The undiscovered Silk Road of Uzbekistan

A truly magical adventure following the ancient Silk Road to discover jaw-droppingly beautiful turquoise-tiled madrassas, ornate palaces with hidden haram courtyards, desert cities, bustling bazaars and the traditional yurts of this trading nation. 

Uzbekistan, deep in the heart of Central Asia, flourished in prosperity, culture, trade and religion as a vital section of the ancient Silk Road linking China to Europe. Tamerlaine founded the Timurid Empire in the 14th Century, which brought an architectural magnificence (and also later via the Timurid Renaissance) seldom rivalled, especially in Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva and Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and in many of the ancient cities of Iran. 

(Available as a small group tour or tailor-made holiday)

High minarets scratch the blue sky above blazing glazed domes flashing in the sunlight. Complex geometrical designs on brightly coloured tiles decorate enormous yet perfectly balanced edifices on a truly staggering scale: Mosaics of lions, tigers, deer, and human faces adorn mosques and lecture rooms as symbols of power according to the traditions of Islam. 

Grand portals and elegant decorated pillars await you at the gold-covered Tilya-Kori Madrasa in Samarkand; the largest and most glorious structure of the Registan Square with minarets at each corner emanating a feeling of strength. Nearby one of the greatest monuments of Uzbek architecture, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, towers up to heaven in a multitude of marble and terracotta high portals, souring minarets, 400 cupolas decorated with mosaics, blue-gold frescoes and gates made of seven different metals. It is wonder to be seen. 

If you would like to learn more about Samarkand, please read our Journal post here.