00:00Welcome to Travel Smart, the insider's travel guide from Independent TV.
00:04Today we're going to be travelling along the Silk Road through Uzbekistan,
00:08stopping in at some of the most fascinating cities on this ancient route.
00:12Uzbekistan is a country that blends the medieval Islamic world
00:16with the more recent Soviet history and a surge towards modernity.
00:20It's the most visited of the Central Asian republics and is very easy to travel around,
00:25yet you're unlikely to encounter too many tourists even at the popular historical sites.
00:40We'd recommend taking a few days to explore Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent,
00:45where broad boulevards and imposing 20th century buildings
00:49give way to colourful bazaars and green parks.
00:53Although taxis are cheap, taking the metro is one of the best experiences you can have in Tashkent,
00:59thanks to its beautifully decorated stations that each have a specific theme.
01:04It's an Instagrammer's dream.
01:06In the centre of the city, you'll find the tree-lined Amir Tamir Square,
01:11with a monument to the controversial military leader
01:14and the formidable facade of Hotel Uzbekistan creating a dramatic backdrop.
01:20For shopping, or simply to experience the liveliest corner of the city,
01:24the vast Chorsu Bazaar sells everything from nuts and dried fruit
01:29to furniture, clothes, toys and handicrafts.
01:33For a moment of calm, head to the Memorial to the Victims of Repression,
01:38which is a park and a museum dedicated to the thousands of people
01:42who were killed during Stalin's era and other periods of political terror.
01:46From here, you'll be standing just below the Tashkent TV Tower,
01:50which has a viewing platform and 8th floor restaurant,
01:53where you can see right across the city,
01:55as well as towards the mountains along the border with Kazakhstan.
02:00There are three key Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan,
02:03and the first two, Bukhara and Samarkand,
02:05are easily accessible from Tashkent on comfortable, high-speed trains.
02:12In Samarkand, you'll want to explore the Registan,
02:15which is the city's main square,
02:17surrounded by three majestic madrasas with exquisite mosaics.
02:21It's particularly gorgeous at night, when the square dazzles under the lights
02:25and both locals and tourists listen to music, meet friends
02:28or just wander among the architectural wonders.
02:31Just a 10-minute walk away, the Guryamir Mausoleum
02:34is the final resting place of Timur, also known as Tamerlane,
02:38and features exquisite tiling and a grand blue dome.
02:42Samarkand has plenty of good restaurants,
02:44so it is an excellent place to sample Uzbek cuisine,
02:47including the national dish, plov,
02:49which is a rice dish with meat, carrots and onions, as well as various spices.
02:55The ancient city of Bukhara dates back around 2,500 years
02:58and is a beautiful example of a restored medieval Central Asia city.
03:03Among the many blue-domed mosques and intricately decorated madrasas
03:07is the tomb of Ismail Samani,
03:09which is one of the earliest examples of an Islamic tomb in Central Asia.
03:14There are plenty of historic sites and ancient architecture in Bukhara,
03:18and the city is also home to some excellent shopping opportunities
03:21in the bustling bazaars, where rugs, jewellery and art
03:24are some of the most appealing things.
03:26Your next stop after Bukhara should be Kiva,
03:28one of the more remote cities on the Silk Road, and well worth a visit.
03:32Here, tourists can stroll among mudhuts, alleys, minarets
03:36and monuments in Itchankala,
03:38the remarkably well-preserved walled inner town.
03:41Perhaps the most impressive of these is the unfinished Kolta Minor minaret,
03:46which never reached its intended height,
03:48but still reaches up impressively above the city.
03:51The 19th-century Tashkali stone palace
03:54may not be the oldest of the architectural delights in Kiva,
03:57but it is a beautiful place to explore,
03:59with wide courtyards, winding corridors and colourful ceramic tiles.
04:05For a slice of rural life in Uzbekistan,
04:08you can also take the high-speed train through mountain passes
04:11to the lush Ferghana Valley,
04:13known for silk and pottery production,
04:16with techniques that haven't changed in centuries.
04:19The adventurous may want to go even further afield to the Aral Sea.
04:24This saltwater lake was once the world's fourth-largest inland water,
04:28but has been reduced to less than 10% of its former size,
04:32in what is seen as one of history's starkest ecological disasters.
04:38That's it for this episode of Travel Smart Weekly.
04:41You'll find our next episode out soon,
04:43which you can watch online on the Independence mobile app
04:46or on your smart TV.
04:48And for all the latest travel news, reviews and advice,
04:51be sure to check out independent.co.uk forward slash travel
04:54and listen to Simon Calder's daily podcast.
05:02♪
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