Golden hour and Khiva at night
9 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
We only have a short break after our full-on city tour before we are off to catch the golden hour while walking Khiva's city walls.
The ascent begins at the North Gate, where a flight of mud-brick steps climbs steeply toward the parapet. They are uneven, knee-jarring, and devoid of handrails, it's crawling up on all-fours territory.
Once we are atop the ramparts, the first thing we spot are workers replastering the walls, a never ending task as the mud & straw cover doesn't last very long when exposed to the elements.
Walking along you definitely needs to have their wits about you, the ground is uneven, narrow and partly covered in the mud-straw giving off a not too pleasant smell in places.
With the high walls, it's almost impossible to catch the sunset and the few glimpses through the holes are a bit underwhelming - but as Fergus says 'there will be another sunset tomorrow'.
It is at night, when the daytime tourists disappear and the warm, amber spotlights cast long, dramatic shadows against carved wooden pillars, soaring portals, coloured domes and minarets that Khiva begins to look like a scene pulled from the pages of A Thousand and One Nights.
Or in other words - just gorgeous 🥰Baca selengkapnya
Khiva!
9 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C
After a long journey yesterday, we are in Khiva - if it didn't feel like we were on the Silk Road before, we certainly do now!
Khiva is an ancient city of the Silk Road, once famous for its slave market - the second biggest in Central Asia. The centre is a UNESCO site also known as Itchan Kala, the fortified capital and royal city of the Khans - the ruling dynasty.
Nowadays the well preserved city centre is a delightful labyrinth of narrow mud-walled alleyways and spectacular blue mosaics. But the first impression is deceptive and the buildings in the old town are not as old as they look. Most of them are from the 19th century.
First things first though, our hotel is the magnificent Orient Star just inside the walled city and formerly the Mohammed Amin Khan Madrassa. In fact this was one of Khivas 64 madrassas until the 1930's but is now an amazingly atmospheric hotel.
On our first full day here we embarked on a tour with our new guide - Bakram. Once again, information overload but some of the things he explained to start with:
- the walled city covers a total of 26 hectares with seemingly countless mosques, minarets and madrassas.
- there is a population of 3000 today.
- founded in 4BC it has been destroyed four times and most buildings aren't older than the 18th century
- it's also known as "land of stairs", I think we climbed every one!
- Our hotel was such a good Madrassa Bakram said it was the "Harvard of central Asia"
Our first stop was literally outside the front door where there is Khivas most iconic landmark - the unfinished minaret. Fantastically decorated, this 29 metres high structure was begun by Muhammad Amin Khan around 1852 and was intended to be enormous—probably around 70–80 metres high. Construction abruptly stopped in 1855 when Muhammad Amin Khan was killed during a military campaign against the Turkmen. Without its patron, the project was abandoned.
Next stop was the Khans royal palace, the Kunya-Ark Castle. This was a mixture of palace and administration in former times. We looked at dungeons, reception areas, winter and summer mosques as well as the mint. Most of the grand buildings have the same magnificent telltale blue mosaics patterns, all slightly different, with depictions of geometry or fruits like pomegranate, lemon and almonds - each one of them with their symbology.
After stopping for some refreshing mint tea we stopped at a silk carpet factory. Not saw much factory but a small family run business/cooperative. Here, Bakram explained the process from silk worm to finished articles. We saw a carpet being painstakingly worked on as well as the obligatory display of a few for sale 😉. At about $5k each we decided to give them a miss on this occasion 😂.
After yet another substantial lunch (in an old madrassa) we headed for the Tash-Hovli (“Stone Palace”). It was the new royal palace of the Khans of Khiva, built for Allah Kuli Khan between 1830 and 1838. It was intended to be more luxurious and comfortable than the older Kunya-Ark. Inside were several artifacts to look at but the harem was the main attraction with five bedrooms, one for the Khan and the others for each of his four wives, the tallest one obviously for the Khan. The Khan had some back stairs built so he could secretly attend any of the wives to try and prevent jealousy amongst the others!
The final stop of the afternoon was the Juma mosque. Once capable of holding 5000 worshippers it is now just for the tourist. Although with its several hundred wooden columns it felt very atmospheric.
The day was rounded off with our first taste of the traditional dish - plov. Not quite as oily as we thought but definitely not a diet dish 😉.Baca selengkapnya
Crossing the Kyzylkum Desert ...
8 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
After an hour or so enjoying the scenery at the Zoroastrian tower, we are back in our minibus and on the way to Khiva.
It's about 150 km on a highway ... at least that's what our driver said.
Along the way, we are crossing the vast Kyzylkum desert, which lies between the two (once upon a time) great rivers - Syr Darya and Amu Darya.
The Kyzylkum desert (meaning 'red sand' in Turkic although it does look anything but) is one of the most extensive deserts in Asia.
The crossing of the desert was an important stage on the Silk Road - Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane all passed through here, as did British and Russian spies in the 19th century, often disguised as holy men and horse traders, during the secret stratagems of the 'Great Game', when Russia and England were vying for influence in the region.
Most of the way we see scrappy looking shrubs and sand, interspersed with miles and miles of fields growing cotton and strangely plenty of rice fields.
I certainly did not expect rice being planted in an area that struggles with water supply. Timur, our tour guide, explained that the two main rivers (Syr Darya & Amu Darya) are actually originating in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and both countries starting to build dams for hydropower cutting off even more of the water supply. Water that is already scarce because of the irrigation system introduced during Soviet time for growing cotton which has resulted in the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea. Water security is certainly a big topic in the region.
But back to our journey ... highway?
It has been a very bumpy 2.5 hour ride and we were all very happy when we finally reached Khiva.
There we were awed by the beauty of the place we are staying at - an old Madrassa.
It's true Silk Road feeling!Baca selengkapnya
Zoroastrians 'Tower of Silence' - Chilpik Kala
8 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Only a 40km drive from Nukus, we stopped at Chilpik Kala, a circular structure on a hill top, that was originally a Zoroastrian burial place or 'Tower of Silence'.
In Zoroastrianism, once the dominant religion in Persia, towers such as Chilpik Kala were an important element in their burial rituals
In these kinds of towers, the bodies of the dead were exposed to the elements so that with the effect of the sun and birds (usually vultures) they could be disposed of naturally.
The impressive tower of Chilpik Kala is thought to have been built over 2000 years ago. Although it seems more likely a remnant of an ancient volcano.
It eventually became a signal tower until the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. It was scientifically studied until 1940 and today it is depicted on the coat of arms of the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan.
The way up is via lots of steps but over a long enough distance to be pleasant. Nevertheless we pause half way along for our guide, Quaat, to explain the legend associated. i.e. sons carried their old (but still alive!) fathers up to the top and left them there to die as old people were thought to have no value! This changed when one son hid his father in the basement. That father then helped his son to cure the king of an illness all the royal physicians couldn't. When the king discovered it was from the old man, instead of punishing the son he changed the custom and recognised old people do actually have value 😁
After a few more steps there was a short scramble to the summit. Kudos to the old people as we all made it!
From the top of the ruins there are excellent views over the surrounding country and to the river Amu Darya.Baca selengkapnya
Mizdakhan - the sacred city of tombs
7 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
After a stop for lunch - desperately needed after the marathon in the museum - we drive about 40 min outside of Nukus, just 8km from the border with Turkmenistan to the remains of the ancient Mizdakhan Necropolis, once the largest city in this region. The city was founded in the 4th century BC and inhabited right up to the 14th century when it was destroyed by Tamerlane, the Turko- Mongol leader who conquered most of Central Asia.
It's one of the oldest and most visited pilgrimage sites of the region. Even after its destruction, it remained a sacred place, although as a 'city of the dead' and it's still used today as an active burial site.
There are a few interesting burial sites we had a look at in more detail
☝️Mazlumkhan Sulu Mausoleum, one of
the best-preserved architectural gems within the ancient Mizdakhan.
Built during the Golden Horde period (13th–14th), it is a unique underground palace-like tomb, richly decorated with glazed turquoise and dark-blue tiles.
The story goes, that a poor architect fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the local ruler. The father of the girl declared that he would only win her hand if he could create an architectural miracle: a palace that is cool in summer and warm in winter. Having built this beautiful palace, the ruler still didn't approve of the marriage - so the young girl and her lover together jumped to their deaths from the roof of the dome. In the end, the grieving father buried the young lovers side-by-side in the palace which became the underground resting place for them for eternity.
☝️Mausoleum of Khalifa Erejep, an 11th century ruin believed to be the resting place of a spiritual teacher who taught wisdom to his followers. But it's far more famous for its mythological connection:
👉 Local legend says that it's the burial place of Adam, the first man. Historians trace this legend back to ancient Zoroastrian traditions
👉 The crumbling structure of Khalifa Erejep serves as an allegorical hourglass of the Apocalypse. According to the legend, one brick falls from the walls of the mausoleum each year. When the final brick dislodges and strikes the ground, the clock runs out, triggering the end of the world.
Interestingly, out of respect for the myth and a symbolic desire to postpone the apocalypse, pilgrims who visit the ruin stack the fallen bricks into small, balanced pillars and in 2024, the government with support from the US embassy in UZ decided to partly reconstruct the mausoleum 🤷
☝️Shamun Nabi Mausoleum
Unlike typical single-domed Central Asian mausoleums, the building features an elongated rectangular hall crowned with seven domes. Inside rests an unusually long cenotaph measuring over 25 metres in length.
And the story goes ... Shamun Nabi was remembered not just as a prophet and mystic healer, but as a legendary warrior of supernatural stature, strength and size, battling infidel rulers and wild beasts.
In fact, when Soviet archaeologists excavated beneath the 25-metre cenotaph, they found no giant skeleton—in fact, there were no human remains inside the giant mound at all.
☝️Jumart Kassab Mound is believed to be the only Zoroastrian grave in Mizdakhan.
The mound is about 5m high and is linked to the Islamic legend of Jumart the Butcher. According to the story, Jumart was a prosperous and generous butcher who lived during severe famine and drought. Instead of hoarding or selling his stock at exorbitant prices, he gave away meat free of charge to the poor and hungry. When he was dying and as he didn't have any children himself, the community asked him what they could do for him. So he asked for a handful of soil on his grave whenever someone came there. One needs a lot of handfuls to get to 5m.
Even on a very hot afternoon it had a certain eerie atmosphere in the peace and quiet.Baca selengkapnya
Nukus and the Savitsky Museum
7 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Gosh, another early start - alarm went off at 4:30 - to catch our flight to Nukus, an isolated, rather nondescript city, located in the valley of Amu Darya.
In fact, Nukus lies in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic inside Uzbekistan.
This adds another 'Stan' but sadly not another country to our list 🤔
However, the destruction of the Aral Sea has pushed the republic's environment to the brink and it now feels like the half-forgotten end of the world. I would have loved to get closer to the no longer existing Aral Sea but unfortunately, it's not on the tour agenda and too far to go in the few free hours we have this afternoon.
So why come all the way here???
It's definitely a place for off-beat travel but a haven for art lovers.
Nukus' main claim to fame is the Savitsky Museum - a museum of forbidden art, housing remarkable late Soviet avant-garde art that was prohibited and destroyed elsewhere in the country for not conforming to the socialist realism of the times (1920s and 1930s).
We had a very detailed guided tour through the exhibitions. The museum owns about 100,000 artefacts - at times, it felt we were looking at all of them. Maybe this isn't fair to the lady who has such a wealth of knowledge of Russian, Uzbek and Karakalpak art but for me (and I am sure for my fellow travellers) it was too much.
From what she explained about the background of the museum, here are just a few items that will stick
☝️Savitsky Museum often hailed as the "Louvre of the Steppes," houses the world's second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art alongside thousands of Karakalpak ethnographic treasures.
☝️Igor Savitsky is the man 'Who Saved the Forbidden'. Originally from Kyiv, he trained as an artist in Russia and in 1950 joined an archaeological expedition in the area. Enchanted by the desert light and local nomadic culture, Savitsky abandoned his Moscow life permanently for Nukus.
☝️As Stalinist doctrine enforced Socialist Realism — crushing any art that didn't glorify Soviet labour — Savitsky realized an entire generation of avant-garde artists was being erased, imprisoned, or executed. He turned Nukus - far from the watchful gaze of Moscow - into a sanctuary of forbidden art. And sometimes, when he couldn't pay for the paintings, he wrote 'I owe you' for the artist or their widows
☝️ Savitsky frequently persuaded local Uzbek officials to give him state rubles to purchase what he called "regional ethnographic research"—only to spend the cash rescuing blacklisted art across Moscow and Leningrad.
As for the art work, there are just a few out of the many we have been shown that I find striking.
☝️The Bull by Vasily Lisenko
The museum's defining piece. Featuring a charging beast with hollow, shotgun- barrel eyes, Soviet censors condemned Lisenko to a lunatic asylum partly under the pretense that "a bull cannot be blue". When a visiting party bureaucrat demanded Savitsky take it down, Savitsky quietly complied—only to rehang it the second the inspector's car vanished over the horizon.
☝️Woman Bukhara by Victor Ufimtcev - like much of the non-conformist art gathered by Igor Savitsky, the piece works on two levels. Superficially, it aligns with Soviet critique against feudal oppression and religious conservatism. Subversively, the motif of barred windows, padlocks, and suffocating isolation served as a potent allegory for life behind the Iron Curtain under Soviet totalitarianism.
☝️ At the Chaykhana (tea house) by Alexandr Volkov (note Lenin's portrait of in the back)
In the 1920s, the Soviets actively transformed teahouses — the epicenter of male community life, storytelling, and local governance — into political education cells. The Soviet state was demanding that artists abandon formal experimentation and adopt clear, uplifting Socialist Realism.
👉 Incorporating the portrait of Lenin was partly a survival strategy—a visible token of ideological loyalty that allowed Volkov to continue experimenting with radical forms and deep local themes.
👉 Yet the painting subtly subverts the state's intended narrative. Instead of showing an enthusiastic class of "re-educated Soviet labourers," Volkov portrays an ancient, meditative, and unhurried culture that seems capable of outlasting any political regime hanging on its walls.
We spent 2 hours in the museum, without water (not allowed), and at times it felt a bit gruelling but it was doubtless a fairly unique visit. Not something many westerners will ever do and certainly thought provoking. However, I think we are all happy there's no more museums like that on the itinerary!Baca selengkapnya
Tashkent - the official tour
6 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
A nice leisurely start today as we don't meet up with our fellow travellers until lunchtime (they arrived this morning after an overnight flight - we are so glad we got here earlier). Also, apart from our guide Timur, we are the young ones in the group, naturally Birgit seems quite happy at this!
We met in the lobby and headed off for lunch. Birgit was about to ask for a group photo and casually mentioned she is writing a blog and if everyone was ok to have their photo taken. Somewhat surprisingly the two couple of the party declined, we started to think this might be a long trip but we all got along fine after that!
We actually lunched in a very ornate restaurant, it was a family Sunday lunch sort of place but looked as if we'd gate crashed a wedding 😁
After lunch first stop was the Islamic centre - Hazrati Imam, the historic spiritual heart of Tashkent. Our guide for the day, Akromjon (known as Jonny) explained that the Tashkent region produced hugely influential Muslim scholars, and Tashkent preserves important Islamic manuscripts and monuments.
Amongst other things we visited:
- Barak Khan Madrassa built in the 16th century but now houses handicraft stalls 🤔
- Hazrati Imam Mosque — the impressive twin-minaret mosque is actually modern, completed in 2007.
- The Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum, the historic core of the Hazrati Imam complex.
Also in the complex was the enormous new Center of Islamic Civilization, opened in March 2026. It's a museum/research centre rather than simply a mosque, covering Central Asia's contribution to Islamic science, scholarship, art and culture - but we didn't go in there.
Instead we went literally next door to one part of the original old town. To be honest it wasn't up to much and we didn't get far because they were filming a TV commercial just where we wanted to go!
The one thing that stood out for me is these old mud houses have methane as the main gas supply! As installed by the Soviet empire ....
Back on our bus Jonny regaled us with a lot of facts about UZ. One of the more interesting was about the top five sources of income for the country:
1 - Agriculture
2 - Gold - they have some of the largest deposits in the world
3 - Light industries / small. Manufacturing
4 - Money from abroad - 20% of the UZ population actually works in other countries and sends money home!
5 - Tourism
But the current president wants to turn this upside down and make Tourism the key pillar.
Next we moved on to Chorzu Bazaar, a massive domed market selling virtually all foodstuffs from Tashkent and beyond. A few free samples were on offer, we particularly liked the macadamia nuts. Originally this was open air but no longer and it's also for the locals just as much as the tourists. Bartering is mandatory of course!
We then took the metro to look at Independence Square again before walking past the Romanov Palace which was built in 1891 for Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich Romanov, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I who had been exiled from St Petersburg to Central Asia. He had been accused of stealing diamonds belonging to his mother, apparently in connection with his American mistress.
Next door there's a large building being converted into a hotel. Apparently it used to be the KGB headquarters in Tashkent!
We finally had a brief detour to look at the Alisher Navoiy Theater is Uzbekistan's principal opera and ballet theatre and one of Tashkent's landmark Soviet-era buildings.
It was designed by Alexey Shchusev, who also designed Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow. Construction began around 1940, stopped during WWII and was finally completed in 1947. An unusual part of its history is that Japanese prisoners of war helped complete the building after WWII. Uzbek craftsmen created the elaborate interiors, with different halls decorated in regional styles representing places including Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Fergana.
On the way back to the hotel, we had a brief drive round Amir Temur square and then an early night.
All in all it was ok but I'm glad we saw something of Tashkent the day before as well to give us a better overall view of the city.Baca selengkapnya
Pelancong
She does look young! No wonder she is the youngest in the group hehe
A leisurely explore of Tashkent
5 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Landing at 2am in the morning we actually made good time to get to bed by 3:45. But we certainly needed a bit of a kick to get going today.
Having arrived almost 30 hours ahead of our fellow travellers, we have plenty of time to explore the city under our own steam and hopefully see parts of the city we won't cover on our organised tour tomorrow 🤞
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and claims to be the most cosmo- politan city in Central Asia. At first impressions, it's no match with Baku - not as grand (with a few exceptions) and certainly not as clean.
Although the city has been inhabited for over 2000 years, a massive earthquake in 1966 destroyed most of the city. It's now a huge Soviet-designed city with plenty of Soviet-style buildings and gigantic four lane boulevards that aren't designed for walking.
Mind you, we still did plenty of walking despite having a few rides on the famous Tashkent Metro. Built between 1966 and 1977, it was the first metro in Central Asia. The subway stations are beautiful and famed for their amazing architecture. What's more, all set up with modern technology, i.e. just tap in & go and the ride costs just 11 pence for unlimited stops - can you believe it?
We found Kosmonavtlar Metro Station the most impressive stop as it celebrates Soviet space achievements and human fascination with the cosmos with its deep-blue interiors, cosmic murals, and medallions of Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova and other Uzbek astronomers and ceiling designed to resemble the Milky Way. It almost feels like a “hidden museum” of Soviet-era art and science.
The metro took us to the Independence Square which is framed by grand fountains, the Ezgulik Arch with storks - which represent gratitude and peace - and memorials, making it both a very ceremonial looking place.
The Independence Monument itself - a Globe symbolizing Uzbekistan’s sovereignty with a globe highlighting the country’s outline on the world map - isn't really accessible and can only be admired from afar. Interestingly, there used to be a statue of Lenin where the globe is now.
At the northern end of Independent Square we have a look at the “Crying Mother” memorial, a bronze sculpture of a mourning woman symbolizing the pain of mothers whose sons never returned from World War II. The memorial commemorates approx half a million soldiers from Uzbekistan’s 14 regions who died in the war with their names inscribed in the Books of Memories.
From here we walk along the Anhor Canal, a historic waterway originally part of irrigation systems, which has now been revitalized as a modern leisure zone with pedestrian paths, bridges, cafés, and evening light shows (not that we stayed long enough to see these) .
Along the canal, we see the summer concert venue with its stage canopy supported by giant angled steel arms that resemble alien tripods, giving it that “War of the Worlds” vibe.
Further along, we have a look at the Monument of Courage, the city’s most symbolic memorials, dedicated to the victims of the devastating 1966 earthquake that destroyed much of the capital. It stands in a landscaped park near the former epicentre with a black cube split in two, symbolizing the earth breaking apart during the quake and a man, woman, and child stepping forward together, representing resilience and the rebirth of Tashkent.
Very poignant and symbolic!
At the end of our little walking tour along the canal, we wander around
Minor Mosque and Cemetery, one of the most prominent and prestigious resting places, with graves for many of Uzbekistan’s renowned writers, scientists, public officials, and artists.
Apart from being amazed about the elaborate headstones, we can only wonder who these people are.
After another 30 minutes walk, we reach Tashkent TV tower, with 375m the tallest structure in Central Asia.
It's an impressive structure and they certainly showcase their competition with an exhibition of other towers around the world. But unfortunately, the actual visitor platform is only on the lower level, just a mere 6 floors or 97m up. So the views weren't as good as we hoped but we could glimpse the Tian Shan mountains in the distance.
Didn't I say, the city is not made for walking? So after more than 23k steps, we were in desperate need for some refreshments and opted for the rooftop bar of Hotel Uzbekistan. It's nothing special, small indoor bar at 16th floor but very popular. We arrived just in time to have a seat by the window.
.Baca selengkapnya
Saying goodbye to Azerbaijan and ...
5 September, Uzbekistan ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
... getting ready for our tour of the Stans.
It has been a whirlwind visit to Azerbaijan (country #79 on my quest), a quick stopover on route to the starting point of our tour of the Silk Roads. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Baku, learned a lot and would love to see more of the country and meet it's people.
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon along the Caspian Sea, stopping at Dopamine for a drink before wandering back in the early evening light for the next adventure.
Now we are embarking on a part of the world that is even more unknown to us - the alphabet, the language, the religion, the culture and certainly the history.
So over the last few weeks, I have been doing some reading ...
There are a few things I can remember ...
☝️the suffix *stans comes from Persian and means 'place' or 'land' clearly indicating the key influencers of the culture. The post-Soviet Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) are simply known as the Stans but despite the common suffix, the five Stans are supposedly remarkably different.
👉 Turkmenistan is more than 80% desert, whereas Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan are more than 90% mountains.
👉 Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have vast oil and gas reserves with KZ being the richest country in the region whereas Turkmenistan is wealthy on paper but it's all state-controlled.
👉 Tajikistan on the other hand is poor as a church mouse and is heavily dependent on worker remittances (primarily from Russia) with people in many towns and villages having electricity for only a few hours each day.
👉 The regime in Turkmenistan is extremely insular with strict political isolation almost comparable with North Korea, there is no free press and the president is omnipotent.
👉 Kyrgyzstan on the other hand has even ousted one of its presidents and is moving move towards a democratic nation.
👉 While most of th Stans speak Turkic tongues, Tajiks speak an Iranian language closely tied to Persian.
Although the five countries are in many ways very different, they also share the same origin and fate: for almost seventy years, from 1922 to 1991, they were part of the Soviet Union, a gigantic social experiment without parallel in history. The Bolsheviks abolished private ownership and other individual rights. Their goal was a communist, classless society and they stopped at nothing to achieve it.
2026 marks the 35th anniversary of independence from 'Sovietstan' - it will be interesting to see how different the countries has developed.
Bring it on!Baca selengkapnya
Rolled, stitched, weaved - Baku's carpet museum
4 September, Azerbaijan ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Few buildings in the world announce their contents with the subtlety of a sledgehammer quite like the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.
Designed by Austrian(!) architect Franz Janz, the building is literally shaped like an enormous, partially rolled-up carpet.
It feels delightfully kitsch from the outside, is slightly disorienting on the inside with it's sloping floors but beneath it all, it's a museum doing some heavy cultural and geopolitical lifting
The museum is certainly not endless rows of dusty rugs, more a place showcasing that there is more to carpets than just floor coverings.
It offers an interesting glimpse into the ancient craft of weaving, spinning, and dyeing, with exhibits that show how raw wool is transformed into richly patterned carpets. It’s an introduction to the artistry behind Azerbaijan’s most famous cultural symbol.
We were especially fascinated by the various everyday life woven items from table cloths, headcaps for men, travel chests to walls for yurts and decorations for pack animals.
However, the most interesting, and somewhat revealing aspect of the museum isn’t just how the rugs are woven, but how the map is drawn.
The collection divides Caucasian carpet weaving into distinct regional "schools", e.g. Baku or Karabakh group. Among them, there are exhibits dedicated to traditions that spill casually across today's fortified borders, e.g. the Gazakh 'school'.
While Gazakh is a district in northwest Azerbaijan, the historical weaving cluster includes valleys in Armenia and eastern Georgia or as the museums information board puts it 'historically Azerbaijan land currently belonging to the territory of Armenia / Georgia'. Also, an entire section of the museum is devoted to the legendary Tabriz school of weaving, despite Tabriz residing in northwestern Iran, i.e. in the museum’s categorisation, modern political borders just dissolve.
Where a Westerner might describe these pieces under the umbrella of cross- cultural nomadic weaving, the curators of the museum frame them cleanly through an Azerbaijani national lens and the labels offer zero nod to the contested history and territories of the area. Everything is claimed under one unbroken thread of state identity.
In summary, an interesting insight in Azerbaijani applied art and certainly worth an hour or two escaping the sun outside.Baca selengkapnya
Baku - the walking tour
3 September, Azerbaijan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
As is traditional, we did a walking tour of Baku today but with one subtle difference - this was a paid for tour rather than a free one (I had quite a lot of credit with Viator!)
So we met with a young man called Namiq who guided us effortlessly over the next 3.5 hours through the old town and more, of Baku.
Namiq was a veritable mine of information talking virtually nonstop the whole tour without so much as a sip of water or a break. And it was pretty hot!
I suppose it helps that his grandfather teaches history in one of AZs 48 universities, but even so. As it was just the two of us, it was a very personalised one with him answering (almost) all of our - something challenging - questions but as usual, it was information overload so here is just some of what we learnt about AZ, Baku and our general impressions ...
We met Namiq in Nizami Park, underneath a large statue of a famous Persian poet called Nizami Ganjavi who died in 1209 but remains a very important cultural figure. Azerbaijan is celebrates their ports, scientists cultural figures intensely and this was just the beginning of a theme of cultural statues that are all over the place in the city centre, each with a certain relevance to the immediate area or to Baku in general.
We found the most interesting one to be of Aliagha Vahid, a poet (died 1965) famous for very satirical traditional poems. Apparently he was a bit of a troubled soul which was really reflected in his sculpted face. What's more, many scenes from his life and work are woven into the sculpture all around his giant head!
Two further themes ran through our tour - history and oil wealth.
Baku is one of the Silk Road cities with borders to the south with Iran, Armenia to the west and Russia and Georgia to the north. Thus it has had a bit of a turbulent past with many interested parties taking control at some time. Some items to pick out:
- The Shirvanshahs were a medieval royal dynasty in the 15th century. Their palace is one of the main attraction in Baku, although Namiq wasn't so enthusiastic about it !
- Persian influence was significant after the dynasty fell. Right up until....
- the Russian empire took over in the early 1800s. Which in turn ended with the Russian revolution.
- From May 1918, AZ had this first independence for 23 months until..
- the Bolsheviks invaded and AZ was absorbed into the Soviet Union until proper independence was achieved in Oct 1991.
As for oil, the country was known to be an area of substantial oil reserves (locals found oil when digging during house building) but it wasn't until the 1840s that they properly started to drill and subsequently the Russians allowed private investment.
By the time of the first AZ independence there were 47 oil millionaires in Baku. Many were generous for city needs, founding schools, hospitals etc. On our tour we saw several oil millionaire residences. All but one had fled the country by the time the communists took over but their mark is still visible today. Currently 90% of AZs income is generated by oil.
The old city has many interesting buildings, a lot had Polish or German architects. Some were destroyed by the Bolsheviks but many survive. There are also many mosques (AZ is 90% Muslim) however there is no state religion as freedom of religion and religious tolerance is important to the country. There is then, a museum of tolerance, emphasizing Islam, Christianity and Judaism together. We did not go in .......
One of the many museums we did go into was the museum of small books. It's even in the Guinness book of world records having the largest collection of tiny reading material. Including the smallest in the world that you can hardly see let alone read! (It's from Japan and printed with laser technology)
We were supposed to end the tour at Highland park but the time had flown and we didn't get to the funicular before it closed for lunch! Fortunately we had been there briefly yesterday so were able to ask Namiq a few questions about it before we said goodbye.
So, after some liquid refreshment we made our own way up there.
In Soviet times this area was an amusement park but these days it's much more peaceful and pleasant, albeit a reminder of war casualties., war cemetery and several memorials.
Some parts remember over 1000 Turkish troops who died trying to help AZ resist the Bolsheviks in 1918. Other parts actually have graves of those who died fighting the Armenians in 1992 and the people massacred by the Russians during "perestroika" shortly before the collapse of the USSR.
Incidentally the most recent war with Armenia was in 2020 and some fighting was as recent as 2023. There is apparently a peace process being negotiated now and it made us wonder what life outside Baku might be like.
All in all a fascinating day, probably a good taste of what's to come.Baca selengkapnya
Baku - a mesmerising place ...
2 September, Azerbaijan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
... with a mix of ancient heritage fit for a city of the Silk Roads and unapologetic futuristic architecture.
We are staying at the Hilton in the modern part of town, right next to Baku Boulevard with a fabulous view across the Caspian Sea and the F1 race track which is being built for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the end of the month.
After a leisurely breakfast, we start the day at a slow, unhurried pace along Baku Boulevard and tasting the salty breeze off the Caspian Sea (Baku is not for nothing known as 'city of winds').
Established in 1909, the wide pedestrian promenade stretches for several kilometres and is lined with parks, cafés and modern landmarks but at this time of day it feels rather deserted and most places are shut.
From the promenade, we head into Baku Old Town which is surrounded by ancient walls. There are plenty of narrow winding streets, traditional stone buildings, mosques, caravanserais ('old' road side inns or guest houses that are now great looking restaurants where one can just imagine the rooms going out from the central plaza), museums, charming courtyards ... and cobbles everywhere as well as lots of people trying to sell their wares - everything from sightseeing tours, Russian style fur hats to carpets.
But it doesn't matter where you are, looking past the centuries-old limestone facades, the arched merchant windows and wrought iron gates, the gleaming, futuristic curves of the Flame Towers are looming right over the rooftops.
From the old town we head further uphill via the wide stone staircases, past the Flame Towers and all the way to Highland Park. From the terrace, we have an incredible panoramic view of the entire crescent bay including Baku’s mammoth seafront flagpole.
That reminds me of a little snippet I remember from what I read ...
Azerbaijan entered the race for the highest flagpole in the world in 2010. But the claim to fame for the 162m high flagpole was short-lived as in 2011, the Tajik flag was flying from a 165m flag- pole in Dushanbe. But even the Tajik flag isn't flying high enough anymore. Since 2021 the top price now goes to Egypt with 202m. But at least Azerbaijan caught up in 2024 with a 195m high flagpole.
On the other side of the terrace, the iconic silhouette of the Flame Towers perches high above the skyline, paying homage to Azerbaijan’s roots as the ancient "Land of Fire." Even more so at night when the more than 10,000 high-power LEDs transform the towers into animated fire scenes.
Having walked up the hill in the midday heat, we are very happy to spot Manzara, a café along the terrace. So, the only logical next move is to sit down, take in the panorama, and have a couple of cold local Xırdalan beers. Just what the doctor ordered.
Despite the refreshments, our legs are too tired to walk all the way down again. Instead we take the funicular 🚠 - 2 min ride for 1 AZ Monat, just one other futuristic construction.
It's still a long way along the now busy and buzzing boulevard and I am in need of sustenance. We planned to stop at the fish & chips place but that's still closed, so we just made it to Papa John's 🙈.
Never mind, I was desperate and the pizza was tasty giving us enough power to try out the 360 degree bar back at the Hilton.
Great views and some happy hour drinks are perfect to finish our first, exciting but also tiring day in Baku.Baca selengkapnya
We are on the way ... AZ here we come
1 September, Inggris ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
It's still dark when we leave home.
Mentally it feels rather early but at our destination it's already 8:30, so we better get used to the time 😬
We are flying from Terminal 2 with Lufthansa (via Frankfurt) to Baku. Compared to T5, the Queen's terminal (T2) is an oasis of calm. Check-in works like a dream and our bags are spot on the strictest weight limit for one of the flights along the silk road - 14.9kg and 14.8kg respectively. Work of the packing master! 😂
And we have plenty of headroom for potential purchases bearing in mind we still have space for 7kg hand luggage, each!
We must admit, we are impressed with Lufthansa, if nothing else, the sleekness of their app and communication is amazing (& miles ahead of BA).
Hard to believe that Germany is still a digital backwater.
But then, BA still has a huge advantage for us ... access to the business lounge (as long as my friend Kerry is gifting me a silver card and one doesn't fly business class with LH.
Sneakily, Fergus upgraded us to business class for the leg to Baku. So instead of hanging around the airport for 5 hours, we enjoy the comfort of Lufthansa's Gold lounge.
However, measured by the comfort of the BA lounge and the food & drinks available, BA beats LH easily.
Still it's nice to just chill and play some games ... sadly after 1.5 hrs of fierce competition I lost the first round of our Silk Road Cabo Challenge.
How about the in-flight competition for business class ??
🤔 - it's a tough one to judge as the flight is only 5 hours and not overnight.
The seats are a lot smaller, no inflight entertainment but brilliant WiFi ... only until we entered difficult airspace, e.g. Turkey, Armenia etc ... when it got blocked for security reasons 🤔🤔
The 5 hour flight was over quite quickly. And unexpectedly, immigration and luggage is so fast that we are in the car to the airport in less than 20 min after landing.
Just as well we get to the hotel quickly.
I am rather tired. It's definitely time for bedBaca selengkapnya
Pelancong
😍
Pelancong
Sind in Khiva viele Touristen? Sieht alles so unwirklich, wie in einem Film aus 😍