00:00I'm Lily Douse and this is Grand Voyager.
00:05In this series I travel the world to discover incredible places filled with culture, luxury and adventure.
00:13Along the way I meet the people, taste the flavours and experience the moments that make each destination unforgettable.
00:26Today I'm travelling to Uzbekistan in the heart of Central Asia.
00:31Its cities were once important stops along the Silk Road where different cultures came together.
00:38My first stop is the Islamic Civilisation Centre in Tashkent.
00:43It took almost nine years to build and its grand design and enormous dome are inspired by Uzbekistan's historic architecture.
00:53Inside, the museum explores centuries of history, culture and scientific discoveries.
01:00Right now we are sitting in the main hall of our centre, a hall of gallery.
01:05In this hall you can see 14 semi old friends around us representing our scholars.
01:10Everything comes together, it is absolutely breathtaking inside it.
01:16The mosaic designs celebrate renowned Islamic scholars, bringing their stories to life through interactive displays presented in a range of
01:26languages.
01:42The centre's collection includes historical objects, maps and scale models.
01:49Among them is a display about the Qabarin Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
01:55In front of us you can see the fragment of Kaaba Kaaba that was used in 1988 to cover Holy
02:03Kaaba.
02:04The verse from Qur'an and decorations were made of silver and gold streams.
02:09Earlier Kaaba coverings were much more colourful than those used today.
02:14Another important artefact is a fragment of one of the largest handwritten Qurans ever made.
02:23Umar Akhtar was a calligrapher and he copied this large Holy Qur'an book in 14th century and sent Amir
02:30Temur as a gift to impress him.
02:33The final room houses a Qur'an manuscript, thought to be one of the oldest in the world.
02:41This hall is located in the middle of our centre, under the dome.
02:46Over one million Swarovski stones were laid by a hand.
02:50It's a spectacular room. The stars, the ceiling, having the ancient Holy Qur'an, it's spectacular.
03:03Uzbekistan has so many ways to immerse yourself in the culture and the history.
03:09And this definitely has been fascinating.
03:14Tashkent is full of beautiful architecture.
03:17But some of the most impressive sights can be found underground.
03:22At Cosmonatla Metro Station, the walls are decorated with artwork celebrating the history of space travel.
03:30Tashkent Metro is opened in 1977. The length of Tashkent Metro is 71 kilometres, which has included 50 stations.
03:40Almost 50% of the Tashkent population use this transport.
03:44Many of the stations celebrate Uzbekistan's heritage and culture.
03:50One such station incorporates architecture inspired by the poet Alisha Nivoy.
03:56This is one of the top metro stations I've been to. I've never seen so many domes.
04:03Tashkent was the first city in Central Asia to have a metro.
04:07It started with just nine stations on a single line.
04:13This is a Paflakov station. All the architecture is handmade.
04:17Much of the metro dates back to when Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union.
04:22Many of the original stations keep their same grand designs.
04:28I love the mosaics on the walls. It's very impressive.
04:32And also so clean.
04:34Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991.
04:38And some of its names have changed over time.
04:41This is Independence Avenue Station. Before it was named Lenin Square.
04:46After reaching Independence Day, it changed the name to Independence Square.
04:52With chandeliers, mosaics and marble walls, these really are unique metro stations.
05:01Food is a big part of Uzbek culture. Here in Tashkent, the Museum of Polov celebrates the country's famous rice
05:09dish made with meat and vegetables.
05:12This is a typical Uzbek palace with a famous bread. This is the smell of Central Asia.
05:21It smells divine. I'm so ready to eat. So let's get cracking.
05:26Let's go.
05:28Chefs come from across Uzbekistan and prepare their own versions of polov.
05:33Oh, these are all the different ones on one way.
05:36All different polov.
05:37It's a dish that brings people together. But there's also some friendly rivalry.
05:43Each region is proud of this polov. That is why if you're asking Tashkent people what kind of the best
05:49polov, you say Tashkent was.
05:50If you're asking from Bukhara, you say Bukhara. Samarkand, Samarkand. For me, Tashkent.
05:54I think the Tashkent one might be my favorite. I think this one.
05:59The kitchen also prepares traditional Uzbek pastries filled with meat and vegetables and baked in large clay ovens.
06:07It really is a palace dedicated to Uzbek cuisine.
06:14Uzbekistan is full of historic cities and Samarkand is one of the most famous.
06:20Known for its incredible architecture, its historic center was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
06:30Uzbekistan. Once upon a time, a thousand years ago, here were lots of caravans.
06:35And they used to bring goods from every part of this wonderful world, meeting each other here.
06:42But then the big space for caravans had been transformed into this wonderful ensemble with the three majestic madrasas.
06:50The Ulag Beg madrasa dates back to the 15th century. It was an Islamic school where students lived and learned.
07:00In this madrasa, they would study astronomy, philosophy, Arabic poets and Persian poets.
07:06And these universities, they were fountains of development of science. Science which is recognized as a contribution to the world
07:14culture today.
07:15It feels very calming and relaxing in here. The big open space out there and then you come in. And
07:22I can imagine studying here.
07:24Nearby is Shazinder, a collection of mausoleums dating back centuries.
07:31The mausoleums dedicated for the royal family. Mostly they were built in the 14th century.
07:37But they were built next to the place which is famous from the 8th century. The tomb of Qasem ibn
07:44Abbas. The cousin of Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah.
07:48The site remains an important place of pilgrimage today. Attracting visitors from all over the world.
07:55All these glazed bricks you see. Yeah.
07:58They are actually calligraphy in Arabic. In full freestyle.
08:02Much of the historic site was destroyed in the 13th century. But new mausoleums were built in the years that
08:09followed.
08:12Samarkand was also a major centre for paper making. And we've come to a traditional mill to find out more.
08:19We call it silk paper. That paper which is produced here. Handmade. And as a raw material we use the
08:27bark of a mulberry tree.
08:29The outer bark is peeled away. And then the inner fibres are boiled. Once softened, they're beaten into a pulp.
08:37Using a water wheel for power.
08:40This part we use for silk paper production. With no glue, with no any chemicals, with no any chemical colours
08:46or whatever.
08:47All natural made. Yes, all natural made.
08:49The pulp is then spread onto a screen to form thin sheets of paper that are pressed and dried.
08:57Once ready, we polish the paper, rubbing the surface to make it smooth and shiny.
09:03It's this silky finish that gave the paper its name.
09:08One of the busiest places in Samarkand is Sayab Bazaar.
09:12The stores are packed with dried fruits and nuts, as well as sweets and honey.
09:18But there's a little trick to finding the best quality.
09:21You ask him, please give me raisins or please give me almonds or pistachio.
09:28But give me something which you have behind.
09:31Because in the Oriental Bazaar, what is already shown is very delicious.
09:36But which is behind hidden. This is for superb tastes.
09:41The city is famous for its raisins. And I'm keen to try them for myself.
09:48I've never tasted a raisin like that. It's really meaty.
09:52Happy first time.
09:53They're delicious. Everything is amazing. The nuts here, the dried fruits.
09:58Because it's good quality.
10:00Another of the city's famous food traditions is this distinctive round bread.
10:06At this family bakery, I'm learning how it's made.
10:10In the days of Silk Road, traders would carry Samarkand bread on their long journeys.
10:16Tandir is a big oven for baking bread.
10:21And this size of tandir fits about 40-45 pieces of Samarkand bread.
10:28Each bread is one kilo and a half.
10:31Each loaf is carefully shaped by hand before being placed against the hot walls of the oven.
10:41The heat from the oven is intense. And these loaves take around half an hour to bake.
10:48Ah, that smells amazing.
10:50Once the bread is ready, it's time to see how everything turned out.
10:55That is the most perfect bread I have ever seen.
11:00And they come up pretty easy. He's done them to perfection.
11:05Here, bread is traditionally shared between friends and family.
11:09And with loaves this size, there is plenty to go around.
11:15This is so heavy. One kilo of bread.
11:19And it smells divine.
11:22As my time in Samarkand comes to an end, I look back on my journey through this beautiful country.
11:30It's the experiences I've had along the way that make this trip extra special.
11:38Uzbekistan has been a tale of two cities.
11:42One with historic culture and the other with much more modern style.
11:47There's so much to explore.
11:49But now, time for my next adventure.
11:51Music
11:52.
