IMAGES: GETTY. ILLUSTRATION: TANYA COOPER
SILK ROAD
Twilight descends on
the Mir-i Arab Madressa and Kalyan Minaret in the old town of Bukhara,
Uzbekistan. Right: Uzbek plov, a regional rice dish
FOUR DISHES TO TRY IN Central Asia
PLOV Fried, boiled and then steamed, this simple meat and rice dish is one of Central Asia’s culinary icons and there are numerous regional versions. Tashkent’s is one of the most delicious, starring fatty lamb, yellow carrots, garlic and raisins. It’s spiced with cumin, coriander and paprika and cooked with long-grain rice to soak up the juices.
LAGHMAN This ubiquitous Central Asian noodle dish has two main forms: a hearty stew, called zhidkiy laghman, and a fried feast, known as boso laghman. It commonly includes beef or lamb, and spicy, garlic-pepper paste cooked with peppers, onions, radish and herbs.
ITINERARY SILK ROAD CITIES
Once major hubs for global trade and centres of cultural exchange, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s cities are now welcoming oases for history lovers, complete with ornate Islamic architecture and crumbling ruins.
DAYS 1-3
Arriving in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, board a train (13-17h) to Turkistan to explore the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Dating to the late 14th century, it’s believed to be the earliest example of the Timurid architectural style — intricate tilework, multiple minarets and domes — that came to define the Silk Road. Set aside half a day to visit the partially excavated ruins of 10th-century desert fortress Sauran, 25 miles north west of Turkistan.
DAYS 4-7
Cross the border to Uzbek capital Tashkent, a pleasant city of parks and fountains that, with nearly three million inhabitants, is the biggest in Central Asia. The 18th-century Kukeldash Madrasah, built as an Islamic school, is one of the largest in Central Asia. Inside the nearby 16th-century Hazrati Imam complex is the world’s oldest surviving Quran, brought to Taskkent by Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur. From Tashkent, travel to Urgench by
plane, bus or train (3h/14h/15h) and continue by shared taxi to Khiva (30min), the best preserved fortress city along the Central Asian Silk Road. The 2,400-year-old Itchan Kala (old town) is packed with ancient architecture;
it would be easy to spend two days here, wandering the winding streets and climbing lofty minarets for views of the city.
DAYS 8-12
Go by train to Bukhara (6h) for three nights, then onward by train to Samarkand (1.5h). Both cities are UNESCO listed; Samarkand is the more famous, but Bukhara is the more appealing as it blends ancient and modern so well. Sixteenth-century trading domes are still in use, standing beside all-but-abandoned synagogues, family homes and bakers’ kiosks. In Samarkand, don’t miss the Gur-e-Amir,
a mausoleum complex that contains the tomb of tyrant Timur, whose empire stretched from Aleppo to Delhi, and the imposing Registan — a plaza at the heart of the city that contains three ornately mosaiced madrasas. On the edge of the historic centre, the Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum complex, with its colourful, tiled facades, is also worth a visit.
DAYS 13-14
From Samarkand, add a trip to Shakhrisabz, Timur’s birthplace. Once envisioned as the capital of the Timurid Empire and eventual resting place of the conqueror, plans stalled when Timur unexpectedly died during a military campaign in 1405. Today, it’s a small, traditional town; just past a modern statue of Timur, the restored Chubin Madrasah has been converted into a museum dedicated to the tyrant and his empire.
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SHASHLIK Skewered meat grilled on an open flame to smoky perfection, served with marinated onions and tomato sauce alongside freshly baked, flat non bread, cooked in a tandoor oven. Beef, lamb and chicken are common meats, but you’ll also find a mix of aubergine, courgette and other seasonal veg.
SAMSA The go-to fast food in the region are these oven-baked, flaky, meat pastries known, variously, as samsa, somsa or sambusa (but never samosa, despite the similarity), found at street stalls. Chunks of fatty mutton and beef are the most common filling, but chicken and cheese samsas versions are also worth seeking out. Uzbek-style samsas are considered the finest and have the least-fatty meat.
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