If you are contemplating traveling the Silk Road with kids, Uzbekistan should be the first destination on your list.
21.07.2023 - 08:02 / roughguides.com / Kiki Deere
While the Chinese stretch of the Silk Road is world famous, the central Asian section is far less travelled but has no less to see. Kiki Deere describes travelling the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, from post-Soviet Tashkent, through the beautiful blue-tiled city of Samarkand, to unspoilt Bukhara.
I peered out of the window of our small wobbly plane – a large, desert-like expanse of sandy terrain spread out below. I began to make out the northern fringes of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, a country whose exotic-sounding name resonated in a closed drawer at the back of my mind from distant school history lessons, when I'd sit in class daydreaming about Gengis Khan and his Mongol hordes galloping across the vast plains of Central Asia. And now, here I was, in one of the countries home to the ancient Silk Road route, ready to traverse the roads once threatened by waves of invaders and conquerors.
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, was one of the major trading centres along the Silk Road, and to this day remains one of the largest exporters of cotton, silk and textiles to Eastern Europe. Due to the 1966 earthquake and consequent Soviet rebuilding, little remains of the old city. I was not planning on staying here too long, for I was here to embark on a train journey south to explore the wonderfully preserved Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.
Photo courtesy of Kiki Deere
An olive green train sat at the station platform, its little windows graced by embroidered curtains that were gingerly clipped to the sides, revealing a comfortable compartment within. I sat by the window, eager to take in the dramatic scenery of these far flung lands. A stout lady stumbled in, with her little son in tow. They were to be my travelling companions for my first Uzbek train journey.
Our train chugged off, headed to the historic town of Samarkand, one of the planet's longest inhabited cities. Positioned at the crossroads of the world's greatest trade routes, Samarkand has a multi-millennial history. The city was founded in the seventh century BC, and eventually became part of Alexander the Great's empire. It later gained further importance as a centre of the silk trade, where merchants and traders would ply its streets dealing in all manner of goods. Centuries later, the town was conquered by Turkish invaders, giving rise to the prevalence of Islamic art and culture.
«Ah, the Registan and the three madrasahs!» my fellow traveller exclaimed in perfect English, quite to my surprise. «Everyone travels here to see it. And Bukhara? You will go to Bukhara also, yes?» she asked, offering me an exotic-looking piece of fruit that her son was much enjoying. I nodded in excitement, prompting her to tell me more. «It was this route
If you are contemplating traveling the Silk Road with kids, Uzbekistan should be the first destination on your list.
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