SILK ROAD SENSATIONS An extensive network of ancient trade routes, the Silk Road has long stirred the imagination with tales of camel caravans and swashbuckling adventurers. Following in the footsteps of Marco Polo and Genghis Khan, discover extraordinary landscapes and legendary towns and cities that once were the envy of the world. Here are some of our favourite sites along the old Silk Road.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan An architectural marvel and one of the most famous cities along the world’s most famous trade route, Bukhara is peppered with a stunning collection of madrasahs, mosques and minarets. Highlights include Labi-Hauz, a plaza where local men gather to chat, play dominos and drink pot after pot of Persian tea, and the Ark of Bukhara, the fortified residence of the former ruler of Bukhara that houses palaces, barracks, a mint, a prison and a museum. Out of town the summer residence of the former Emir is a fascinating mix of Islamic and Soviet styles.
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Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan
Vying with Bukhara as the most evocative city along the Old Silk Road, Samarkand is home to some of the most intricate and beautiful Islamic architecture in all of Central Asia and the Sogdian Empire, Alexander the Great and the hordes of Genghis Khan have all left their mark. At the heart of the city, the spectacular Registan Square is encircled by three towering golden madrasahs. A hive of activity during the day, the square truly comes alive at night with lighting beautifully illuminating the turquoise domes and the meticulouslycarved patterns of the facades.
The infamous ‘Door to Hell’ is a 230ft wide, 60ft deep crater within Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert lit by eternal flames. In the 1970s, Soviet scientists drilling for oil in the area broke beneath the thin crust of earth here and found a massive pocket of methane gas bubbling underneath. In a rather ill-advised attempt to disperse the gas, the scientists set fire to it and the flames have been burning ever since! Arguably the best time to visit this crater is at sunset as the flames licking the night sky can be seen from miles away and makes for a truly otherworldly experience.
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