And then there was Uzbekistan… Arguably the most memorable part of our Stans itinerary, Uzbekistan also bears a lot of responsibility for us ending up in Central Asia in the first place. We’d seen so many photos and videos of their iconic Silk Road cities, giant mosques, stunning minarets and spectacular madrassas – it just feels like a place everyone should see at some point.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, the lakes, steppes and outstanding mountains of Kyrgyzstan are incredible as well, but we’ve done a lot of mountain hiking in a lot of places. So, yeah, awesome, but not quite as unique. And the same goes for Kazakhstan – the wonderful greenery and wide streets of Almaty and the many photogenic canyons and picturesque lakes. And then there are the Seven Lakes of the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan – terrific mountain scenery but not exactly groundbreaking territory for us.
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But the Silk Road! Historic, iconic, exotic, dry. Very dry. Of course, the amazing Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan only make up a small portion of this epic historic trade route. But they also just happen to fit the profile of everything I – as a VERY rudimentarily informed Silk Road enthusiast – think of when I think of the Silk Road. Except, perhaps, for the silk. I guess there was some but it wasn’t exactly the dominant product. That, of course, would be camel souvenirs. And hilarious “plov” t-shirts, of course.
Now, on the off chance you aren’t actually a Silk Road buff, don’t really know what I’m talking about and yet, somehow, haven’t gotten bored and moved on to scroll elsewhere – possibly looking for something involving cute cats – here is a very basic Silk Road history lesson:
The Silk Road was not a single route but actually a network of trade routes over 6,000 km long that connected ancient eastern and western civilizations. They were in use for roughly two millennia from the 2nd century BC to the mid-15th century AD and were used by many famous empires including China, India, Arabia, Persia, Greece, Rome and Egypt. Contrary to popular opinion, the intrepid merchants doing business on the Silk Road didn’t usually traverse the entire thing but just sold their goods to a variety of middlemen along the way. The original cost-benefit ratios, calculated on an abacus.
Fun fact: it wasn’t actually called The Silk Road until the 19th century, and even today historians disagree on how important the silk part of things really was. Certainly, the range of goods traded was impressively diverse, with the east also providing spices, dyes, tea and, eventually, paper, gun powder (uh oh) and both the plague and K-Pop –at different points in history, thankfully – while the west reciprocated with horses, wine, gold, a totally different set of diseases, sun loungers and male pattern baldness. Of course, various religions went back and forth like a virus and, unlike modern times, camels were universally respected, no matter how many humps they had.
Of course, while very little of that applies today, most of the buildings are still standing, along with many of the defensive walls and even some bits and pieces of the abandoned desert fortresses. Plus, the culture and customs along the Silk Road are very different from most places we’ve been and were endlessly fascinating. And, as proof, we just happened to take a few photos. Well, more than a few, if we’re being honest. So strap in and get ready – finally – for our photogenic journey through the Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan.
Warning:
The following images contain nudity, stereotypes, arguably too many doorways and, every now and then, something pretty gross.
The Silk Road Cities of Uzbekistan Map
Click the star to save this map to your Google Maps – then find it under Saved/Maps (mobile) or Your Places/Maps (desktop)
A Silk Road Photo Journal
To get started, we flew from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. From there, we took the train to Samarkand, another train to Bukhara, a private car to Khiva, then an overnight to train back to Tashkent. Then a bunch of metros in Tashkent, but we’ll get to that eventually.
Train to Samarkand
A daytime sleeper train – confusing name but theoretically handy. It had electrical outlets, roving food sellers and those debatably useful mesh pockets on the wall to hold your stuff, as long as that stuff is not too big for the tiny pocket, but still big enough that it won’t fall through the large holes. It’s a fine balance.
Train to Samarkand – “Facilities”
I swear this was a “before” photo, not an “after”.
Samarkand
Registan
The crown jewel of the Silk Road. Massive, stunning, intricate and, dare I say, regal? Which, to me, feels like enough, although apparently the people defiling it with a multi-coloured laser light show every night beg to differ.
“All she ever wanted was a quiet place to sit, to contemplate life and soak up the atmosphere of the holiest of holy locations. And occasionally check her phone to see if she made it into another Instagram photo.”
My idea of photographic creativity – zoomed shots through tiny holes in the wall. Artistic as hell, yo.
Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
What happens when architechts are told to “try a bit of everything”.
The Doorway Collection
A whole collection just for doorways? Yes, well. Just know that the ones I’ve shared here are only a small sampling of my far more extensive – and definitely cooler than you are imagining – Uzbekistan doorway collection. When we get home there will be a full slideshow.
Exotic, fancy doorway (casual lean)
Exotic, decaying doorway (casual lean)
Mysterious, shadowy doorway (purposeful walk)
Compelling, light at the end of the tunnel doorway (purposeful walk). Notice how I stayed right in line with it. That’s all about focus.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Not specifically a 7-Eleven breakfast destination but not specifically NOT that either.
Siyob Bazaar
Pomegranates! Get your fresh pomegranates here! Pomegranate juice! Pomegranate foods! Or just regular pomegranates! You would assume.
Rhukobod Mausoleum
“Can you tell our readers how it feels to be a small, boring, brown mausoleum in a city full of massive, elaborate, colourful ones?”
“Well, although I don’t appreciate the tone of your question, I am actually quite comfortable with who I am as a mausoleum. Size isn’t everything, you know, and, personally, we kind of prefer brown and we believe there is something to be said for elegant simplicity. Although it is also possible our dead folks were a bit on the poor side.”
Amir Timur Monument
Laynni humbly approaches the great Amir Timur to pay homage to this legendary conqueror of Central Asia, and also beg mercy for being a woman wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
Samarkand Turkish Bath
Ok, it’s not actually Turkish. If it was there would also have been some old dudes sitting on plastic chairs watching me. But at least I learned how to use a toddler-sized shower, along with some humility.
Bukhara
A minaret, some classy domes, the MOON. Yeah, THAT moon.
Neat, but objectively too much carpet.
The strut of a confident cat that lives in an amazing place and is filled with disdain for us as tourists. In addition to all the usual reasons cats are filled with disdain for us.
Food Collection
Breakfast
Starting our days with all the major food groups: Sliced fruit, bread-like products, fried stuff, processed meat and, importantly, something round.
Plov
Plov: Fried rice covered in fried vegetables and fried beef. With tiny eggs on the side, for some reason. Out of respect to the most iconic food in Uzbekistan, I caved to my baser tourist nature and bought a shirt to commemorate it. Also because it made us laugh. Good luck getting that song out of your head, though.
Shashlik
It’s all about the meat. I always say that.
Canadian Hot Dogs
I think everybody agrees that Canadians are famous for three things: being polite, pronouncing “about” in a funny way and considering horse meat a last resort.
Spices
Along with all that pretty silk, ancient traders also sold a shitload of spice. In those days, mostly to intrepid merchants crossing Asia on an epic and treacherous journey. These days, mostly to large groups of Koreans wearing matching t-shirts.
Jizz
Both versions are popular but, after much deliberation, I went with the “beef jizz”, assuming it would be more filling than the “chicken jizz”.
Nothing says desert heat like large group of tourists cowering in the meagre shade of a giant shaft.
Genie in a Bottle
Don’t be alarmed, those are just replica animals.
People talk a lot about the horrors of war but never mention how awful it must have been to wear armour all the time. Or how chaotic it would have been to shop for souvenir magnets.
Shopping Bazaar
Our method: Don’t slow down, don’t show interest, don’t respond to questions and never, ever make eye contact. Other than that, a wonderful cultural experience.
The White Chevy Cobalt
The Official Tourist Car of Uzbekistan. You can pay extra for a different colour. But I wouldn’t.
Desert Fortresses
Think of it as though a giant porcupine completely dried up for some reason and now you can pay to go inside.
As he gazed out at the ancient castle, one of the most significant fortifications of ancient Asia, sadness overtook him along with the slow realization that he would never, under any circumstances, get around to looking up its name.
Khiva
The Four Wise Women of Khiva. Pillars of the community. Respected matriarchs of their ancient families. But only a distant fourth in the local ladies bowling league.
The Walls
Nice shape, classic design and clean lines. Just not quite enough boiling oil stations for my liking.
Although we hoped this musical performance was for us, it was actually performed in honour of a political delegation visiting from Belarus. And featuring way more R. Kelly covers than you’d expect.
Juma Mosque
Vogue. Love break. Strike a pose.
Islam Khoja Minaret
Enjoying three of my favourite things. Beer. Views. Smirking.
An inside look at the grand minaret. Ideal for facing down claustrophobia, peering out tiny arrow slits and banging your head on stone bricks.
Our overnight train to Tashkent, sharing a cabin with a very nice and funny Quebecois couple. I know, we were surprised, too.
Tashkent
Minor Mosque
I thought I would have to wait ages to get the perfect photo of this dude standing in the most popular photo spot in the mosque. But I needn’t have worried, he was kind enough to just stand there the entire time.
Metro Station Collection
Tashkent is famous for its elaborate metro stations, hence this collection.
Elegant ceiling designs.
Creative art installations.
Obligatory chandeliers.
Even in nice metro stations, waiting for trains is boring.
Mustakallik Fountain
Ever wonder what it would look if 100 imperial guards stood behind a wall and peed emphatically and patriotically? Now you know.
Summary
Yes, our Silk Road journey through Uzbekistan was, in a word, fabulous. Or, in a slightly better word, fantastic. Great scenery, spectacular architecture, fascinating culture, passable food, hilarious t-shirts. It really covered all the bases. Including my many bathtub struggles.
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Other Posts You Might Like:
The Seven Lakes of the Fann Mountains FAQ
Ala Kul Trek: A Classic Kyrgyzstan Mountain Hike
Karakol or Jyrgalan: How to Choose the Perfect Kyrgyzstan Trekking Base
About the Author
Dean Johnston
Dean Johnston quit his job as a financial planner in 2008 to travel the world, and has now visited all 7 continents and more than 90 different countries. He wrote his first blog entry in a sweltering internet cafe in Bali in 2000 and has been writing about their travels ever since, including publishing 3 travel books.
As Routinely Nomadic, Dean remains focused on providing informative travel guides, entertaining stories and useful social media content to readers from all over the world.