I photographed this old map in the museum at the Afrosiab ancient Tell. It’s says ‘Samarkand is on Great Silk Road’. There are a number of routes and many passed through Samarkand. There is even.a Black Sea route through the Caucasus countries across the Black Sea giving access to Europe including the vastness of Russia.
As we travel this old trade route through and over mountains and deserts - this complex information/technology superhighway of ancient times, as I read and listen to the locals, the world opens up whole new horizons and treasure troves of ancient history. Which is all very exciting, but at the same time I am confronted with the paucity of my knowledge - of history, diverse cultures and geography. My rather simplistic, naive views have been learned through a protestant- and western-lens, but I am learning, soaking up as much as I can of the amazing regional history on the spot ...... and it is exciting, challenging and humbling.
Five countries in a little over 3 weeks! Digesting history spanning 4000 years verges on overwhelm particularly travelling the way we do ie., always wanting to know everything!
China, where we started, seems almost a thing of the past. But seriously China was a place of colour, delicious and sometimes exotic food, smells, Dynasties and rulers, a past which saw massive expansion into neighbouring countries, a country where still there is a huge, perhaps growing, separation between the wealthy and the average worker.
Westward to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan now independent but all part of the Soviet Union until 25 odd years ago. A mere generation ago yet with deeper cultural, historic and tribal roots that predate and dwarf that period. Each has come out of the Soviet period differently. Overall however there’s been lots of development in their new found independence. The people are friendly, albeit curious about us, and everywhere the scenery and history absorbing.
We have enjoyed every place we’ve seen. The people are welcoming in spite of our lack of understanding of their respective language. Food has been pretty good - familiars like kebabs and BBQ but new breads, sheeps milk yogurt drink, soups, salads, stews - and horse meat! Even the occasional Georgian wine - and no menu is complete without vodka (or in China, white spirit)!
I am rather caught up on ancient history at the moment - Alexander the Great, Nisa and the Parthians, the ruins of Merv, the Mongols and Tamerlane. All in the past, yes but the legacies of these people, conquerors and places is reflected in the faces of the people - Persian, Arab, Greek, Mongol etc, in the new built environment, in foods and languages and the threads that link places from Istanbul to the far west of China.
I feel a course of study coming up - and we have more of Iran to see! But enough waffling, back to the road ........
No comments:
Post a Comment