Bettany Hughes' Treasures the World S04E02
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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.
23:32Silk Roads are
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 and
23:42I'm just about to
23:42meet a man who's
23:43found the clues that
23:45helped to prove it.
23:48In the heart of the
23:49city, there's a
23:51tantalising
23:51excavation.
23:53Hi,
23:54Siraj.
23:55Hello.
23:55Hey, nice to see you.
23:59I'm too, nice to see you.
24:00Nice to see you, I'm Bethany.
24:02Deep underground, archaeology is revealing clues to a culture that thrived here around 1700 years ago.
24:11The Sogdians, traders who superpowered the Silk Roads.
24:17So we're going right down to the Sogdian level here.
24:22Yes, here at the Sogdian level.
24:24I mean, it's amazing.
24:25So we've got the homes where they lived, their houses here.
24:29Yeah, we found a lot of artefacts, forturies, leaves.
24:35So tell me what you found here.
24:36We found from here a lot of things, very interesting things.
24:39One of them, the more important found, this camel.
24:45That is so cool.
24:47Is that okay to hold?
24:48Yes, of course.
24:51Look at that.
24:52That is so beautiful.
24:56And this is how old, do you think?
24:59This is around 3, 4th century.
25:0380, 80.
25:04Yes, 80.
25:05It's a camel, like a pack camel, carrying goods here?
25:09Yes.
25:10Yeah?
25:10Yes.
25:10It's very important because we don't find before, camels, these people, they move maybe
25:17these domestic animals too.
25:21An animal on the back of the camel?
25:22Yes, yes.
25:23Like a pet, like a dog or a cat?
25:25Yeah, a dog or a cat, yeah, we think.
25:28That is so awesome.
25:29So this would be the rider here.
25:32There's all the goods that they're carrying, or water or something.
25:34And they're bringing their pets with them.
25:37Yes, it's so cool.
25:37Yes, it's very interesting.
25:38I mean, this must be one of the oldest representations of a pack camel carrying things from anywhere in
25:45Central Asia.
25:46Yeah, it's the first time they're kind of found from here.
25:50Amazing.
25:52The Sogdians lived between the great rivers, the Amul Darya and the Seer Darya, in a handful
25:59of city-states.
26:00But their expertise with camels and desert know-how made them indispensable to the empires around
26:07them.
26:08And just tell me, why do you think, you know, because some people are powerful because they
26:13are great armies and they raid.
26:16But these are people who trade.
26:18And that must make them really interesting as a culture, as a people, that they're focusing
26:23on making money, not making war.
26:26Central Asia and Sogdian have here a lot of kind of religions because they do make trade
26:33from east to west and see a lot of country and there are a lot of mixing, a lot of culture.
26:42Yes, so important.
26:43So they're having to get on with everybody and understand everybody.
26:48Yeah.
26:48They're beautiful.
26:49I love the Sogdians.
26:51Me too.
26:53The Sogdians journeyed from Siberia to the Indian subcontinent, travelling for months or
27:00even years at a time, trading furs, fruit, fine metals and, of course, the most valuable
27:07thing of all, silk.
27:09Salaam.
27:10Salaam.
27:11Hello.
27:12Salaam.
27:13Salaam.
27:14Salaam.
27:15Salaam.
27:16Salaam.
27:17Salaam.
27:18Salaam.
27:19Salaam.
27:20Salaam.
27:21Salaam.
27:22Salaam.
27:23Salaam.
27:24Salaam.
27:25Salaam.
27:26Salaam.
27:27Salaam.
27:28Salaam.
27:29Salaam.
27:30Salaam.
27:31Salaam.
27:32Salaam.
27:33Salaam.
27:34Salaam.
27:35Salaam.
27:36Salaam.
27:37Salaam.
27:38Salaam.
27:39Salaam.
27:40Salaam.
27:41Salaam.
27:42Salaam.
27:43Salaam.
27:44Salaam.
27:45Salaam.
27:46Salaam.
27:47Salaam.
27:48Salaam.
27:49Salaam.
27:50Salaam.
27:51Salaam.
27:52Salaam.
27:53Salaam.
27:54Salaam.
27:55Salaam.
27:56Salaam.
27:57Salaam.
27:58Salaam.
27:59Salaam.
28:00Salaam.
28:01how astonishing it is, the influence that the Sobjins had.
28:05Because if you think about it, they didn't have a massive army,
28:09they didn't have an empire,
28:11but you find goods that they traded right across continents.
28:14So this lovely Buddha, for instance,
28:17was discovered in a dig in Sweden,
28:20so we know it must have been traded in ancient times.
28:23Oh, lovely.
28:25Oh, just some tea, thank you.
28:26Wow.
28:27And this cup here, this is a gold cup
28:32that was found in a tomb in China,
28:34but it's covered in designs that are Sobjian and ancient Persian.
28:39So it just shows that, you know,
28:41what they traded really affected the rest of the world.
28:49The Sobjians were the social influencers of their day,
28:52shaping technology, fashions and ideas.
28:57To find out how all this interaction affected the Sobjians,
29:02I'm following their trail to another of their cities.
29:06A clue to where I'm heading is on this train,
29:09Afro-Syab, the modern name for ancient Samarkand.
29:13It seems that wherever I go here,
29:31the spirit of Silk Road hospitality lives on.
29:37Oh, no, we've been sitting here.
29:38Oh, that's so good.
29:41Oh, that's so good.
29:42And some ice cream.
29:44I'm just like, are you having some?
29:45Yeah, we will get, after you, after you.
29:48And, like the Sobjians,
29:50people are keen to exchange knowledge and ideas.
29:54Really.
29:54So this is from China,
29:57but also showing a Sobjian trader.
30:00They were super exciting.
30:02So they bought all products from China
30:05and they sold it to Europe.
30:08Yes.
30:08To Turkey.
30:09Yes.
30:10I'll just show you these,
30:11you know, these amazing collection of letters
30:13that were discovered in, like, a mailbag,
30:15basically in, like, a Chinese mailbag
30:18back in ancient times.
30:20And there are all these letters
30:21from Sobjian merchants
30:22to their families back home,
30:24to their wives and things.
30:26And they're saying stuff like,
30:27oh, we're being ripped off here,
30:28we're not going to carry on doing our business.
30:30It's an amazing window into their world.
30:34Do you think this inheritance
30:36of having been on the Great Silk Road
30:38and having been traders,
30:41do you think you can still see that
30:42and the kind of characteristics
30:44of Uzbekistan?
30:46I believe it's adopted in some ways
30:49in our culture.
30:50And certainly, when I've been traveling,
30:52people are so proud of being Uzbeki,
30:54quite rightly,
30:55and of the traditions
30:56and of the connections
30:58through history going right back.
31:00Even in ancient times.
31:03Still, when you go to Bukhara
31:04and when you go to Samarkand,
31:06you will see people how they are active.
31:08They have pressure also
31:09when they sell their products,
31:11they have pressure.
31:12And they are friendly.
31:14Yeah.
31:14Yeah.
31:14It's very true.
31:16Yeah, because we have work.
31:18Yeah.
31:19It's like the trading's in your blood.
31:20It's completely,
31:21completely true.
31:22But also,
31:23it feels like being very open
31:25and welcoming.
31:26Yeah.
31:26It's like, you know,
31:27I've met you like two minutes ago
31:29and you've already bought me
31:31a chocolate ice cream.
31:35After just a couple of hours,
31:37I arrive in the city of Samarkand.
31:40These enigmatic remains
31:43on the edge of town
31:44were once a great Sogdian city.
31:49Finds here reveal their vast wealth
31:52and intellect.
31:55The earliest known ivory chess set
31:58was discovered right here.
32:00And there's more.
32:04The sophisticated remnants
32:05of a nobleman's palace.
32:12So basically,
32:14what you've got here
32:14is a procession of power.
32:17Originally on the back
32:18of that lovely white elephant,
32:20there would have been
32:20the local queen.
32:22And then over here,
32:23we've got rulers
32:24from different regions
32:25who've all come
32:26to pay their respects.
32:28There,
32:28we bring their gifts.
32:30This is really,
32:32really cool.
32:32So have a look at this.
32:34So in this line,
32:35you've got a whole deputation
32:36from China.
32:38So the guy at the front
32:39has got bolts of silk
32:40and the ones behind him
32:42are actually carrying
32:43silk cocoons,
32:45which would have had
32:46live silk worms
32:47inside them.
32:48And all of this
32:49is being protected
32:50by these ancient
32:51turkid guards.
32:52And you can recognise them
32:53because they've got this
32:53very kind of distinct
32:55in a long black ponytail.
32:57They're here as well.
32:58These are the guards.
33:00This guy in the middle
33:01is an interpreter
33:02and they need him
33:03because these three gentlemen
33:05are from Tibet
33:06and the two behind him
33:08are from Korea.
33:10But it doesn't stop that.
33:12So this is one of my favourite women
33:14from the whole of history.
33:16It's Wu Zertian,
33:17who was a Chinese empress
33:19who had huge, huge power
33:21in the Middle Ages.
33:23So what all of this is saying
33:25is look at us.
33:26We have immense influence
33:27and we have a magnetic allure
33:30that attracts all the powers
33:32from the known world.
33:37The Sobdians here flourished
33:39thanks to a mutually beneficial
33:41alliance with China.
33:44And the Sobdian story goes on.
33:47Cutting-edge DNA evidence
33:49from 12th century burials
33:51in Bukhara
33:52shows that their genetic make-up
33:54changed little over the centuries.
33:57And to this day
33:58the Sobdians leave a network
34:01of understanding
34:02that still stitches together
34:04the region.
34:05The Sobdians are a treasure
34:11because they remind us
34:13that power and influence
34:14doesn't just come
34:16because of the size of your army.
34:18These guys were experts
34:20in diplomacy
34:20and they made themselves
34:22indispensable to so many.
34:24They've left an incredible legacy
34:26for all of us
34:27because their art
34:29and their language
34:30and their genetic inheritance
34:31has woven a rich, beautiful fabric
34:35of the modern world
34:36that we can still all enjoy.
34:39My final treasure
35:05is the glorious city
35:08of Samarkand.
35:10Once a huge
35:11ancient Sobdian centre
35:13it has an astonishing
35:16medieval reinvention story.
35:20I've been granted
35:21behind the scenes access
35:22to one of its most
35:24beautiful wonders.
35:28Wish me luck.
35:29And over 30 metres high
35:36it's a pretty
35:37challenging climb.
35:41Oh my goodness!
35:46That is awesome!
35:51That is what I call
35:52special access.
35:54Oh my goodness
35:55this has to be
35:56one of the best views
35:58in the world.
35:58Hello
35:59Samarkand.
36:03This is Samarkand's
36:06Registan Square.
36:08Once the beating
36:09heart of the city
36:10people gathered
36:11to exchange ideas
36:12in these three
36:13religious schools
36:14decorated with
36:16several million tiles
36:18in sacred colours.
36:21This incredible place
36:24has become a symbol
36:25of a remarkable
36:26moment in history
36:28the great
36:29Timurid Empire.
36:33At its height
36:35in the early
36:3515th century
36:36the Timurid Empire
36:38stretched from
36:39Central Asia
36:40to Eastern Turkey.
36:42Its architect
36:43was Timur.
36:44Born 80 kilometres
36:46from Samarkand
36:47he claimed
36:47common ancestry
36:48with Genghis Khan
36:50who conquered
36:51much of Asia
36:51150 years earlier.
36:54Timur made it
36:55his life's mission
36:56to match the legacy
36:58of his ferocious
36:59forebear.
37:01Timur or
37:02Tamerlane
37:03as he's sometimes
37:04known in the west
37:05has become a bit
37:06of a national symbol
37:07for Uzbekistan.
37:09But you know
37:10what's really
37:10fascinating
37:11is that when you
37:12come to Samarkand
37:13you discover
37:14that it wasn't
37:14just tales
37:15of a great man
37:16but also that
37:17his life was
37:18shaped by the
37:19women around him.
37:20Timur began
37:24his campaign
37:24for world
37:25dominance
37:25in 1370.
37:28Samarkand
37:28was to be
37:29the jewel
37:30in his crown
37:30built by the
37:31very finest
37:32architects
37:33from across
37:33his empire
37:34to rival
37:35the great
37:36intellectual centres
37:37of Bukhara
37:39Baghdad
37:40and Delhi.
37:41But it's
37:42telling that
37:43some of the
37:44most beautiful
37:45buildings here
37:45are dedicated
37:47to the important
37:48women in his life.
37:50Timur kept
37:56aside this
37:57patch of land
37:57for his
37:58most favoured
37:58relatives
37:59and those
38:00included
38:01his sisters
38:02one of his
38:02wives
38:03a niece
38:04and even
38:05his wet nurse
38:06buried in
38:07these exquisite
38:08tombs
38:09and this one's
38:10particularly lush
38:11clearly.
38:20I can just
38:34tell what
38:35expensive work
38:36it is
38:36can't you
38:37because look
38:37how fine
38:38all these
38:39little pieces
38:40are.
38:40They're so
38:41intricately
38:41joined together
38:42and this
38:43particular tomb
38:44was actually
38:45commissioned by
38:46Timur's elder
38:47sister
38:47could look
38:48to Khan
38:49for her
38:50daughter
38:51and could
38:52look
38:52the daughter
38:53and one
38:53of his
38:53wives
38:54are all
38:54buried here
38:55and we're
38:56told that
38:56Timur loved
38:57his elder
38:58sister
38:58and was
38:58completely
38:59devastated
38:59when she
39:00died
39:01and mourned
39:02her for months
39:03and months.
39:05Several of
39:06these tombs
39:07were paid
39:07for by the
39:08women of
39:09Timur's court
39:10not the
39:11great man
39:12himself.
39:14And do you
39:14know what's
39:14really cool?
39:15If you look
39:16at the
39:16writing
39:17around the
39:17tombs
39:17it proves
39:18just how
39:19cosmopolitan
39:20and educated
39:20these women
39:21were.
39:22So this is
39:23an Arabic
39:23script
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
39:32humans
39:33are like
39:33nesting birds
39:35flying around
39:36but in danger
39:37of being
39:38entrapped
39:39by the
39:40world.
39:44These
39:45tombs are
39:46still visited
39:46by thousands
39:47of travellers
39:48many fans
39:50of history.
39:55Beautiful
39:56country
39:56very beautiful
39:57I don't
39:58know in
39:59Turkish
39:59chok gazelle
40:00gazelle
40:01gazelle
40:02gazelle
40:02this is
40:03beautiful
40:04lovely to
40:06meet you
40:06lovely to
40:07see you
40:07nice to
40:09meet you
40:09Salaam
40:10Salaam
40:11I love
40:12everyone here
40:12everyone's so
40:14friendly
40:14bye
40:15bye
40:16bye
40:17bye
40:17Timur's
40:22sisters
40:22weren't the
40:23only women
40:23of influence
40:24he also
40:26had 18
40:27wives
40:28the evidence
40:30the evidence
40:30continues
40:31at a
40:32nearby mosque
40:33named for
40:33his chief
40:34wife
40:34Sarai
40:35Mulchanum
40:36Susanna
40:38Fathian
40:38a daughter
40:39of Samarkand
40:40decodes
40:41this
40:42astonishing
40:43building
40:44I'm finding
40:47it so
40:47fascinating
40:48coming around
40:48Samarkand
40:49because
40:49when you
40:50think of
40:50Timur the
40:51Great
40:51you imagine
40:51this kind
40:52of macho
40:52guy
40:53winning all
40:53these battles
40:54and conquering
40:55huge swathes
40:56of land
40:57but it
40:57does feel
40:58as though
40:58the women
40:59in his life
41:00and particularly
41:00in his family
41:01are really
41:02important
41:03and that
41:04they influence
41:05things too
41:05you're absolutely
41:06right
41:07they were
41:07responsible for
41:08organisation of
41:09royal receptions
41:11and official
41:12correspondence
41:13yeah
41:13so that's the
41:14thing
41:14they're sort of
41:15organising
41:15government events
41:17and I know
41:17there's one
41:17story isn't
41:18there of
41:18one of the
41:19wives
41:19organising the
41:20kind of
41:20battle trophies
41:21to be
41:22transported
41:23back to
41:23Samarkand
41:23so I mean
41:24these are
41:24really important
41:26duties
41:26they have
41:27plenty of
41:27responsibilities
41:28yeah
41:29and it's
41:30amazing
41:30because this
41:30is happening
41:30in the 14th
41:31and the 15th
41:32century
41:32whereas in
41:33other parts
41:34of the world
41:34quite often
41:35in Europe
41:36too
41:36women
41:36nowhere
41:37in no way
41:38have that
41:39kind of
41:39status and
41:40standing
41:40for sure
41:41and it's
41:42important that
41:42women had
41:43their own
41:43funds
41:43they had
41:44their own
41:45property
41:45but the
41:48women in
41:49Timur's life
41:49weren't only
41:50rich and
41:51powerful
41:51Sarai
41:53Mohanum
41:53was also
41:54vital to
41:55his right
41:56to rule
41:57if we look
41:59up to the
42:00facade of
42:02the mosque
42:02above you
42:02can find
42:03inscription
42:04that informs
42:05us that
42:05this mosque
42:06was built
42:06by
42:07Amir
42:07Timur
42:08Guraghan
42:09which means
42:10Khan's
42:10son-in-law
42:11Sarai
42:14Mohanum
42:14was a
42:15direct
42:16descendant
42:16of
42:17Genghis
42:17Khan
42:18when Timur
42:19married her
42:20he was
42:21catapulted
42:22to greatness
42:22that's so
42:24interesting
42:24so he's
42:25basically
42:25getting his
42:26kudos
42:26through the
42:27female line
42:29and that's
42:29what's
42:29connecting him
42:30back to
42:31I always say
42:32it wrong
42:32I still say
42:32Genghis Khan
42:33say how you
42:34say it
42:34probably
42:34Genghis Khan
42:36so it's
42:37through his
42:37wife that
42:38he's got
42:38this connection
42:39to Genghis
42:39Khan
42:40and therefore
42:41that kind
42:41of status
42:41that comes
42:42with that
42:43and you know
42:43the idea
42:43that he's
42:44inheriting
42:44his power
42:45you're absolutely
42:46right
42:46it provided
42:47also
42:48more
42:49security
42:50for his
42:51descendants
42:51Sarai
42:57Mohanum
42:58not only
42:59boosted
42:59Timur's
43:00status
43:00she also
43:02became
43:02his right
43:03hand
43:03woman
43:0435 years
43:06away on
43:06campaign
43:07Timur
43:08often left
43:08his chief
43:09wife
43:09in charge
43:10she must
43:12be
43:12the most
43:13amazing
43:14woman
43:14this is
43:15actually a
43:16really rare
43:16image of
43:17her
43:17and it
43:17shows her
43:18riding to
43:19Timur's
43:20court
43:20in northern
43:22Iran
43:22so she was
43:23a real
43:23woman of
43:24action
43:24too
43:25and something
43:26I love
43:26about her
43:27is that she
43:27didn't actually
43:27have her own
43:28children
43:28but she
43:29took care of
43:30the children
43:30of Timur's
43:31concubines
43:32and made
43:33sure that they
43:33learned from
43:34her so
43:34her legacy
43:35carried on
43:36down the
43:37generation
43:37Timur died
43:40in 1405
43:41and Sarai
43:43Mohanum
43:44not long
43:44after
43:45but her
43:47legacy
43:47lived on
43:48through
43:49Timur's
43:49successor
43:50his grandson
43:51Ulubbeg
43:52who she
43:53helped to
43:54raise
43:54he embellished
43:56Samarkand
43:56further
43:57making it a
43:58place of
43:59real
44:00intellectual
44:01wonder
44:02Ulubbeg
44:04actually built
44:05a whole
44:05community
44:06of scientists
44:06and astronomers
44:08here
44:08and in
44:09this
44:10very
44:11madrasa
44:11his school
44:13developed
44:14a catalogue
44:15of stars
44:16that mapped
44:17over a
44:18thousand
44:18planetary
44:19spheres
44:19that actually
44:20set the
44:21standard
44:21for European
44:22astronomers
44:23right up
44:24till the
44:2519th century
44:26Samarkand
44:30was created
44:31by art
44:32and science
44:33women
44:33and men
44:34and it's
44:35still
44:36Foster's
44:37encounter
44:38oh hello
44:39hi what's
44:40your name
44:41my name is
44:42Ara
44:42Ara where are
44:44you from
44:44I am from
44:45China
44:46lovely to meet
44:47you
44:48it's a feast
44:49for the
44:49eyes
44:50and a
44:50treasure
44:51for soul
44:52and mind
44:53and heart
44:55beautiful
44:57here
44:58so beautiful
44:58what an
45:09epic
45:10nourishing
45:12journey
45:13this has
45:13been
45:13I've just
45:14learnt
45:15so much
45:16from people
45:17and from
45:18across time
45:19and 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
45:29but they also
45:31exchanged more
45:32than that
45:32ideas
45:33and
45:34understanding
45:35and a
45:36deep
45:37respect
45:37for the
45:38sun
45:39the stars
45:40the earth
45:41and the sky
45:42and it's a
45:43reminder that
45:44we have
45:45to do the
45:46same
45:46to love
45:47all of
45:48this
45:48the
45:52posso
45:53the
45:54oi
45:55i
45:57oi
46:01and
46:02the
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