Uzbekistan

We spend the day in Tashkent for a walking tour of the Old Town, exploring ancient mausoleums and beautiful mosques, including Tillya Sheikh. We will also take in remnants of the city’s Soviet past.

This morning we fly west to Nukus, located in the Karakalpakstan Republic. Upon arrival we make our way to Gyaur Kala, the “Fortress of Infidels”, a settlement established at the time of the First Persian Empire. Its surviving mud brick walls and towers are indicative of Zoroastrian inhabitants. After lunch we continue to the Medieval city of Mizdakhan, site of Uzbekistan’s oldest necropolis, first founded some 2,000 years ago. Still a place of pilgrimage and mysticism, the legends surrounding this settlement include that of the “World Clock”, a building that is said to shed just one brick a year. According to legend, when the last brick falls, the end of the world begins.

In the morning we visit the world-renowned Savitsky Art Museum, which hosts the world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art which hangs alongside that of Socialist Realism. There are also archaeological and ethnographic objects on display. Next we travel south along the Amu River to the remote ruined tepe of Chilpik Dakhma, a Zoroastrian “Tower of Silence” used in funerary “sky burial” rituals until the Arab invasion of the 7th century AD. Our final destination for the day is Khiva, an important Silk Road city famous for its role as a slave trading post.

The fifth day of our trip begins with an excursion to the mighty fortresses of Ayaz Kala. Dramatically situated on a hilltop overlooking the Kyzylkum Desert, and erected to protect local inhabitants against nomadic attacks, these ancient strongholds were largely destroyed at the time of the Arab invasions. We continue to the abandoned city of Toprak Kala, a complex built by the slave-owning Khorezm, with an extended line of crumbling walls that is visible for miles around. Built in the 3rd century AD, its remains include the residences of Khorezm governors, workshops which formerly manufactured bows, and a palace with three imposing towers.

Today we step into a world of “Arabian Nights”, spending a whole day exploring Khiva on foot to enjoy its narrow alleys, graceful minarets and thriving markets. Although it was virtually destroyed by Genghis Khan, much of it what was subsequently rebuilt is impressive. The first of Uzbekistan’s sites to achieve World Heritage status, the city still boasts its original defensive walls and gates, as well as a wealth of ornate mosques and mausoleums.

We take a long drive through the Karakum Desert, with a brief stop en-route at the widest expanse of the Amu Darya (River Oxus) to see how its waters have been diverted by the Soviets, causing the Aral Sea to dramatically recede. We arrive at Bukhara mid-afternoon, allowing time to visit the beautifully located Samani and Chashma Ayub mausoleums, and the Bolo Khauz Mosque before we check-in to our next hotel.

Today is all ours to wander brilliant Bukhara, long a great oasis of Central Asia. Formerly part of the Persian Empire, the city was seized by the Samanids in 903 AD, and went on to become a significant centre for intellectualism in the Islamic world. As part of our tour we visit the Po-i-Kalyan religious complex, an impressive collection of sacred buildings, so transcendent that not even Ghengis Khan could not bring himself to destroy it. Tonight we enjoy a traditional folk show before having dinner.

We visit the site at one of Bukhara’s predecessors today — the ruined city of Paykent. After a picnic lunch at the Paykent Museum. We return to Bukhara to visit the Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, a fine example of Samanid architecture, and the Bolo Haus Mosque, as well as other places of interest as we walk back to our hotel.

Today we follow the Silk Road route to Samarkand, an extended drive east across the scenic plains of central Uzbekistan. On the way we stop at Rabat-i Malik, an 11th-century caravanserai with an intricate Persian façade matching those found on palace walls at Persepolis.

We wake in fabulous Samarkand, a principal and prosperous city on the Silk Road route, and prepare ourselves for a full day of dazzling discoveries. Among today’s many highlights is the Ulugh Beg Observatory, a 15th century marvel of astronomical research which was unearthed in 1908. Ulugh Beg is widely considered to be one of the finest historical observatories in the Islamic world. Afterwards we’ll explore the stunning necropolis at Shah i Zinda, which is a series of grand palatial tombs. On to Afrasiyab in the Zerafshan Valley, here we find Samarkand’s oldest archaeological site, once the location of a Samanid palace, and now linked to an illuminating museum. We also admire Registan Square, an impressive public square bordered by three stunning madrasahs, or Islamic schools. A breath-taking monument to power and learning.

This morning we switch to smaller vehicles, travelling via the Takhta Karcha Pass to the turquoise-domed city of Shakhrisyabz, ancient birthplace of Amir Temur (Tamerlane). Legend states that the city was destroyed by the Khan of Bukhara when his favourite horse died from exhaustion on the steep ascent to the gates. What remains today are the looming towers and delicate mosaics of Tamerlane’s stupendous 14th-century Ak-Saray Palace (or White Palace), and the Dorus Saodat, an outstanding example of Khwarezmian architecture.

We begin our last full day by exploring more of central Samarkand, first visiting the restored Gur-i-Amir Mausoleum complex where Tamerlane was buried. We continue on to the enormous Bibi-Khanym Mosque, with its magnificent columns, portals and minarets – a grand site established during the reign of Tamerlane. After lunch we return to Tashkent by high-speed train this afternoon, and upon our arrival we enjoy a farewell dinner.

Our tour ends in Tashkent and we make our independent onward journeys.