Travels: Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Istanbul

When I told people I was going to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, many asked Why?

I admit, my knowledge of the place was limited to television documentaries like Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure  https://www.amazon.com/Joanna-Lumleys-Silk-Road-Adventure/dp/B091JNK3KC and Silk Road from Above, https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/silk-road-from-above , but that was part of the attraction for me: not knowing a lot meant learning about it, first hand. I was drawn in by the idea of the first traders on camels, of wells and forts and ancient civilisations in the desert.

So, my answer to why was simply curiosity about places that had piqued my interest, plus, their closeness to Istanbul, a city I’ve wanted to explore for forty years, ever since an architect I worked for showed me his holiday snaps. I remember being in awe of the grand Islamic architecture, the aqua and turquoise tiles, the pretty patterns and ornate designs carved in stone and painted on walls. These elements, I knew, were also seen along the entire silk route. So, flying into and out of Istanbul, I had my desired holiday package.

A thousand photos and a journal later, I can say I had a good time and learned so…. much.

Istanbul didn’t disappoint. The Old City with the 6^th century Hagia Sophia – the building that was the largest cathedral for a thousand years then converted to a mosque in the fifteenth century and houses works of art and symbolism from both faiths – and the underground Basilica Cistern – now a watery, sculptural gallery; the 17^th century Blue Mosque with it’s gorgeous, glazed tiles; the Topkapi Palace with its museum of beautiful dining things – jewelled spoons and embellished ceramics. And the most fun thing – the indulgent and restorative bathing experience at the glorious, old city hamam https://www.hurremsultanhamami.com/en/. Think warm, white marble slabs, lots of hot water, a woman scrubbing your skin (if you’re a woman) and slathering you with liquid mud and bubbles and a soothing massage. Yes, it was divine.

Then, on to Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand (Uzbekistan), UNESCO World Heritage, Medieval, walled cities. The architecture, the frescos and ceramic tiles, the symbolism of the Zoroastrian and Muslim religions, the religious universities (madrassahs), the scale, were all so impressive, particularly when I tried to imagine the thriving civilisations who once lived there and the astronomers and mathematicians and philosophers who began our scientific world.

Learning about the history of these places, I felt as inconsiderable as a grain of sand.

That’s a good thing about travel and history – they give us perspective, teaching us we should live our best lives and not waste time on trivial worries because soon enough, we’ll be history too.

In the fabulous city of Samarkand, I learned that kindness is still alive and well. I had been sick, but thinking I was better, went for a walk on my own. In a café – where I’d gone to rest and have a coffee and donut (the plainest thing on the menu) – I suddenly felt very ill. The next thing I knew I was looking up at a gaggle of Italian tourists who fussed over and soothed me through fainting, vomiting and language differences. They didn’t back off until the paramedics took over. Long story, short, the Uzbek waiter was so nice to me I wrote him a letter the next day praising him and apologising. Had it not been for these strong, generous, compassionate people, my experience would have been even more horrific.

Events like these can turn us off travel, but if it wasn’t for some difficulties, how would we ever know how helpful people can be and how resilient we are? And it’s the challenges that make the best stories, anyway.

Like the drive from Fergana across the mountain range to Tashkent. Not only were there herds of goats on the highway, but the weather closed in, and we found ourselves in a blizzard. Soon enough, the traffic was jammed, all drivers trying not to slip in the snow. A four-hour journey turned to seven, but we were grateful to arrive unscathed.

Fortunately, that night we weren’t sleeping in either a yurt in the desert or a homestay in the mountains. On arrival at 9.30pm, we celebrated staying in a modern Hilton hotel (bypassing the sheik’s Rolls Royce parked at the door) and went straight to the bar.

The final adventure was Azerbaijan. This modern city has exciting contemporary architecture, ritzy high-end shops, oil rigs galore and good restaurants with personality and music. The ‘inner city’ is the old city contained within ancient walls, in which people still live. An hour out of town are rocks with Paleolithic petroglyphs (ancient rock art), plains of bubbling mud and cracks in the earth that breathe fire.

I haven’t mentioned the silk embroidery or carpets but believe me, this history and the examples we saw were captivating. It was hard not to bring home a suitcase of mementos, too.

In all, I learned a lot about civilisations of the last two thousand years, about astonishing leaders like Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, about wars and takeovers, about Russian occupation and withdrawal, about religions living side by side (and not), about the early, great thinkers, and the evolution of the silk trade. I learned that all three countries are secular (state affairs are non-religious) and in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, the dominant Muslim religion is very relaxed. I dressed modestly out of respect and always felt safe. I ate pomegranates and baklava, photographed cats and walked a gazillion steps. My curiosity is sated, and my understanding of humanity, greater.

Perhaps it’s for this that we should travel anywhere at all.

ISTANBUL

UZBEKISTAN

AZERBAIJAN