UNESCO Heritage of the Great Silk Road

Early morning arrival in Almaty. Meeting at the airport and transfer to hotel. Time for a rest. Almaty is a modern metropolis with a picturesque panorama of mountains and apple tree forests. Almaty is the southern capital of Kazakhstan and at the same time is the largest city of the country. Officially for more than 20 years it is not the capital of the country, but still an important cultural and business center.

We start out city tour at noon.

Our afternoon city sightseeing tours includes: 28 Panfilov’s guardsmen park, Zenkov-Cathedral, astonishing Museum of Musical Instruments and blooming Green Bazaar.

On the way to Bishkek we take a tour Tamgaly-Tash collection of petroglyphs which is considered to be one of the best in Central Asia and is included in UNESCO’s list of heritage sites. The canyon of Tamgaly Tash means “a sign-place” and is located in the eastern part of Chu-ili Mountains which provide all elements that favor the rise of a large petroglyph site. Centuries ago at the intersection of trade routes the strategic position of the site provided a habitat for a nomadic human community. Along with petroglyphs, other monuments have been identified such as: Bronze Age and Early Iron settlements, cemeteries in the mountain zone and dozens of kurgans at the plain. Over 4000 engravings are distributed into 50 small groups. The majority of the petroglyphs are in the main canyon which are mostly from the Bronze Age, but some have been overlaid with medieval or later etchings. There are some petroglyphs from the Iron Age.

Further transfer to Kyrgyz/Kazakh border and to Bishkek.

Folklore show in the evening during the dinner. Artists will demonstrate different national musical instruments and techniques of playing

Bishkek is a capital and the largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located at the foothill of magnificent Kyrgyz Ala-Tau mountain range. Bishkek is a city of many green parks and marble-faced public buildings combined with numerous Soviet-style apartment blocks and thousands of smaller privately built houses. It is laid out on a grid pattern, with most streets flanked on both sides by narrow irrigation channels that water the innumerable trees which provide shade in the hot summers. The city is believed to be the greenest in Central Asia with more trees per head of population than any other. Our sightseeing tour includes: blooming Osh Bazaar, Historical Museum, Museum of Applied Arts and Ala-Too square, the main square of the country. The square serves as a place for state events and celebrations and includes many monuments, open-air picture gallery, famous Oak Park, marble government buildings and theaters. Evening flight to Osh.

Osh is the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan (estimated to be over 3000 years old) and the second largest in the country. The town is situated at a crossroad of ancient trading routes that became known as the Silk Road.  The age of the city can be judged by the rock drawings and inscriptions found on the northern slope of the four-­headed Suleiman Mountain. This mountain is located in the center of Osh and is a unique historical and  architectural monument. The mountain is also known as Salomon’s throne. The site is still a popular place for local Muslims, with stairs leading up to the highest peak with a small mosque originally built in 1510. The mountain is included in the World Heritage list of UNESCO. Excursion to the bright Osh Bazaar and Historical Museum.

We visit local bread bakery. Get hands on with a local baker to learn how lepyoshka is made, including preparing the dough, shaping and decorating the circular loaves, and placing them in the tandyr (oven). We also visit a workshop of Zakir Aka who has been making handmade knives for almost 60 years. These handmade knives also make a great gift for friends or family members who love to cook.

Dinner with Uzbek family. Hosts will demonstrate and explain all tricks of cooking of Central Asian most famous meals – Plov (or Pilaf).

Today we continue to Tajikistan (border crossing at Kyzyl-Bel). Upon arrival in Khojand we visit the mausoleum of century Sheikh Muslihiddin - the ruler of Khojand, a poet who lived in the 12th century, the Historical Museum, which is located in a citadel, the largest bazaar in Tajikistan - Payshanba.

Drive to Dushanbe through the Varzob Gorge and the Istiklol Tunnel.

Our first stop is in the ancient city of Istarafshan, founded by the Persian king of Cyrus the Great in the 7th century. You will visit the old town with the mosque of Shohi-Zinda and Mug Teppe, where once stood a gigantic fortress. On the way you will enjoy majestic views of Fan mountain ranges and emerald Iskandarkul Lake (2195 m) that reflects the surrounding mountains.

On the way to Dushanbe we will make couple stops in local villages. You will get acquainted with people and see day-to-day life of local farmers.

From Tajik language name of the capital may be translated as “Monday”, it was named so because it grew from a village that originally had a popular market on Mondays. Areas around Dushanbe were known as a center of cotton and silk production during Soviet period of history. Although the name of the city is rather new, the historical past dates back as far as 3 thousand years. Archeologists have dug out the remains of Greek-Bactrian settlements, the site of ancient settlement from Kushan period, site of ancient Shishi Khon village and other medieval settlements. Our tour in Dushanbe will include the Museum of Antiquities, home to the UNESCO protected reclining Buddha – the largest statue of Buddha in Central Asia, main mosque, old synagogue, Russian Orthodox Church, Rudaki Park, and Shah-Mansur bazaar.

We also will take a trip to Hissar Fortress, ruins of an 18th century fort of Emirate of Bukhara.

Our destination for today is Penjikent that is very famous in tourist circles for its sights, monuments of architecture, as well as a wonderful recreation area on the coast of Zaravshan River. Penjikent is one of the most ancient cities of Central Asia, the venerable age of which is 5500 years. The name of the city in Russian is translated as "Five villages".  After arrival in Penjikent, visit the excavation site of Old- Penjikent - the 5th century "Pompeii" of Central Asia with its former palaces and necropolises. Visit the Rudaki Museum, as well as the old town of Penjikent. Sarazm, which means “where the land begins”, is an archaeological site bearing testimony to the development of human settlements in Central Asia, from the 4th millennium BCE to the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. The ruins demonstrate the early development of proto-urbanization in this region. This centre of settlement, one of the oldest in Central Asia, is situated between a mountainous region suitable for cattle rearing by nomadic pastoralists, and a large valley conducive to the development of agriculture and irrigation by the first settled populations in the region.

After crossing the Uzbek-Tajik border and being welcomed by your new tour guide, drive to Samarkand. The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and a melting pot of world's cultures. Founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrosiab, Samarkand received its most significant development in the Timurid’s period from the 14th to the 15th centuries.

Today you will explore the fabled city of Samarkand, one of the most important sites of the Silk Road. Visit of Registan Square which was for many centuries the heart of Samarkand. We will see three beautiful madrasahs: the Ulug-Bek Madrasah built in the 15th century; the Tillya-Kori Madrasah built in the 17th century; the Sher-Dor Madrasah, also built in the 17th century. Visiting of Gur Emir - mausoleum of the Great Tamerlane.

Dinner in national house.

Our route from Samarkand to Bukhara goes along the ancient Silk Road. On the way we visit Shakhrisabz - one of most ancient cities in Central Asia. It was founded over 2700 years ago. Shakhrisabz is the hometown of Tamerlane and everything in Shakhrisabz is linked with his name.

Bukhara was one of the greatest trading centers at the Silk Road. The history of Bukhara stretches back millennia. Humans have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and the city exists for half that time. Located at the Silk Road, the city has long served as a center of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion. The town is also known as an open-air museum of mosques, madrasahs and minarets. It was the first oasis that caught eyes of invading Arab armies. In its 2500 year history it constantly changed hands from one ruler to another. City tour includes: architectural complex Poi Kalon with the Kalon Minaret, Kalon Mosque and Mir-Arab Madrasah, Toki Zargaron trade-domes, Magoki  Attori Mosque.

In the morning we visit an oriental bazaar full of traditional colors and oriental smells. We continue our walk through Bukhara with the most beautiful architectural ensembles of mosques and madrasahs, visiting the Ark Citadel, the Mausoleum of the Samanids, Chor Minor Madrasahs, Lyabi Khauz Square, the Mausoleum Chashma Ayub, Bolo Mosque. Folklore show in Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah.

We proceed to Khiva via Kizilkum Desert (red sands) - the route of invaders, nomadic hordes and armies of Persians, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. We enjoy a picnic-lunch at Amudarya (Oxus River) and continue to Khiva. Khiva - the city museum is unique in its beauty known as "The Pearl of Khorezm Oasis". Important spiritual and cultural values came from the large scientific centers of astronomy, mathematics and medicine that operated in this area centuries ago. A valuable heritage of knowledge was left here by internationally famous scholars such as Beruni, Agakhi and Nadjmiddin. One can stroll through the narrow streets of Khiva, peeking into the small courtyards through the wooden carved doors. The life inside the gardens assures the visitor that it is not just a museum, but also a living city.

This winding old town is like a daylight museum from tales of 1001 nights. Since 1990 it has been a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Behind every corner and gate there are new scenes, whether it be the mosques' inner squares, minarets sparkling in the sun, ornamented carved wooden doors or small workshops, where the inhabitants still follow traditional craftsmanship. Khiva has still preserved the fabulous atmosphere of an ancient, oriental city. Visit the old town of Khiva with the surrounding Kunya Ark fortress, Mohammed Amin Khan Madrasah, beautifully decorated Islamic Khodja Minaret, Palvan Kari Complex and Rafanek Madrasah. In the afternoon, continue your exploration and visit the Uch-Avliyo Mausoleum, Juma Mosque, the Tash-Hauli Palace, where a cobra is still guarding the gold treasures of the last Khan, Arab Mohammed Khan Madrasah and many more breathtaking sights that you will never forget. Everywhere within this old town you will find fine, ornate wood carvings - an art that has been cultivated in Khiva since ancient times. Keep your camera ready. Particularly beautiful is a panoramic view of sunset from the Akshi Bobo Tower over the city.

Today we enter the last Stan of our trip - Turkmenistan. First of all visit Konya Urgench – capital of the powerful Khorezmia which ruled here until Mongol’s invasion. This ancient town contains ruins of the capital of Khorezm, a part of the Achaemenid Empire. Its inhabitants deserted the town 350 years ago in order to develop a new settlement, and Kunya-Urgench has remained undisturbed. In 2005, the ruins of Old Urgench have been inscribed in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Turkmenistan, lying within a vast zone of protected landscapes and containing a large number of well-preserved monuments, dating from the 11th to the 16th centuries. It comprises mosques, gates of caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums and minarets, and the influence of their architectural style and craftsmanship reached Iran, Afghanistan and the later architecture of the Mogul Empire of 16th-century in India. Our excursion plan includes Kutlug Temir minaret, Tubarek Khanum, Sultan Tekesh and the Fahriddin Mausoleums, burial mosque of 12th century and 15th century Gutluk Temir Minaret. Our journey continues to Dashoguz

Morning flight to Ashgabat.

With its lavish marble palaces, gleaming gold domes and vast expanses of manicured parkland, Ashgabat (“the city of love” in Arabic) is a showcase city for the newly independent republic. The Turkmen capital of Ashgabat lies at the foot of Kopet Dag Mountains in a fertile oasis of Karakum desert.

We will visit the famous archeological site of Nisa - winter capital of Parthian rulers and National Museum of History with its rich collection of ancient artifacts and ethnic exhibits.

Horses for centuries have played a vital role in Central Asian life. We will drive 40 km north-west of the city to visit a stud farm and see the beautiful Akhal-Teke horses. Turkmens began to breed these horses 5000 years ago and to this day they are not cross-breed. Their elegance, lean body and fine bone structure are impressive. The horses are used for racing and are well-known among Eurasian jockeys. We will see the stables and the care and training of the horses. The Akhal-Teke horse is considered to be the national symbol of Turkmenistan.

This morning we take a flight to Mary (10:00 - 10:40 am) to see ruins of Oasis Town - Merv 20 km away. Here we will visit the Erk Kala Settlement, the Gyaur Kala Fortress, the 38-meter-high mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, small and large Gyz Kala Fortresses and many other monuments belonging to the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. In the evening (7:00 - 7:40 pm) we take a back flight to Ashgabat.