ASIA & THE PACIFIC / SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS
The Silk Road: A Journey to Central Asia
Featuring the Five “Stans” of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan 17 days from $8,495 Oct. 5–21, Oct. 12–28, 2022 & Apr. 12–28, Apr. 26–May 12, Sept. 13–29, Sept. 27–Oct. 13, Oct. 11–27, 2023 Central Asia is the exotic heart of the Silk Road—ancient caravan routes used for the silk and spice trade between East and West. Experience the past and present of five Central Asian countries as you explore legendary cities, visit religious sites and museums, attend cultural programs, and meet local experts. Highlights Include Turkmenistan: Beginning in Ashgabat, visit the National Museum of History and Ethnography, then tour the ancient site of nearby Nisa with an archaeologist. Uzbekistan: Explore the legendary cities of Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Tashkent, with their noble squares and breathtaking architecture. Highlights feature religious sites, including madrassas and important mosques such as the 20th-century Tillya Sheikh Mosque, home to the oldest Koran in the world, and Bibi Khanum Mosque, built by Tamerlane to be the largest mosque in the world. You’ll meet with the scientific advisor of the Ark Citadel, artists at a renowned ceramics studio, and other local experts. Tour one of the ancient world’s most advanced observatories, drive across the Red Sands Desert, and enjoy performances of traditional music and dance. Tajikistan: Penjikent is an isolated city of 130,000 that was built in the fifth century and is most famous for its past as an important Sogdian trade center. Visit the site of an archaeological dig at Old Penjikent, where excavations began over 50 years ago. Tour the remains of Shakristan, two Zoroastrian temples, the citadel, and the Rudaki Museum of History and Regional Studies—named after the founder of Tajik and Persian poetry.
Kyrgyzstan: In the capital of Bishkek, tour the central square, the National History Museum, and the State Museum of Fine Arts, and meet with a Kyrgyz resident who participated in the 2010 revolution. In a nearby village, enjoy lunch with a family in their home and watch a demonstration of Kyrgyz horse games. Later, delight in a Kyrgyz Manas folk performance. Kazakhstan: Highlights in Almaty include the Zenkov Cathedral, the delightful Museum of Musical Instruments, and the State Central Museum. Outside the city, visit a traditional Kazakh falcon farm. Limited to 24 Smithsonian Journeys guests. KAZAKHSTAN Sarygamysh UZBEKISTAN Red Sands Desert Lake Tashauz Tashkent Khiva Aydar Lake Gijduvan Bukhara Penjikent TURKMENISTAN Samarkand Ashgabat
Bishkek
Almaty Issyk Kul
KYRGYZSTAN
TAJIKISTAN
Overnight Featured Site Air Motorcoach Train
Smithsonian Journeys Experts Laura Kennedy (Apr.)–former diplomat. Paula Swart (Sept. 13)–art historian. Adam Tanner (Sept. 27)–journalist.
Registan complex, Samarkand, Uzbekistan 102
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