Uzbekistan: Looking Beyond the Silk Road

  Have you marveled at the magnificent  turquoise domes and minarets of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, and more ancient Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan, and wondered what might lie beyond the striking mosques, and madrasas? If so, the answer is a resounding yes. There’ plenty more to see in this amazing country, such as these five […]

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The Poi Kalyan of Bukhara: a masterpiece of architecture with a dark secret

  Hot on the tails of our last post on the magnificent feats of architecture that the madrashas – ancient institutions of higher education – of the Middle East are, today we turn our gaze to a particularly splendid example, the Miri-Arab of Bukhara, together with two other iconic pieces that comprise the complex in […]

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“S” is for Suzani: the Splendid World of Uzbek Embroidery

  And so, after silk printing and ikat, onto the third amazing member of the Uzbek textile tradition: the splendid world of Suzani, the ancient art of embroidery. Behold the world where magic is wrought with every stitch. Photo by Kellie CA What are suzanis and where do they come from? The word itself comes from […]

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