Central Asia
Magical landscapes and Silk Road cities
Sandwiched between the Middle East and China, Central Asia is a land of bloody history where warlords like Genghis Khan and Tamerlane ruled and rampaged. Made up of five former Soviet states ‒ Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan ‒ it's best known for being the central artery of the ancient silk route connecting China with Europe.
Uzbekistan is the cultural highlight, home to glittering silk road cities like Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva, with their mosaic-laden madrasas, cobalt-domed mosques and souks thronging with traders. Elsewhere, it’s about experiencing untouched landscapes and the people who've lived in them for generations. Try the snow-capped Pamir and Tian Shan mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where traditional herding communities ride horses, sleep in traditional yurts and hunt with birds of prey.
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Kazakhstan
A land for wanderers
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Nur-Sultan (Astana)
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Astana
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Charyn Canyon
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Altyn Emel National Park
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Turkestan
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Kyrgyzstan
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Bishkek
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Issyk-Kul
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Song Kul
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Karakol
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Tajikistan
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Yagnob Valley
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Dushanbe
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Fann Mountains
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Turkmenistan
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Ashgabat
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Darvaza
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Uzbekistan
Mosques, mausoleums and madrasahs
Central Asia’s showstopper, Uzbekistan is synonymous with the famed Silk Road which weaved its way through much of this historic country... -
Khiva
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Bukhara
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Samarkand
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Tashkent
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Termez
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Derbent
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Fergana
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TitleExploring The Silk Road |
Pages75 |
PriceFree |
About this guide
Does anywhere conjure the spirit and romance of adventure quite like the Silk Road? The original transcontinental trade route; the stomping grounds of Marco Polo and Genghis Khan; a ribbon weaving across desert and mountain to connect medieval Europe with the mysterious and mighty civilisations to the east.
And more recently, thrills of another flavour: the shuttering of the Iron Curtain and the eventual re-emergence of isolated republics onto the world stage. These landlocked countries in the heart of Asia are now slowly finding their feet in the 21st century. At the same time, their period of extended isolation has helped preserve remarkable cultures, unique architecture and spectacular natural scenery.
Despite the region’s long and illustrious history of exploration, much of the Silk Road remains a mystery to today’s traveller. Where to begin? What to see? How to get around?
That’s why we created this guide: To introduce you to the must-see highlights and show how to condense a land of mind-boggling diversity into an all-too-brief holiday.
Unlike in Marco Polo’s day, a journey along the Silk Road no longer demands an epic five-year voyage. But don’t let that diminish the scale of the adventure that awaits–buckle up, you’re in for one hell of a ride!
 Authors |
Steven Hermans |
|---|---|
 Editors |
Matthew Barker |
 Format |
|
 Published |
2017 |
 Updated |
2017 |
 No. of Pages |
75 |
Exploring The Silk Road
Highlights and key routes
Does anywhere conjure the spirit and romance of adventure quite like the Silk Road? The original transcontinental trade route; the stomping grounds of Marco Polo and Genghis Khan; a ribbon weaving across desert and mountain to connect medieval Europe with the mysterious and mighty civilisations to the east.
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