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Bettany Hughes' Treasures the World Season 4 Episode 2
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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
23:31Kaur are both
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 a
23:42man who's found
23:44the clues that
23:45helped to prove
23:45it.
23:48In the heart of
23:49the city, there's
23:50a tantalising
23:51excavation.
23:53Hi,
23:54Siraj.
23:55Hello.
23:55Hey, nice to
23:58see you.
23:59I'm too, nice to
24:00see you.
24:00Nice to see you,
24:01I'm Bethany.
24:02Deep underground,
24:04archaeology is
24:05revealing clues to
24:06a culture that
24:07thrived here around
24:081700 years ago.
24:11The Sogdians,
24:12traders who
24:13superpowered the
24:15Silk Roads.
24:18So we're going
24:19right down to the
24:20Sogdian level
24:22here.
24:22Yes, here at the
24:23Sogdian level.
24:24I mean, it's
24:24amazing.
24:25So we've got the
24:26homes where they
24:27lived, their
24:28houses here.
24:29Yeah.
24:29Yeah.
24:30We found a lot of
24:31artefacts,
24:32forturies,
24:33leaves.
24:35So tell me what
24:35you found here.
24:36We found from
24:37here a lot of
24:38things, very
24:38interesting things.
24:39One of them,
24:40the more important
24:41found, this camel.
24:45That is so cool.
24:47Yeah.
24:47Is that okay to
24:48hold?
24:48Yes, of course.
24:49Uh-uh.
24:50Of course.
24:51Look at that.
24:52That is so
24:54beautiful.
24:56And this is how
24:57old, do you
24:58think?
24:58Uh, this
24:59around three,
25:01fourth century.
25:03A.D.
25:03A.D.
25:04Yes, A.D.
25:05The camel, like a
25:06pack camel, carrying
25:07goods here?
25:09Yes.
25:10Yeah.
25:10Yes, it's very
25:11important because
25:11we don't find
25:12before, camel,
25:14these people,
25:16they move maybe
25:17these domestic
25:18animals too.
25:21An animal on the
25:21back of the camel?
25:22Yes, yes.
25:23Like a pet?
25:24Like a dog or a
25:25cat?
25:25Yeah, a dog or a
25:26cat, yeah,
25:27we think.
25:28That is so
25:29awesome.
25:29So this would be
25:30the rider here.
25:32There's all the
25:32goods that they're
25:33carrying, or water
25:34or something.
25:34And they're bringing
25:35their pets with
25:36them.
25:37Yes, it's so
25:37cool.
25:37It's very
25:38interesting.
25:38I mean, this must
25:40be one of the
25:40oldest representations
25:42of a pack camel
25:43carrying things
25:43from anywhere in
25:45Central Asia.
25:46Yeah, it's the
25:47first time that's
25:48kind of found
25:48from here.
25:50Amazing.
25:52The Sogdians lived
25:54between the great
25:55rivers, the Amul
25:56Daria and the
25:57Seer Daria, in a
25:58handful of city
25:59states.
26:01But their
26:01expertise with
26:02camels and
26:03desert know-how
26:04made them
26:04indispensable to
26:06the empires
26:07around them.
26:07And just tell
26:09me, why do you
26:10think, you know,
26:12because some
26:12people are
26:12powerful because
26:13they are great
26:14armies and they
26:15raid, but these
26:16are people who
26:17trade, and that
26:18must make them
26:19really interesting
26:20as a culture, as
26:21a people, that
26:22they're focusing
26:23on making money,
26:25not making war.
26:26Central
26:27Asian Sogdian
26:28have here a lot
26:29of kind of
26:30religions, because
26:31they do make
26:32trade from east
26:34to west, and
26:35see a lot of
26:37country, and
26:37there are a lot
26:38of mixing, a
26:40lot of culture.
26:42Yes, so
26:42important.
26:43So they're
26:43having to get
26:44on with everybody
26:45and understand
26:46everybody.
26:48Yes.
26:48They're beautiful.
26:49I love the
26:49Sogdians.
26:51Me too.
26:51The Sogdians
26:54journeyed from
26:55Siberia to the
26:56Indian subcontinent,
26:58travelling for
26:59months or even
27:00years at a time,
27:03trading furs,
27:04fruit, fine
27:05metals, and of
27:06course the most
27:07valuable thing of
27:08all, silk.
27:10Salam.
27:11Hello.
27:11Hi, Salam.
27:12This is a lovely
27:13silk.
27:14It's a scarf.
27:15Oh, so beautiful.
27:16Can I have a look
27:17at some?
27:17So the Sogdians
27:19traded everything.
27:21They traded jade
27:22and paper and
27:23candy sugar and
27:26precious metals.
27:27But the thing that
27:28was worth more than
27:29its weight in gold
27:30was this lovely
27:33stuff.
27:33Thousands upon
27:34thousands upon
27:35thousands of
27:36vaults of silk.
27:40Silk was its own
27:42kind of currency,
27:43used in China to
27:45buy horses and
27:46pay officials.
27:47The Sogdians
27:48helped Chinese
27:49silk reach
27:50Mediterranean
27:51markets, and
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 that
28:04the Sogdians had,
28:05because if you
28:06think about it,
28:07they didn't have
28:07a massive army,
28:09they didn't have
28:09an empire, but
28:11you find goods
28:12that they traded
28:13right across
28:14continents.
28:14So this lovely
28:15Buddha, for
28:16instance, was
28:17discovered in a
28:19dig in Sweden, so
28:20we know it must
28:21have been traded
28:21in ancient times.
28:23Oh, lovely.
28:25Oh, just some
28:25tea, thank you.
28:27And this cup
28:30here, this is a
28:31gold cup that
28:32was found in a
28:33tomb in China,
28:34but it's covered
28:35in designs that
28:36are Sogdian and
28:38ancient Persian.
28:39So it just shows
28:40that, you know,
28:41what they traded
28:42really affected
28:44the rest of the
28:44world.
28:49The Sogdians were
28:50the social
28:50influencers of
28:51their 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
29:07I'm heading is on
29:08this train, Afro-Siyab,
29:10the modern name
29:11for ancient Samarkand.
29:18It seems that
29:30wherever I go here,
29:32the spirit of
29:33Silk Road
29:33hospitality lives
29:35on.
29:37No, no, we've
29:37been sitting.
29:38That's so
29:39thank you.
29:43And some ice cream.
29:44I'm just like,
29:45are you having
29:45something?
29:45Yeah, we will get
29:46after you,
29:47after you.
29:48And like the
29:49Sogdians, people
29:51are keen to
29:51exchange knowledge
29:52and ideas.
29:55So this is from
29:56China, but also
29:58showing a Sogdian
29:59trader.
30:00They were super
30:01exciting.
30:01So they bought
30:03all products
30:05from China
30:05and 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
30:16a Chinese mailbag
30:18back in ancient times.
30:20And they're all
30:20these letters
30:21from Sogdian merchants
30:22to their families
30:24back home,
30:24to their wives
30:25and things.
30:26And they're saying
30:26stuff like,
30:27oh, we're being
30:28ripped off here,
30:28we're not going to
30:29carry on doing
30:29our business.
30:30It's an amazing
30:31window on to
30:32their world.
30:34Do you think
30:34this inheritance
30:36of having been
30:37on the Great Silk
30:38Roads and having
30:39been traders,
30:41do you think
30:41you can still see
30:42that in the
30:43kind of characteristics
30:44of Uzbekistan?
30:46I believe it's
30:47adopted in some
30:48ways in our culture.
30:50Certainly,
30:51when I've been
30:51travelling,
30:52people are so proud
30:53of being Uzbeki,
30:54quite rightly,
30:55and of the
30:56traditions,
30:57and of the
30:57connections through
30:59history going right
31:00that,
31:00even in the
31:01ancient times.
31:03Still,
31:03when you go to
31:04Bukhara and
31:05when you go to
31:05Samarkand,
31:06you will see
31:06people how they
31:07are active.
31:08They have
31:09pressure also
31:09when they sell
31:10their products,
31:11they have pressure
31:12and they are
31:13friendly.
31:14Yeah,
31:14it's so true.
31:16Because we have
31:17blood.
31:18It's like the
31:19trading's in your
31:20blood,
31:20it's completely,
31:21completely true.
31:22But also,
31:23it feels like
31:24being very open
31:25and welcoming
31:26people like,
31:27you know,
31:27I've met you
31:28like two minutes
31:29ago and you've
31:30already bought me
31:31a chocolate ice
31:31cream.
31:35After just a
31:36couple of hours,
31:37I arrive in the
31:39city of Samarkand.
31:41These enigmatic
31:42remains on the
31:43edge of town
31:44were once a
31:46great Sogdian
31:47city.
31:49Fines here
31:50reveal their
31:51vast wealth
31:52and intellect.
31:55The earliest
31:56known ivory
31:57chess set
31:58was discovered
31:59right here.
32:01And there's
32:02more.
32:04The sophisticated
32:04remnants of
32:06a nobleman's
32:07palace.
32:12So basically,
32:14what you've got
32:14here is a
32:15procession of
32:16power.
32:17Originally,
32:18on the back
32:18of that lovely
32:19white elephant,
32:20there would have
32:20been the local
32:21queen.
32:21And then over
32:23here, we've got
32:23rulers from
32:24different regions
32:25who've all come
32:26to pay their
32:27respects.
32:28There, we bring
32:29their gifts.
32:30This is really,
32:32really cool.
32:32So have a look
32:33at this.
32:34So in this line,
32:35you've got a whole
32:36deputation from
32:37China.
32:38So the guy at the
32:38front has got
32:39bolts of silk
32:40and the ones
32:41behind him are
32:42actually carrying
32:43silk cocoons,
32:45which would have
32:46had live silk
32:47worms inside them.
32:48And all of this
32:49is being protected
32:50by these ancient
32:51turkid guards.
32:52And you can
32:52recognise them.
32:53So they've got
32:53this very
32:54undistinted
32:55long black
32:55ponytail.
32:57They're here as
32:58well.
32:58These are the
32:59guards.
33:00This guy in the
33:01middle is an
33:01interpreter and
33:02they need him
33:03because these
33:04three gentlemen
33:05are from Tibet
33:06and the two
33:07behind him
33:08are from Korea.
33:10But it doesn't
33:11stop that.
33:12So this is one
33:13of my favourite
33:14women from the
33:14whole of history.
33:15it's Wuzertian,
33:17who was a
33:18Chinese empress
33:19who had huge,
33:20huge power in
33:22the Middle Ages.
33:23So what all of
33:24this is saying is
33:25look at us.
33:26We have immense
33:27influence and we
33:28have a magnetic
33:29allure that
33:30attracts all the
33:32powers from the
33:33known world.
33:37The Sobjians here
33:38flourished thanks to
33:40a mutually beneficial
33:41alliance with China.
33:43And the Sobjian
33:45story goes on.
33:47Cutting-edge DNA
33:49evidence from
33:5012th century
33:51burials in
33:51Bukhara shows
33:53that their genetic
33:54make-up changed
33:55little over the
33:56centuries.
33:57And to this day
33:58the Sobjians leave
34:00a network of
34:01understanding that
34:03still stitches
34:04together the
34:05region.
34:10The Sobjians are
34:11a treasure because
34:12they remind us
34:13that power and
34:14influence doesn't
34:15just come because
34:16of the size of
34:17your army.
34:18These guys were
34:19experts in
34:20diplomacy and they
34:21made themselves
34:22indispensable to
34:23so many.
34:24They've left an
34:25incredible legacy
34:26for all of us
34:27because their art
34:29and their language
34:30and their genetic
34:31inheritance has
34:32woven a rich,
34:34beautiful fabric
34:35of the modern
34:36world that we
34:38can still all
34:39enjoy.
34:39My final treasure
35:05is the glorious
35:07city of Samarkand.
35:10Once a huge
35:11ancient Sobjian
35:12centre, it has
35:14an astonishing
35:16medieval
35:17reinvention story.
35:20I've been granted
35:21behind the scenes
35:21access to one of
35:23its most beautiful
35:25wonders.
35:28Wish me luck.
35:29and over 30
35:35metres high, it's
35:37a pretty
35:37challenging
35:38climb.
35:41Oh, my
35:42goodness!
35:46That is awesome!
35:51That is what I
35:52call special
35:53access.
35:53Oh, my
35:54goodness, this
35:55has to be one
35:57of the best
35:57views in the
35:58world.
35:59Hello, Samarkand.
36:04This is Samarkand's
36:06Registan Square.
36:08Once the beating
36:09heart of the city,
36:10people gathered to
36:11exchange ideas in
36:13these three religious
36:13schools, decorated
36:15with several million
36:17tiles in sacred
36:19colours.
36:19This
36:22incredible
36:23place has
36:24become a
36:25symbol of a
36:25remarkable
36:26moment in
36:27history, the
36:28great Timurid
36:30Empire.
36:33At its
36:34height in the
36:35early 15th
36:36century, the
36:37Timurid Empire
36:38stretched from
36:39Central Asia to
36:40Eastern Turkey.
36:42Its architect
36:43was Timur.
36:45Born 80
36:45kilometres from
36:46Samarkand, he
36:47claimed common
36:48ancestry with
36:49Genghis Khan, who
36:50conquered much of
36:51Asia 150 years
36:52earlier.
36:54Timur made it
36:55his life's mission
36:56to match the
36:57legacy of his
36:58ferocious
36:59forebear.
37:01Timur, or
37:02Tamerlane, as
37:03he's sometimes
37:04known in the
37:05West, has
37:06become a bit of
37:06a national symbol
37:07for Uzbekistan.
37:09But you know
37:10what's really
37:10fascinating is
37:11that when you
37:12come to
37:12Samarkand, you
37:13discover that it
37:14wasn't just
37:15tales of a
37:16great man, but
37:17also that his
37:17life was shaped
37:18by the women
37:19around him.
37:23Timur began his
37:24campaign for
37:24world dominance
37:25in 1370.
37:28Samarkand was
37:29to be the jewel
37:30in his crown,
37:31built by the
37:31very finest
37:32architects from
37:33across his
37:33empire, to
37:35rival the great
37:36intellectual centres
37:37of Bukhara,
37:39Baghdad, and
37:40Delhi.
37:40but it's telling
37:43that some of
37:44the most
37:44beautiful buildings
37:45here are
37:46dedicated to
37:47the important
37:48women in his
37:49life.
37:55Timur kept
37:56aside this
37:57patch of land
37:57for his most
37:58favoured
37:58relatives, and
38:00those included
38:01his sisters,
38:02one of his
38:02wives, a
38:03niece, and
38:04even his
38:05wet nurse,
38:06buried in
38:07these exquisite
38:08tombs.
38:09And this
38:10one's
38:10particularly
38:11lush,
38:11really.
38:11I can just
38:34tell what
38:35expensive work
38:36it is, can't
38:36you?
38:37Because look
38:37how fine all
38:39these little
38:39pieces are.
38:40were so
38:41intricately
38:41joined
38:42together, and
38:43this particular
38:44tomb was
38:45actually
38:45commissioned by
38:46Timur's elder
38:47sister, Kutluk
38:48Turkan, for
38:50her daughter, and
38:51Kutluk, the
38:52daughter, and
38:53one of his
38:53wives are all
38:54buried here.
38:55And we're
38:56told that Timur
38:56loved his elder
38:58sister and was
38:58completely devastated
38:59when she
39:00died, mourned
39:02her for months
39:03and months.
39:04several of
39:06these tombs were
39:07paid for by
39:08the women of
39:09Timur's court,
39:10not the great
39:11man himself.
39:14And do you
39:14know what's
39:14really cool?
39:15If you look at
39:16the writing
39:17around the
39:17tombs, it
39:18proves just
39:19how cosmopolitan
39:20and educated
39:20these women
39:21were.
39:22So this is an
39:23Arabic script,
39:24but it's
39:25actually a
39:25quote from
39:26ancient Greek
39:27philosophy.
39:28So this one
39:29says that
39:30Socrates
39:31believes humans
39:33are like
39:33nesting birds
39:35flying around
39:36but in danger
39:37of being
39:38entrapped by
39:39the world.
39:44These tombs are
39:46still visited by
39:47thousands of
39:47travelers,
39:48many fans of
39:50history.
39:55Beautiful
39:56country,
39:57very beautiful.
39:58I don't know
39:59in Turkish,
39:59tropezelle,
40:00gazelle.
40:01Gazelle,
40:01gazelle,
40:02gazelle.
40:03This is
40:03beautiful.
40:05Lovely to
40:06meet you,
40:06lovely to
40:07see you.
40:08Nice to
40:09meet you.
40:10Salaam,
40:10salaam.
40:11It's lovely
40:12to be here.
40:13Everyone's so
40:14friendly.
40:15Bye.
40:16Bye.
40:16Bye.
40:21Timur's
40:22sisters weren't
40:23the only women
40:23of influence.
40:25He also had
40:2618 wives.
40:29The evidence
40:30continues at a
40:32nearby mosque
40:33named for his
40:34chief wife,
40:35Sarai
40:35Mulchanum.
40:37Susanna
40:38Fathian,
40:39a daughter of
40:39Samarkand,
40:41decodes this
40:42astonishing
40:43building.
40:46I'm finding it
40:47so fascinating
40:48coming around
40:48Samarkand,
40:49because when you
40:50think of Timur
40:51the Great,
40:51you imagine
40:51this kind of
40:52macho guy
40:53winning all
40:53these battles
40:54and conquering
40:55huge swathes
40:56of land.
40:57But it does
40:57feel as though
40:58the women in
40:59his life,
41:00and particularly
41:00in his family,
41:01are really
41:02important and
41:04that they
41:04influence things
41:05too.
41:06You're absolutely
41:06right.
41:07They were
41:07responsible for
41:08organisation of
41:09royal receptions
41:11and official
41:12correspondence.
41:13Yeah, so
41:14that's the thing,
41:14they're sort of
41:15organising
41:15government events.
41:17I know there's
41:17one story,
41:17isn't there,
41:18of one of the
41:19wives organising
41:20the kind of
41:20battle trophies
41:21to be transported
41:23back to Samarkand.
41:23I mean,
41:24these are
41:24really important
41:26duties.
41:27They have plenty
41:27of responsibilities.
41:29Yeah, and it's
41:30amazing, because
41:30this is happening
41:30in the 14th and
41:31the 15th century,
41:33whereas in other
41:33parts of the world,
41:35quite often in
41:35Europe too,
41:36women nowhere,
41:38in no way,
41:39have that kind
41:39of status and
41:40standing.
41:41For sure, and
41:41it's important that
41:42women had their
41:43own funds,
41:44they had their
41:44own property.
41:48But the women
41:48in Timur's life
41:49weren't only rich
41:50and powerful.
41:51Sarai Mughanum
41:53was also vital
41:55to his right
41:56to rule.
41:58If we look up
41:59to the facade
42:01of the mosque
42:02above,
42:02we can find
42:03an inscription
42:04that informs us
42:05that this mosque
42:06was built by
42:07Amir Timur
42:08Guraghan,
42:09which means
42:10Khan's son
42:11in law.
42:13Sarai Mughanum
42:14was a direct
42:16descendant
42:16of Genghis Khan.
42:19When Timur
42:19married her,
42:20he was catapulted
42:22to greatness.
42:23That's so
42:24interesting.
42:25So he's basically
42:25getting his kudos
42:26through the
42:27female line
42:29and that's what's
42:29connecting him
42:30back to,
42:31I always say it
42:32wrong,
42:32I still say
42:32Genghis Khan.
42:33Say how you
42:34say it properly,
42:35Genghis Khan.
42:36So it's through
42:37his wife
42:37that he's got
42:38this connection
42:39to Genghis Khan
42:40and therefore
42:41that kind of
42:41status that
42:42comes with that
42:43and the idea
42:43that he's
42:44inheriting his
42:44power.
42:45You're absolutely
42:46right.
42:46It provided
42:47also more
42:49security for
42:50his descendants.
42:56Sarai Mughanum
42:58not only boosted
42:59Timur's status,
43:01she also
43:02became his
43:03right-hand
43:03woman.
43:0535 years
43:06away on
43:06campaign,
43:07Timur often
43:08left his
43:09chief wife
43:09in charge.
43:10She must
43:12have been
43:12the most
43:13amazing woman.
43:15This is
43:15actually a
43:16really rare
43:16image of her
43:17and it
43:17shows her
43:18riding to
43:19Timur's
43:20court in
43:21northern Iran.
43:23So she was
43:23a real woman
43:24of action
43:24too.
43:25And something
43:26I love about
43:26her is that
43:27she didn't
43:27actually have
43:27her own
43:28children,
43:29but she
43:29took care of
43:30the children
43:30of Timur's
43:31concubines
43:32and made
43:33sure that
43:33they learned
43:33from her,
43:34so her
43:35legacy
43:35carried on
43:36down the
43:37generation.
43:39Timur died
43:40in 1405
43:41and Sarai
43:43Mulhanom
43:44not long
43:44after.
43:46But her
43:47legacy lived
43:48on through
43:49Timur's
43:49successor,
43:50his grandson
43:51Ulubbeg,
43:53who she'd
43:53helped to
43:54raise.
43:55He embellished
43:56Samarkand
43:56further,
43:58making it a
43:58place of
43:59real
44:00intellectual
44:01wonder.
44:03Ulubbeg
44:04actually built
44:05a whole
44:05community of
44:06scientists
44:06and astronomers
44:08here,
44:09and in
44:09this very
44:11madrasa,
44:12his school
44:13developed a
44:14catalogue of
44:15stars that
44:16mapped over
44:17a thousand
44:18planetary
44:19spheres,
44:20that actually
44:20set the
44:21standard for
44:22European astronomers
44:23right up to
44:24the 19th century.
44:29Samarkand was
44:30created by art
44:32and science,
44:33women and
44:34men,
44:35and it's
44:35still Foster's
44:37encounter.
44:38her.
44:38Oh,
44:39hello.
44:40Hi,
44:40what's your
44:40name?
44:41My name is
44:42Ara.
44:43Ara,
44:43where are you
44:44from?
44:45I am from
44:45China.
44:47Lovely to
44:47meet you.
44:48It's a feast
44:49for the eyes
44:50and a treasure
44:51for soul
44:52and mind
44:53and heart.
44:55Beautiful
44:57here.
44:58So beautiful.
44:58What an
45:09epic,
45:11nourishing
45:12journey this
45:13has been.
45:13I've just
45:14learnt so
45:15much from
45:16people and
45:17from across
45:18time.
45:20And not
45:20just about
45:21culture,
45:22but how
45:23through the
45:23camel caravans
45:24like this
45:25that stretched
45:25out across
45:26centuries,
45:27people exchanged
45:28beautiful things,
45:30but they also
45:31exchanged more
45:32than that.
45:32Ideas and
45:34understanding
45:35and a deep
45:37respect for
45:38the sun,
45:39the stars,
45:41the earth
45:41and the sky.
45:43And it's a
45:43reminder that
45:44we have to
45:45do the same
45:46to love
45:47all of this.
45:48Right tag,
45:51let's go.
45:52Can't
45:53reach
45:54out to
45:54the last
45:54one o'er
46:02for what
46:14or what
46:15for the
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