Bettany Hughes' Treasures the World Season 4 Episode 2
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Short filmTranscript
00:00A voyage of discovery to explore our shared heritage and how our past shapes all of our lives.
00:08This time, the mountains, mysteries, and ancient cities of Uzbekistan.
00:15I'm on the trail of travellers from nomads to farmers to soldiers to traders
00:22who've come here for thousands of years and from all points of the compass
00:26to create the most incredibly, uniquely interwoven culture.
00:32It is a brilliantly rich story that connects to all of our lives.
00:39I'm uncovering the secrets of the Silk Roads.
00:43That is so beautiful.
00:46It's the first time that's kind of found from here.
00:49The incredible women shaping history.
00:52So he's basically getting his kudos through the female line
00:57and ancient sun worshippers who thrived in the remote desert.
01:02So this is literally the only one of those in the world.
01:05If he could speak, what stories he'd be able to tell us.
01:09Welcome to the breathtaking treasures of Uzbekistan.
01:22This is my kind of traffic jam, which is perfect.
01:45Hello, goats.
01:46Hello, beautiful goats.
01:47I've been driving for hours through this stunning, spectacular landscape
01:56because I'm right in the heart of Central Asia.
02:02Uzbekistan's geographic position has made it a unique crossroad of civilisations.
02:10People here have had to interact and connect with visitors from near and far.
02:17The place I'm heading to now is packed with evidence of that fascinating exchange of cultures.
02:29My first treasure is a region in the far south, known in ancient times as Bactria.
02:36In the 4th century BCE, this spectacular mountain pass leading into Bactria witnessed something remarkable.
02:47I've wanted to come here for so long because this is the setting of one of the greatest love stories of all time.
02:56So this is where Alexander the Great, the conquering warrior from northern Greece,
03:02came as part of his campaign to control Central Asia.
03:06We're told that he wanted to take a fortress citadel.
03:11The local ruler said, fine, come up if your soldiers can fly.
03:15They climbed up, 300 of them.
03:18Many died.
03:19But eventually Alexander took the castle and then he fell in love with the leader's daughter and married her.
03:28It's one of those stories that made history.
03:33This romance with the princess Roxana was also a key strategic alliance.
03:44Just one of the ways Alexander tightened his grip.
03:48I've driven right the way down to the southern tip of the country.
03:59And this ancient city that you're looking at is at least 2,300 years old.
04:05Now, it could have been built by one of Alexander the Great's successors,
04:09or this could be the last great city of Alexander himself.
04:19Camper Tepe.
04:21A huge, fortified, mud-brick metropolis.
04:27Stretching over 130,000 square metres.
04:32The reason there's a city here at all is because of that massive river over there.
04:43Today it's called the Amudaria.
04:45But for the ancient Greeks, it was the Oxus.
04:48And it was an absolute artery of trade and communication,
04:52something that really connected cultures then.
04:54But today it's a border, because I'm standing here in Uzbekistan,
04:59and over the other side of the bank is Afghanistan.
05:05This place flourished as a crucible of cultural exchange.
05:12The evidence is kept safe in the museum in Termez,
05:16where I've been given very special access.
05:19Really, really lucky to get in here,
05:25because there is incredible evidence
05:27that tells us about the exchange that happened here.
05:31So look at this.
05:32This is a coin of Alexander the Great, no less,
05:37with his very distinctive horns of Amun,
05:40inspired by his time in Egypt.
05:43And then if you look at the reverse of a lot of these coins
05:46that were discovered here,
05:47it shows the statue of Zeus, Olympia, in Greece,
05:52one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
05:56The coins of Alexander's successors
05:58also show symbols of Eastern influence.
06:02So this is Demetrius,
06:04and he's wearing a helmet in the shape of an elephant's head
06:08to remind people that his power
06:11stretched all the way to the Indian subcontinent.
06:17A two-way traffic of influence evolved.
06:21In the first century CE,
06:23a dynasty of rulers, the Kushans,
06:26introduced Buddhism from their lands in India.
06:31This impact can still be seen somewhere magical,
06:35just outside Termez.
06:37This was originally built 2,000 years ago,
06:50and pilgrims would come here to meditate
06:52and to be close to this stupid symbol
06:55of the Buddha's enlightenment,
06:57because this was the biggest Buddhist complex
07:02anywhere in Central Asia.
07:03And what happened here would help to spread Buddhism
07:06to China and Tibet.
07:08And close by,
07:15the Buddhist monks carved out an atmospheric,
07:19underground world.
07:24This is just astonishing, isn't it?
07:27So Chinese sources from the time
07:29tell us that there were ten monasteries like this
07:32with thousands of monks living here.
07:35It's always worth remembering, I think,
07:37that when we talk about monks and nuns,
07:39I mean, for some of us at any rate,
07:41you often have a rather kind of Western perspective
07:43and think of Christian monasticism.
07:46But actually, those early Christian monks
07:48got their inspiration from the Buddhist monks
07:51who were travelling up and down the Silk Road.
07:54So, in some ways, it all started here.
07:57And if you think about what Buddhists believe,
08:00going right the way back to the very earliest Buddhist sources,
08:04one of their concepts was that we should just love without limit.
08:10And, of course, that became a Christian idea too.
08:16Some experts believe these caverns were reused by Christian monks.
08:22And by the late 7th century,
08:25this riverbank became home to another faith.
08:30Islam.
08:32With pilgrims still drawn to its shrines from near and far.
08:38Hello, morning. Hello, salam.
08:41What's your name?
08:42What's your name?
08:44I'm...
08:44My name is...
08:46I'm my name is Fahan.
08:48Fahan, and what's your name?
08:49What's your name?
08:50My name is...
08:51My name is Bethany.
08:54What's Bethany?
08:55From London.
08:56You're from Tajikistan.
08:58Lovely to see you, ladies.
09:01Bye.
09:02Bye.
09:02Bye-bye.
09:03Bye-bye.
09:04Bye-bye.
09:06One of the things that's so lovely about coming here
09:13is thinking of all those people,
09:15of whatever faith or beliefs
09:16who've made their pilgrimage to this place
09:19through thousands of years.
09:20And I'm coming here as a stranger,
09:22but I'm being made to feel so, so welcome.
09:29All these visitors are seeking out the mausoleum
09:32of a renowned 9th century Sufi scholar,
09:35Al-Hakim, Al-Termizi.
09:41And then a spontaneous, heart-warming encounter
09:44with the imam.
09:45Welcome.
10:02Al-Termizi's ideas could echo earlier Buddhist influence,
10:07Termizi is a treasure
10:35because it combines beliefs and values
10:38handed down over centuries,
10:41from Alexander the Great
10:42through Buddhist monks and Sufi scholars,
10:46blending, flourishing, and nourishing across time.
10:52For my next treasure,
11:05I've come to Uzbekistan's remote northwest
11:08to explore a mysterious oasis kingdom
11:12known in ancient times as Horasmia.
11:16My search starts
11:20in the fertile Silk Road city
11:23of Hebar.
11:33Rahmat.
11:35Rahmat.
11:36Travellers wrote a lot about coming here.
11:38In particular,
11:39this place was famous for its melons,
11:41which it still is.
11:42Actually, 1,000 years ago,
11:45there are accounts of melons from here
11:48being packed in lead cases,
11:51filled with snow,
11:53and sent all the way to Baghdad.
11:55And once they arrived,
11:56a single melon
11:58could be worth the equivalent
11:59of two kilograms of silver.
12:02So I am having a right roll breakfast here.
12:05And it's really, really exciting to be here
12:07because this place is a kind of gateway
12:09to an ancient world.
12:16Oh, my.
12:17That is so good.
12:18Here, there are clues
12:29to this land's more distant past.
12:34A mystical dance
12:36known as Lasky
12:37performed here for thousands of years.
12:41Its movements are designed
12:43to connect the human soul
12:45with nature.
12:47In particular,
12:49the sun.
12:52To find out more
13:01about these endearing traditions,
13:04I'm heading beyond the city walls,
13:06deeper
13:07into ancient Horasmia.
13:09The fertile oasis here
13:12has shrunk over time,
13:14but it was once called
13:16the land
13:17of a thousand castles.
13:29This place is known
13:31as the Tower of Silence
13:32because
13:332,000 years ago,
13:35this is where the elite
13:36of the kingdom
13:37would bring their dead.
13:44A people
13:45who practiced
13:46the Zoroastrian faith,
13:50believing that
13:51burying or burning bodies
13:52would contaminate
13:53the elements,
13:55they left their dead
13:57exposed
13:58for birds
13:59to pick clean.
14:03The bare bones
14:04then carefully collected
14:06and stored.
14:08This whole
14:09kind of fortress tomb
14:12is designed
14:13to be like
14:13the shape of the sun
14:15and
14:15these rooms
14:17for the dead
14:17where the bones
14:18were left
14:19that radiate out
14:20are like the sun's rays.
14:22Zoroastrianism
14:29is one of the
14:30oldest faiths
14:31in the world,
14:33flourishing here
14:34from the 6th century BCE
14:35until the rise of Islam
14:3712 centuries later.
14:43And legend has it
14:44that it was
14:45right here
14:47that Zarathustra,
14:49the very first
14:50prophet
14:50of Zoroastrianism
14:52received a revelation
14:54of the faith.
14:56So,
14:57this is where
14:58it all began.
15:01The independent
15:03kingdom of Chorasmia
15:04started to build
15:06these
15:06extraordinary
15:08structures
15:08from the 4th century
15:10BCE.
15:13Huge fortresses
15:14defending the oasis
15:16against raids
15:17by nomadic
15:18tribes.
15:19I mean,
15:23that is just
15:24totally,
15:26totally
15:27awesome,
15:28isn't it?
15:28Breathtaking.
15:30So,
15:31you've got a whole
15:31string of
15:32castles
15:33like these ones
15:34and some of them
15:35are big enough
15:36to accommodate
15:362,000 people
15:38with palaces
15:39and throne rooms
15:41and fire temples.
15:43They're just
15:44astonishing.
15:45Genghis Khan
15:47actually destroyed
15:48a load of
15:48these,
15:49but now
15:50the very,
15:51very good
15:51news is
15:52that archaeologists
15:53are finding
15:53clues that
15:55are helping
15:55us to bring
15:56them back
15:57to life.
16:00I've come
16:00to the local
16:01capital,
16:02Nukus,
16:03in search
16:04of the latest
16:05discoveries.
16:06I think
16:07this is where
16:08the magic
16:08happens.
16:09It's where
16:16they restored
16:16and you find.
16:18Hello,
16:19hello.
16:20Hello.
16:22What an incredible,
16:23incredible place.
16:25How long have you
16:26been working
16:27on the fragments here?
16:28How long?
16:29Here,
16:29you know,
16:30I'll explain to you.
16:31The fact is that
16:31with these fragments
16:32it's
16:33almost all the work
16:34is going to be
16:36almost endless.
16:37Fragments
16:39of paintings
16:40from the walls
16:41of the castles
16:41give tantalizing
16:43glimpses
16:43of the people
16:44who lived here.
16:46Look at this.
16:48Look at this.
16:49Look at this.
16:50The eye of the person.
16:51This is
16:51the skull.
16:53This is
16:54the hair.
16:57The hair.
16:58Look.
17:00Look at this.
17:01The hat.
17:01Look at this.
17:02It's put here.
17:03Yeah.
17:04So it's the top
17:04of a woman
17:05or a man?
17:06I don't know.
17:07I don't know.
17:12There's so much
17:13to decode.
17:15The rare green
17:16and blue pigments
17:17suggest a culture
17:18that was
17:18super rich.
17:22Really
17:23incredible
17:24to be discovering.
17:26How old
17:26is all of this?
17:27This is maybe
17:293rd,
17:302nd
17:30century
17:31BC.
17:32BC?
17:33Yeah.
17:33No way.
17:34Today
17:35there's the most
17:36ancient wall
17:37paintings in
17:37Central Asia.
17:39And we're seeing
17:40it being
17:41written.
17:42That's incredible.
17:46Other paintings
17:47from the castles
17:48show royal figures,
17:51Soroastrian symbols
17:52and sacred animals.
17:54And that's not all
17:56that the team
17:57has found.
17:59I can tell
18:00there's something
18:01under here
18:03because it's been
18:03kept safe.
18:04What's underneath?
18:05Please?
18:06This is
18:07a wall painting
18:08from Aksha
18:09and colour.
18:10Aha.
18:11With writing.
18:13Is this writing?
18:14Yes.
18:14Yes.
18:15Yes.
18:15This is writing.
18:19This
18:19incredible text
18:21is in
18:22Aramaic script
18:23but its
18:24language
18:25is the
18:25mysterious
18:26Khrasmian.
18:28And
18:28do you know
18:29what this says?
18:30Have you
18:30translated yet?
18:31No,
18:32no,
18:32because today
18:33just
18:33four or
18:36five persons
18:36can read it.
18:38In the world?
18:38Yeah.
18:40That's incredible.
18:42So you've got
18:42this mystery.
18:44There's some
18:44secret message
18:45from the past
18:46here that we
18:47can't read
18:48yet.
18:49Doing a call
18:50out here
18:50for specialists
18:51in ancient
18:52Khrasm
18:53to come and
18:54translate.
18:56This text
18:57was found
18:58with portraits
18:59of royal
19:00dignitaries.
19:01Once translated,
19:03it will unlock
19:04their secrets.
19:06Is that them?
19:07Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:07It's the king
19:08dynasty.
19:10And
19:10with this
19:11crown.
19:11Yeah, yeah.
19:12The crown
19:12with a sort of
19:13crown.
19:15This crown
19:15is no
19:16analogy in
19:17the world
19:18and we
19:18don't know
19:19what is it.
19:20What it's made
19:21of?
19:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:22With that
19:22lovely crown.
19:23I mean,
19:23can I just
19:24take a moment?
19:25Because this is,
19:25we are so
19:26privileged
19:27and lucky
19:27to see this.
19:28So this is
19:29literally,
19:29there's only
19:29one of this
19:30in the world.
19:31It's this
19:31ancient
19:32Khrasm
19:32king
19:33at the height
19:34of the power
19:35of this
19:35empire.
19:36I mean,
19:36what stories,
19:37if he could
19:38speak,
19:39what stories
19:39he'd be able
19:40to tell us?
19:41So this is
19:42definitely a man.
19:43We cannot say
19:43who is a man
19:44or a woman.
19:46So it could be
19:47an ancient queen.
19:48Maybe.
19:49Maybe.
19:49Maybe.
19:49I like to think
19:50it is.
19:51Thank you so much
19:52for letting us in
19:54here.
19:54It's very
19:54it's nice.
19:55It's sexy.
20:01Horasmia is a
20:02treasure because
20:03here the past
20:05ardently lives
20:06on.
20:08It's remoteness
20:09preserving precious
20:11wonders we're
20:12still decoding.
20:13For my next
20:29treasure,
20:30I'm exploring
20:31the origins
20:32of the legendary
20:33Silk Road.
20:35This was never
20:36a single route
20:38but a complex
20:39trade system
20:40starting right
20:41back in the
20:42second century
20:43BC.
20:43For traders
20:49travelling huge
20:50distances,
20:52portability
20:53was key.
20:56This is actually
20:57something I've
20:57wanted to do
20:58my entire life
20:59so I just have
21:00to stop here.
21:00So what you've
21:01got is stalls
21:02of curts
21:05which is
21:05hard fermented
21:07cheese.
21:08Is this hot?
21:10Oh my God.
21:11Okay.
21:11So this is
21:13made of
21:14mare's milk,
21:15horse's milk.
21:17I'm going to try it.
21:18Is it okay to
21:19try it to taste?
21:20Okay, I'm going to
21:21just taste it.
21:22Oh my God.
21:23I can't even bite it
21:23so hard.
21:24What do I do?
21:25What do I do?
21:26Oh, I'm doing
21:27the wrong thing.
21:28This is also
21:31horses.
21:35Oh, my tongue
21:37is delicious.
21:40Actually, it's not
21:41bad.
21:43It's not bad.
21:43Why I'm eating
21:44this is because
21:45this is really
21:46historic.
21:47Greek geographers
21:49wrote about
21:50there being
21:50fermented horse
21:51milk here.
21:52Marco Polo
21:53even said
21:54in this part
21:54of the world
21:55you get
21:56fermented horse
21:56milk that gets
21:57rolled into
21:58sort of cheesy
21:58balls.
21:59It's so delicious
22:00it's like white
22:00wine.
22:01I'm going to
22:01buy some.
22:02How much?
22:03A chance
22:07encounter
22:07confirms the
22:09Silk Road
22:09legacy of
22:11cosmopolitan
22:11hospitality.
22:13I just heard
22:14this guy speak
22:14English.
22:16Excuse me,
22:16do you speak
22:16English, okay?
22:18Yeah, of course.
22:18I just heard
22:19you talk to him.
22:20My name's
22:20Bethany.
22:21Yes, my name
22:22is Nazar.
22:22Hello, Nazar.
22:23Nice to meet you.
22:24Nice to meet you.
22:25I just had to
22:26ask you,
22:27when I'm
22:27travelling around
22:28Uzbekistan,
22:29I'm finding that
22:29people are really
22:30passionate about
22:32their history.
22:32they really
22:33love their
22:34history.
22:34Is that,
22:35why do you
22:36think that is?
22:37Uzbeks are
22:37a combination
22:38of many
22:39nationalities
22:40and we take
22:41a good side
22:42of different
22:43nationalities
22:44from the
22:44century.
22:45That's why
22:46they are
22:47more hospitality
22:48rather than
22:48other nationalities.
22:50Can I just
22:50shake your hand
22:51because I think
22:51that is so
22:52true.
22:53Actually,
22:54my way of
22:54thinking.
22:55It's the most
22:56beautiful thing
22:57to say because
22:57you've got all
22:58these different
22:58influences from
22:59all over,
23:00but you care
23:00about your
23:00history and
23:01you're really
23:02hospitable to
23:03strangers when
23:04they come.
23:05So, well,
23:06listen, what a
23:07delight.
23:07It's so lovely
23:08to meet you.
23:09So lovely to
23:09meet you.
23:10Thank you so
23:10much.
23:11Lovely to be
23:11here.
23:12A particular
23:16group dominated
23:17the heart of the
23:18Silk Roads.
23:20I'm looking for
23:21traces of them
23:22at one of its
23:23premier cities,
23:25known as
23:26Noble Bukhara.
23:27Silk Roads.
23:30The
23:31carra boasts
23:32over 140
23:33architectural gems.
23:35I love them
23:36actually from the
23:36golden age of
23:37Islam, but its
23:39story starts
23:40thousands of
23:41years earlier,
23:41and I'm just
23:42about to meet
23:42a man who's
23:43found the clues
23:44that helped
23:45to prove it.
23:48In the heart
23:49of the city,
23:50there's a
23:50tantalising
23:51excavation.
23:53Hi,
23:54Siraj.
23:55Hello.
23:56Hey.
23:57Nice to see
23:58you.
23:59I'm too.
23:59Nice to see
24:00you.
24:00Nice to see
24:01you.
24:01I'm
24:01Bethany.
24:02This is so
24:03exciting.
24:03Deep underground,
24:04archaeology is
24:05revealing clues
24:06to a culture
24:07that thrived
24:08here around
24:081700 years
24:10ago.
24:11The Sogdians,
24:12traders who
24:13superpowered
24:14the Silk
24:15Roads.
24:18So we're
24:18going right
24:19down to the
24:20Sogdian
24:21level here.
24:22Yes,
24:23here at the
24:23Sogdian
24:23level.
24:24I mean,
24:24it's amazing.
24:25So we've
24:25got the
24:26homes where
24:27they lived,
24:28their houses
24:28here.
24:29Yeah.
24:29We found
24:30a lot of
24:31artifacts,
24:32forturies,
24:33leaves.
24:35So tell me
24:35what you found
24:36here.
24:36We found
24:37from here
24:37a lot of
24:38things,
24:38very interesting
24:39things.
24:39One of
24:40them,
24:40the more
24:41important
24:41found,
24:43this camel.
24:45That is
24:46so cool.
24:47Is that
24:47okay to
24:48hold?
24:48Yes,
24:48of course.
24:51Look at
24:52that is
24:53so beautiful.
24:56And this
24:56is how
24:57old,
24:58do you
24:58think?
24:58This
24:59around
25:003,
25:014th
25:01century.
25:0380,
25:0380.
25:04Yes,
25:0480.
25:05It's a
25:05camel,
25:06like a
25:06pack camel,
25:07carrying goods
25:08here?
25:09Yes.
25:10Yeah?
25:10Yes,
25:10it's very
25:11important
25:11because we
25:12don't find
25:12before,
25:13camel,
25:14these people,
25:16they move
25:16maybe these
25:18domestic animals
25:20too.
25:21An animal
25:21on the back
25:22of the camel?
25:22Yes,
25:22yes.
25:23Like a pet?
25:24Like a dog
25:24or a cat?
25:25Yeah,
25:26a dog or a cat,
25:26yeah,
25:27we think.
25:28That is so
25:29awesome.
25:29So this would
25:30be the rider
25:30here.
25:32There's all
25:32the goods
25:32that they're
25:33carrying,
25:33or water,
25:34or something.
25:34And they're
25:35bringing their
25:35pets with
25:36them.
25:37Yes,
25:37it's very
25:38interesting.
25:38I mean,
25:39this must
25:40be one
25:40of the
25:40oldest
25:41representations
25:42of a
25:42pack camel
25:43carrying
25:43things
25:43from
25:44anywhere
25:45in
25:45Central
25:45Asia.
25:46Yeah,
25:46it's the
25:47first time
25:47they're
25:48kind of
25:48found
25:48from here.
25:50Amazing.
25:52The Sogdians
25:53lived between
25:54the great
25:55rivers,
25:56the Amul
25:56Daria
25:57and the
25:57Seir Daria
25:58in a handful
25:59of city-states.
26:01But their
26:01expertise with
26:02camels and
26:03desert know-how
26:04made them
26:04indispensable
26:05to the
26:06empires
26:07around them.
26:08And just
26:09tell me,
26:09why do you
26:10think,
26:11you know,
26:12because some
26:12people are
26:12powerful because
26:13they are
26:14great armies
26:15and they
26:15raid,
26:16but these
26:16are people
26:17who trade.
26:18And that
26:18must make
26:19them really
26:19interesting
26:20as a culture,
26:21as a people,
26:22that they're
26:22focusing on
26:23making money,
26:25not making
26:26war.
26:26Central Asian
26:27Sogdians have
26:28here a lot
26:29of kind
26:30of religions
26:31because they
26:32do make
26:32trade from
26:34east to
26:35west and
26:35see a lot
26:36of country
26:37and a lot
26:38of mixing,
26:39a lot of
26:40culture.
26:42Yes, so
26:42important.
26:43So they're
26:43having to get
26:44on with
26:45everybody and
26:46understand
26:46everybody.
26:48They're beautiful.
26:49I love the
26:49Sogdians.
26:51Me too.
26:53The Sogdians
26:54journeyed from
26:55Siberia to
26:56the Indian
26:56subcontinent,
26:58travelling for
26:59months or even
27:00years at a
27:01time,
27:03trading furs,
27:04fruit,
27:05fine metals,
27:06and of course
27:06the most
27:07valuable thing
27:08of all,
27:09silk.
27:10Salam.
27:11Hello.
27:11Hi,
27:12salam.
27:12This is
27:13lovely silk.
27:14So beautiful.
27:15Can I have a
27:17look at some?
27:18So the Sogdians
27:19traded everything.
27:21They traded
27:21jade and
27:22paper and
27:23candy sugar
27:25and precious
27:26metals.
27:27But the thing
27:28that was worth
27:28more than its
27:29weight in gold
27:30was this
27:32lovely stuff.
27:33Thousands
27:34upon thousands
27:35upon thousands
27:36of vaults
27:37of silk.
27:40Silk was its
27:42own kind of
27:42currency,
27:43used in China
27:44to buy horses
27:45and pay
27:46officials.
27:48The Sogdians
27:48helped Chinese
27:49silk reach
27:50Mediterranean
27:51markets.
27:52It was highly
27:53prized by the
27:54elite.
28:00I've just been
28:01thinking how
28:02astonishing it is
28:03the influence
28:04that the Sogdians
28:05had.
28:06Because if you
28:06think about it,
28:07they didn't have
28:07a massive army,
28:09they didn't have
28:09an empire,
28:11but you find
28:11goods that they
28:12traded right
28:13across continents.
28:14So this lovely
28:15Buddha, for
28:16instance, was
28:17discovered in a
28:19dig in Sweden,
28:20so we know it
28:20must have been
28:21traded in ancient
28:22times.
28:23Oh, lovely.
28:25Oh, just some
28:25tea.
28:26Wow.
28:28And this cup
28:30here, this is a
28:31gold cup that was
28:32found in a tomb
28:33in China, but it's
28:35covered in designs
28:36that are Sogdian and
28:38ancient Persian.
28:39So it just shows
28:40that, you know,
28:41what they traded
28:42really affected the
28:44rest of the world.
28:49The Sogdians were
28:50the social influencers
28:51of their day,
28:52shaping technology,
28:54fashions and
28:55ideas.
28:58To find out how
28:59all this interaction
29:00affected the Sogdians,
29:02I'm following their
29:03trail to another
29:04of their cities.
29:06A clue to where I'm
29:07heading is on this
29:08train.
29:08Afro-Syab, the
29:10modern name for
29:11ancient Samarkand.
29:13Here you go.
29:14Hi.
29:18Hi.
29:19Back to me.
29:19Hi.
29:20How are you?
29:20Why not see it?
29:21Come back to me.
29:22John.
29:22John.
29:23I'm a father.
29:24Destiny.
29:25Lovely to meet you.
29:25Welcome to Wikistan.
29:29It seems that
29:30wherever I go here,
29:32the spirit of Silk
29:33Road hospitality
29:34lives on.
29:37I know, we've
29:37been to it.
29:38Oh, let's
29:38thank you.
29:40Oh, that's so
29:41nice.
29:43And some ice cream.
29:44I'm just like, are
29:45you having some?
29:45Yeah, we will get.
29:46After you, after you.
29:48And like the Sogdians,
29:50people are keen to
29:51exchange knowledge and
29:53ideas.
29:55So this is from
29:56China, but also
29:58showing a Sogdian
29:59trader.
30:00They were super
30:01excellent.
30:01So they bought
30:03all products from
30:05China and they sold
30:06it to Europe.
30:08Yeah.
30:08To Turkey.
30:09Yeah.
30:10I'll just show you
30:10these amazing
30:12collection of letters
30:13that were discovered
30:14in like a mailbag,
30:15basically in like a
30:16Chinese mailbag
30:18back in ancient
30:19times.
30:20And there are all
30:20these letters from
30:21Sogdian merchants to
30:23their families back
30:24home, to their wives
30:25and things.
30:25And they're saying
30:26stuff like, oh,
30:27we're being ripped
30:28off here.
30:28We're not going to
30:29carry on doing our
30:29business.
30:30It's an amazing
30:31window into their
30:33world.
30:34Do you think this
30:35inheritance of
30:37having been on the
30:38great silk roads and
30:39having been traders,
30:41do you think you can
30:42still see that in the
30:43kind of characteristics
30:44of Uzbekistan?
30:46I believe it's
30:47adopted in some ways
30:49in our culture.
30:50And certainly when
30:51I've been traveling,
30:52people are so proud of
30:53being Uzbeki, quite
30:55rightly.
30:55And of the
30:56traditions and of
30:57the connections through
30:59history going right
31:00back.
31:00Even in ancient
31:02times.
31:03Still, when you go to
31:04Bukhara and when you
31:05go to Samarkand, you
31:06will see people how
31:07they are active.
31:08They have pressure
31:09also when they sell
31:10their products, they
31:11have pressure and
31:13they are friendly.
31:14Yeah.
31:14It's very true.
31:16Yeah, because we
31:17have blood.
31:18It's like the
31:19trading's in your
31:20blood.
31:20It's completely
31:21true.
31:22But also, it
31:24feels like being
31:24very open and
31:25welcoming people.
31:26Like, you know, I've
31:28met you like two
31:29minutes ago and
31:30you've already bought
31:30me a chocolate ice
31:31cream.
31:35After just a couple
31:36of hours, I arrive in
31:38the city of Samarkand.
31:40These enigmatic remains
31:43on the edge of town
31:44were once a great
31:46Sogdian city.
31:49Finds here reveal
31:51their vast wealth
31:52and intellect.
31:55The earliest known
31:56ivory chess set was
31:58discovered right here.
32:01And there's more.
32:04The sophisticated
32:04remnants of a
32:06nobleman's palace.
32:08So, basically, what
32:14you've got here is a
32:15procession of power.
32:17Originally, on the
32:18back of that lovely
32:19white elephant, there
32:20would have been the
32:21local queen.
32:22And then over here,
32:23we've got rulers from
32:24different regions who've
32:26all come to pay their
32:27respects.
32:28There, we bring their
32:29gifts.
32:30This is really, really
32:32cool.
32:32So, have a look at this.
32:34So, in this line, you've
32:35got a whole deputation from
32:37China.
32:38So, the guy at the
32:38front has got bolts of
32:40silk and the ones behind
32:42him are actually carrying
32:43silk cocoons, which would
32:45have had live silkworms
32:47inside them.
32:48And all of this is being
32:49protected by these ancient
32:51turkid guards.
32:52And you can recognise them
32:53because they've got this
32:53very kind of distinctive
32:55long black ponytail.
32:57They're here as well.
32:58These are the guards.
32:59But this guy in the middle
33:01is an interpreter and they
33:02need him because these
33:04three gentlemen are from
33:06Tibet and the two behind
33:08him are from Korea.
33:10But it doesn't stop that.
33:12So, this is one of my
33:13favourite women from the
33:14whole of history.
33:16It's Wuzertian, who was a
33:18Chinese empress who had
33:19huge, huge power in the
33:22Middle Ages.
33:22So, what all of this is
33:24saying is, look at us, we
33:26have immense influence and
33:28we have a magnetic allure
33:30that attracts all the
33:32powers from the known
33:34worlds.
33:37The Sobdians here flourished
33:39thanks to a mutually
33:41beneficial alliance with
33:42China.
33:43And the Sobdian story goes
33:46on.
33:47Cutting-edge DNA evidence
33:49from 12th century burials in
33:51Bukhara shows that their
33:53genetic make-up changed
33:55little over the centuries.
33:57And to this day, the Sobdians
34:00leave a network of
34:01understanding that still
34:03stitches together the
34:05region.
34:09The Sobdians are a
34:11treasure because they remind
34:12us that power and influence
34:14doesn't just come because of
34:16the size of your army.
34:18These guys were experts in
34:20diplomacy and they made a
34:21themselves indispensable to
34:23so many.
34:24They've left an incredible
34:26legacy for all of us because
34:28their art and their language
34:30and their genetic inheritance
34:31has woven a rich, beautiful
34:35fabric of the modern world
34:36that we can still all enjoy.
34:39my final treasure is the glorious city of Samacan.
35:09And once a huge ancient Sobdian centre, it has an astonishing
35:16medieval reinvention story.
35:19I've been granted behind the scenes access to one of its most beautiful
35:25wonders.
35:28Wish me luck.
35:29And over 30 metres high, it's a pretty challenging climb.
35:38that is awesome.
35:50That is what I call special access.
35:53Oh my goodness.
35:55Yes, this has to be one of the best views in the world.
35:58Hello, Samacan.
36:03This is Samacan's Registan Square.
36:07Once the beating heart of the city, people gathered to exchange ideas in these three religious
36:13schools, decorated with several million tiles in sacred colours.
36:19This incredible place has become a symbol of a remarkable moment in history, the great Timurid Empire.
36:30At its height in the early 15th century, the Timurid Empire stretched from Central Asia to Eastern Turkey.
36:42Its architect was Timur.
36:44Born 80 kilometres from Samacan, he claimed common ancestry with Genghis Khan, who conquered much of Asia 150 years earlier.
36:53Timur, Timur made it his life's mission to match the legacy of his ferocious forebear.
37:01Timur, or Tamerlane, as he's sometimes known in the West, has become a bit of a national symbol for Uzbekistan.
37:09But you know what's really fascinating is that when you come to Samacan, you discover that it wasn't just tales of a great man,
37:17but also that his life was shaped by the women around him.
37:23Timur began his campaign for world dominance in 1370.
37:28Samacan was to be the jewel in his crown, built by the very finest architects from across his empire,
37:34to rival the great intellectual centres of Bukhara, Baghdad and Delhi.
37:41But it's telling that some of the most beautiful buildings here are dedicated to the important women in his life.
37:53Timur kept aside this patch of land for his most favoured relatives,
38:00and those included his sisters, one of his wives, a niece, and even his wet nurse,
38:06buried in these exquisite tombs.
38:09And this one's particularly lush, though.
38:11I can just tell what expensive work it is, can't you?
38:37Because look how fine all these little pieces are.
38:40They were so intricately joined together.
38:43And this particular tomb was actually commissioned by Timur's elder sister,
38:48Kutluk, Sir Khan, for her daughter.
38:51And Kutluk, the daughter and one of his wives, are all buried here.
38:55And we're told that Timur loved his elder sister and was completely devastated
38:59when she died and mourned her for months and months.
39:05Several of these tombs were paid for by the women of Timur's court,
39:10not the great man himself.
39:14And do you know what's really cool?
39:15If you look at the writing around the tombs,
39:18it proves just how cosmopolitan and educated these women were.
39:22So this is an Arabic script, but it's actually a quote from ancient Greek philosophy.
39:28So this one says that Socrates believes humans are like nesting birds,
39:35flying around, but in danger of being entrapped by the world.
39:44These tombs are still visited by thousands of travellers,
39:48many fans of history.
39:55Beautiful country, very beautiful.
39:58I don't know, in Turkish, chop gazelle, gazelle.
40:01Gazelle, gazelle, gazelle, gazelle.
40:03This is beautiful, isn't it?
40:05Lovely to meet you, lovely to see you.
40:08Nice to meet you.
40:10Salaam, salam.
40:11It's lovely to hear.
40:13Everyone's so friendly.
40:15Bye, bye, bye, bye.
40:17Bye.
40:17Timur's sisters weren't the only women of influence.
40:25He also had 18 wives.
40:29The evidence continues at a nearby mosque named for his chief wife,
40:35Sarai Mughanum.
40:37Susanna Fathian, a daughter of Samarkand,
40:41decodes this astonishing building.
40:44I'm finding it so fascinating coming round Samarkand,
40:49because when you think of Timur the Great,
40:51you imagine this kind of macho guy winning all these battles
40:54and conquering huge swathes of land.
40:57But it does feel as though that the women in his life,
41:00and particularly in his family, are really important,
41:04and that they influence things too.
41:06You're absolutely right.
41:07They were responsible for an organisation of royal receptions
41:11and official correspondence.
41:13Yeah.
41:13So that's the thing, yeah.
41:14They're sort of organising government events.
41:17And I know there's one story, isn't there,
41:18of one of the wives organising the kind of battle trophies
41:21to be transported back to Samarkand.
41:24I mean, these are really important duties.
41:27They have plenty of responsibilities.
41:29Yeah.
41:29And it's amazing,
41:30because this is happening in the 14th and the 15th century,
41:33whereas in other parts of the world,
41:35quite often in Europe too,
41:36women are nowhere, in no way,
41:39have that kind of status and standing.
41:41For sure, and it's important that women had their own funds.
41:44They had their own property.
41:48But the women in Timur's life weren't only rich and powerful.
41:52Sarai Morkhanum was also vital to his right to rule.
41:58If we look up to the facade of the mosque above,
42:02we can find inscription that informs us
42:05that this mosque was built by Amir Timur Guraghan,
42:09which means Khan's son in lore.
42:13Sarai Morkhanum was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan.
42:18When Timur married her,
42:20he was catapulted to greatness.
42:22That's so interesting.
42:25So he's basically getting his kudos
42:26through the female line,
42:29and that's what's connecting him back to...
42:31I always say it wrong.
42:32I still say Genghis Khan.
42:33Say how you say it properly.
42:35Genghis Khan.
42:36Genghis Khan.
42:36So it's through his wife
42:37that he's got this connection to Genghis Khan,
42:40and therefore that kind of status that comes with that,
42:43and the idea that he's inheriting his power.
42:45You are absolutely right.
42:47It provided also more security for his descendants.
42:56Sarai Morkhanum not only boosted Timur's status,
43:01she also became his right-hand woman.
43:0535 years away on campaign,
43:07Timur often left his chief wife in charge.
43:10She must have been the most amazing woman.
43:15This is actually a really rare image of her,
43:17and it shows her riding to Timur's court in northern Iran.
43:23So she was a real woman of action, too.
43:25And something I love about her
43:27is that she didn't actually have her own children,
43:29but she took care of the children of Timur's concubines
43:32and made sure that they learned from her.
43:34So her legacy carried on down the generation.
43:37Timur died in 1405,
43:42and Sarai Morkhanum not long after.
43:46But her legacy lived on through Timur's successor,
43:50his grandson, Ulugbeg,
43:53who she'd helped to raise.
43:55He embellished Samarkand further,
43:58making it a place of real intellectual wonder.
44:03Ulugbeg actually built a whole community of scientists,
44:06and astronomers here.
44:09And in this very madrasa,
44:12his school developed a catalogue of stars
44:16that mapped over a thousand planetary spheres
44:19that actually set the standard for European astronomers
44:23right up to the 19th century.
44:29Samarkand was created by art and science,
44:33women and men,
44:34and it's still Foster's encounter.
44:38Oh, hello.
44:40Hi, what's your name?
44:41My name is Ara.
44:43Ara, where are you from?
44:45I am from China.
44:47Lovely to meet you.
44:48It's a feast for the eyes
44:50and a treasure for soul
44:52and mind
44:53and heart.
44:55Beautiful here.
44:58So beautiful.
45:06What an epic, nourishing journey this has been.
45:13I've just learnt so much from people
45:17and from across time.
45:20And not just about culture,
45:22but how through the camel caravans like this
45:25that stretched out across centuries,
45:27people exchanged beautiful things,
45:30but they also exchanged more than that.
45:32Ideas and understanding
45:35and a deep respect
45:38for the sun,
45:39the stars,
45:41the earth
45:41and the sky.
45:43And it's a reminder
45:44that we have to do the same,
45:46to love all of this.
45:48Let's do this.
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