It’s a slight improvement on the Northern Line: getting around in Uzbekistan

In my mosque visiting gear

Uzbekistan was once at the heart of the Silk Road. Caravans of camels would cross the country carrying silks, spices, gold and other exotics to trade. The Silk Road connected China with India, Iran and the Roman Empire through Central Asia, and went right across the middle of Uzbekistan, putting cities like Samarkand, Bukhara and… Continue reading It’s a slight improvement on the Northern Line: getting around in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan: an unhealthy preoccupation with death

Genghis Khan destroyed Samarkand and Bukhara in the early 13th Century. His MO was simple – he would ride up to a city accompanied by his Mongol horde, bang on the gates and say, ‘Do you surrender, yes or no?’ If they said no, he destroyed the city and killed everyone – in Bukhara the… Continue reading Uzbekistan: an unhealthy preoccupation with death