying on a fertile oasis next to the Amu-Darya river and surrounded by the deadly desert, this medieval city attracted the riches of the Silk Road caravans as well as envy from neighbouring khans and desert robbers. Having being in such […]
