Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, Goree is located in the westernmost part of Africa. This has made it a sadly strategic place for the slave trade. In fact, millions of African men and women left from here, kidnapped in their lands and deported to the United States to work in the cotton and sugar cane fields. Here the French, Portuguese and Spanish colonialists bargained their price and carried out terrifying practices to sever their last yearnings for dignity. Already deprived of their freedom, here they had to lose all hope of regaining it.
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A brief history of Uzbekistan, from the birth of Zoroastrianism to independence from the Soviet Union, passing through Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Marco Polo.
All the social and political coordinates to better understand the country you are about to visit.
Believe me, it’s more compelling than Game Of Thrones!
What to see in Uzbekistan. A complete guide to organize the perfect itinerary along the Silk Road.
If you are thinking of taking a trip to Uzbekistan and retracing the ancient Silk Road like a new Marco Polo, here are some indications on how to move and plan your trip. Uzbekistan today is a very safe country, both for the inhabitants and for the tourists who visit it.
Tashkent subway is one of the most beautiful in the world but nobody noticed since it was forbidden to take photographs of it! Like many others who decide to travel to Uzbekistan, I will stay in Tashkent for a few hours before flying back. I’m going for a quick visit to the Uzbek capital!
“A man never gets tired of looking at three things: water, fire and a bazaar”. The Urgut Bazaar is a famous local market that boasts a great offer of fabrics and jewelry. I am happy to walk through the alleys of a Uzbek suq and I feel I have refined the art of bargaining…
No other place in the world recalls the Silk Road as Samarkand. Its streets are full of myths and legends and the monuments built by Tamerlane make its atmosphere magical. Despite the recent restoration works have partially transformed its face, bringing it closer to the typical Russian town with its avenues and parks, Samarkand remains a breathtaking beauty. Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Bi-Khanym Mosque and Shah-i-Zinda are among the most spectacular monuments in Central Asia. And, if we retrace the thread of its history, we must admire its tenacity as Samarkand has been reborn several times from its ashes.
On the way between Bukhara and Samarkand, I make a short stop at Shakhrisabz, a small town surrounded by greenery, a few kilometers south of Samarkand.
The town was formerly known as Kesh, until Timur renamed it to its present name. He built majestic buildings and monuments there, which gave prestige and fame to the city until the sixteenth century, when it was destroyed to avenge the death of a horse.
I continue my journey along the ancient Silk Road and arrive in Bukhara. Here is the most fascinating artistic heritage of all Central Asia: Bukhara suffered a less invasive restoration than Samarkand and today still looks like the way Turkestan looked before the Russians arrived. Every time I look up, I enjoy the sight of the facades of the madrassas and the profiles of the minarets, which never tire of being admired.
It’s love at first sight.
Visit the ruins of Topraq Kala and Ayaz Kala, Uzbekistan. The ancient capital of the Kushan kingdom and the fortresses defending its borders are now exposed to the elements and are likely to disappear altogether. The whole tour of the settlement takes about an hour, you can climb up the walls and enjoy the beautiful view. From different angles, the views of the ancient city are so dislocated and multi-level to remember the sketches of the impossible worlds of Escher. At every step I feel the earth creaking under my feet. Nearby, the fortresses of Ayaz Kala are worth a visit.
In many respects, Central Asia is still uncharted territory. For centuries this area has remained inaccessible to Westerners: that’s why it is still surrounded by a halo of mystery, relegated to an unknown elsewhere. Khiva is one of the most fascinating cities of Uzbekistan: it was founded by legendary Shem, the son of Noah, at the point where he found water by digging a well. Its old town, surrounded by a high wall of raw bricks, is so well preserved that it became a UNESCO heritage site in 1990.
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