The Golden Road

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Friday PARIS - OURGENCH

  The departure and takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle on the regular Uzbekistan Airlines flight to Urgench. Meals served and overnight on board.

• day 2

  Saturday OURGHENTCH KHIVA 30 kms

  Upon your arrival in Urgench, customs formalities. You are welcomed and transferred to Khiva. Breakfast. KHIVA "THE PEARL OF THE ORIENT" Capital of KHOREZM, an important oasis on the Silk Roads, in the heart of the KYZYL KOUM desert, at the crossroads of caravan routes from Persia, Russia, and India. Legend has it that it was founded by SHEM, a son of Noah, after a blazing dream. The citadel of Itchan Kala (UNESCO) Imposing mud-brick walls, bristling with crenellations and punctuated by powerful towers, surrounded it for more than 2 km. Inside are palaces, madrasas, mosques, caravanserais, built by the KHANS, ruthless rivals of Bukhara. It is a museum-city, emptied of its inhabitants by the Soviets in 1960. Even though it celebrated its 2500th anniversary, most of the buildings date from the 17th to the 19th century. The Kunia Ark is the ancient citadel, the fortified refuge of all the Khans. The famous iwan of the reception hall is covered with blue and white majolica. The summer mosque features sumptuous floral decorations. The Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmoud is the most beautiful monument in the city, the most sacred place in Khiva. Its turquoise dome houses the city's patron saint: a wrestler, furrier, and poet of the 14th century. The Minaret and the Medersa Islam Khodja dominate the entire city with their colored rings: from the top of its 120 steps, the view of the surrounding desert and Khiva is unforgettable. The Madrasa houses a Museum of Applied Arts: woodwork, carpets, hangings... Lunch. Continuation of the visit of Khiva, the "open-air museum city". The Tash Khauli Palace or "Stone Palace", the new palace of the 19th-century khan. The iwans feature dazzling blue and white majolica decorations. You visit the audience hall and the court with admirable decorations by Abdullah Djinn, the throne room, the treasury, the harem, the stables, the arsenal, the barracks, the mosque, the prison... The Mohamed Amin Khan Madrasa, with its facades colored with blue mosaics, is one of the largest in Central Asia and hosted 260 students. It was a sinister Soviet prison, today a luxury hotel. The Muhamad Rakhim Khan Madrasa houses the craft center under its portal. The Kalta Minor or short minaret, superbly decorated with jade green majolica, was meant to be the tallest in the Muslim world, but the death of Amin Khan, beheaded during a battle, left it unfinished. The Djouma Mosque or Friday Mosque has a sumptuous interior: a forest of columns from the 10th to the 12th century from all origins, the most beautiful from India. One can guess human representations, Zoroastrian symbols, all erased Buddhas... Dinner. Overnight at the Hotel.

• day 3

  Sunday Khiva - Toprak Kala - Ayaz Kala Khiva

  Breakfast at the hotel. Discovery of the picturesque Khiva market. THE GOLDEN RING OF ANCIENT KHAREZM or ELLIQ KALA: the "50 fortresses". Ancient citadels lost in the sands, south of Karakalpakstan: TOPRAK KALA: impressive ruined fortress from the 1st century BC. It was the capital of the Kushan lords, but repeated attacks by the Hephthalite Huns, by destroying the irrigation canals, caused this brilliant civilization to fall into oblivion. The royal citadel still contains traces of gardens, the Hall of Kings, the Hall of Victories, the Hall of Black Guards, the temple of fire worshippers, and vast clan houses that sheltered more than a hundred members… KYZYL KALA: a small town sheltered, behind high walls, the garrisons of the ancient fortress. AYAZ KALA: the most impressive site; two citadels perched on the hills from where there is an admirable view of the desert. A camp of Kazakh yurts will welcome us for lunch. Nearby, a small lake is rimmed with salt. Return to Khiva. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 4

  Monday: from Khiva to Bukhara

  Breakfast. Route to Bukhara. The road passes through the Kyzyl Kum desert and you drive between sand dunes. Previously, caravans heading west used this part of the Silk Road, which connected the western cities to Bukhara. Lunch on the road in a small tchaykhana. Arrival in Bukhara and check-in at the hotel. City tour with the Lyabi Khaouz complex, dating from the 16th century, in a green setting of centuries-old trees surrounding a small pool, the Koukeldach madrasa, the largest madrasa in the city with 140 cells on two levels, and the Nadir Divanbegi madrasa. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Tuesday BOUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel. Days dedicated to visits of Bukhara "the noble" (UNESCO). Bukhara "the Holy": "the dome of Islam", "the Pillar of religion", "the beauty of the spirit", is the most secret of caravan cities, the best preserved of oriental towns. An oasis in the heart of the red desert, the Kyzyl Kum. Achaemenid city from the 6th century, conquered by Alexander, destroyed by the hordes of Genghis Khan then by Tamerlane, by the Tsar's troops then by the Bolsheviks, and constantly reborn. It was one of the most important spiritual and intellectual centers of the country, attracting students from Arabia, Iraq, and Spain to its madrasas. THE OLD CITY OR CHAKHRISTAN THE WALLS OF BUKHARA protected the city from nomadic attacks until the Russian conquest of 1920, which left very little of the 25 km of ramparts. THE FORTRESS OF THE EMIR OR ARK, with its powerful crenellated walls, was the residence of the lords of Bukhara. It stands on Reghistan Square in all its majesty, largely destroyed in 1920. The Throne Room witnessed many coronations. Reception hall, music pavilion, harem chambers follow one another. From its terrace, splendid view of the monuments of Bukhara. Lunch. THE BOLO KHAOUZ MOSQUE is one of the most beautiful in the city with its wooden pillars and ceilings. The emir performed his prayers there under a splendid dome. The Iwan is one of the most elegant in all Central Asia. THE KALYAN MOSQUE has the most beautiful decorations of the 16th century, the mihrab is adorned with dazzling mosaics. THE POY KALON SQUARE: religious center of holy Bukhara, the most monumental: the Mir-i-Arab madrasa with its majestic Iwan faces the immense Kalon mosque and its terrible minaret "tower of death". From the 12th century, a beacon that guided caravans lost in the vast deserts of the Karakum to the caravanserai. The Kalon mosque, with its 288 domes, could accommodate 10,000 worshippers. Its blue dome is the most beautiful. Merchant domes and covered passages are an original feature of Bukhara's architecture: Tak-i-Zargaron, the dome of the jewelers, or the dome of the hatters, or TAK-I-SARAFAN, the dome of the money changers: the covered galleries house many shops. The covered market of ABDULLAH KHAN is reserved for beautiful ikat silk fabrics and sumptuous carpets. THE MADRASA MODAR-I-KHAN and ABDULLAH: the students' cells are now occupied by artisans. THE ISMAEL SAMANI MAUSOLEUM, the oldest building in Bukhara, buried under several meters of earth, was spared by the Mongol tornado. It is over 1000 years old, the richness of the carved brick patterns is remarkable. The TCHACHMA AYOUB mausoleum: the prophet Job made a miraculous spring gush forth there. THE LIAB-I-KHAOUZ: around a huge pool stand three madrasas from the 16th century, decorated with fantastic simurgh birds. Bearded old men gather there to drink tea, play backgammon or watch time go by. THE OULOUGH BEGH MADRASA, sober and majestic: stars recall the prince's passion for astronomy. THE ABDUL AZIZ KHAN MADRASA: the mosaic of the entrance portal is a luminous yellow vegetal lattice with simurgh birds and a dragon. THE NADIR DIVAN BEGHI MADRASA: a sun shines between two facing simurgh birds. THE MAGOKI ATTARI MOSQUE, the 12th-century portal, is one of the most perfect architectural works of Bukhara. Lunches, one of which in a "tchaikhana". Dinners, one with folk music at the Nodir Devon Beghi Madrasa. Accommodation at the hotel.

• day 6

  Wednesday BOUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel. THE CHOR MINOR is a madrasa of astonishing architecture, flanked by four slender minarets with blue domes. SITORI I MOKHI KHOSA, Palace of the Moon and Stars, the summer residence of the Khans of Bukhara, is located in a vast park, blending Russian architecture and oriental decor! The white hall features finely carved plasterwork set against a background of mirrors. Stalactite niches hold superb multicolored bouquets. The harem houses an embroidery museum with the most beautiful suzanis. By the edge of a luminous pool, the PALACE OF THE LAST EMIR SITORAI MAKHI KHOSA hesitates between Russian and oriental style. It has reception rooms where decorative art objects and national costumes embroidered with gold stand side by side. The white hall features sculpted plasterwork set against a background of mirrors. THE ALLEYS OF BUKHARA: one gets lost in this labyrinth, where you discover weavers or gold embroiderers, potters, and small dilapidated shrines. "In the labyrinth of winding alleys with uneven and rough ground, this is the Asia of the Orient as it was several centuries ago, in the time of Marco Polo or Tamerlane himself." Lunch in a "tchaikhana". Free time. Dinner. Accommodation at the hotel.

• day 7

  Thursday Bukhara - Guijdouvan - Nourata

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure towards Nourata. On the way, stop at Guijdouvan to visit the workshop of master ceramist Abdullo. Excursion to the Ceramics Museum and the pottery workshop, then discovery of traditional silk thread embroidery, practiced by the women of the family. Continuation of the journey. Along the way, another stop to visit the remains of the ancient caravanserai Rabat-i-Malik and the Sardoba water reservoir. Traditional lunch in a guesthouse in Nourata. Visit of Nourata with the Tchachma complex and the sacred spring, then discovery of the ruins of an ancient citadel of Alexander the Great. Continuation of the road towards Lake Aydarkul, with the possibility to swim in the clear waters of the lake. Installation under the yurts. Camel ride on Bactrian camels in the sand dunes around the camp. In the evening, aperitif under the stars (vodka, wine, beer), then dinner around the campfire, with traditional music and songs of the Kazakh troubadour Akyn. Night under the yurt.

• day 8

  Friday AYDARKUL – SAMARKAND

  Breakfast. Departure for Samarkand where we will arrive for lunch. "Mirror of the world", "garden of the soul", "jewel of Islam", "pearl of the Orient", "center of the universe", this fabulous oasis of the Kyzyl Kum, one of the largest caravan cities of the Silk Roads (this great axis stretching from the Mediterranean to China), is over 20,000 years old! The fortified city was founded by the Persians in the 7th century BC; in the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great seized "Maracanda". Some traces of its ramparts remain. It was devastated by the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan, but his descendant Tamerlane made it, in the 14th century, the capital of a vast empire, from the Black Sea to the Indian Punjab, and covered it with grandiose monuments, as did his successors. The conqueror forcibly gathered there some of the best scholars and artists of his time: poets, architects, painters, astronomers. Lunch. The majestic REGHISTAN square with its three monumental madrasas: that of Ulugh Beg with blue stars (the largest university in Central Asia), that of Shir Dor where fire tigers carry the sun, that of Tilla Khari covered in gold… This "sandy square" was the main place for bazaars, military parades, and public executions. THE MAUSOLEUM OF GUR EMIR, Tamerlane's jade tomb, symbol of the greatness of the Uzbek nation, its ribbed dome rises to more than 30 m. The interior in gold and sky blue mosaics is "like the firmament". Dinner. Night at the hotel.

• day 9

  Saturday SAMARKAND

  Continuation of visits in Samarkand THE BIBI KHANUM MOSQUE: according to legend, it was built by a princess from Khorasan, Tamerlane's favorite wife (which cost her her life!). It is the largest in Central Asia. 95 elephants from India brought the enormous blocks. THE BAZAAR, in the shade of Bibi Khanum, where a colorful crowd gathers, is full of melons, spices, and decorated breads. SHAH-I ZINDA: a small alley climbs up the hill of ancient Afrosyab, lined with mausoleums from the 11th to the 15th century, which surround the tomb of a saint, Ibn Abbas, cousin of the Prophet. Apotheosis of the art of ceramics: the luxuriance of enameled and chiseled floral motifs evokes the gardens of paradise. Lunch. Visit to the silk paper workshop, where you will have the opportunity to participate in an introduction to the production of mulberry paper or even "marbled paper". HODJA DANYAR: the mausoleum of the prophet Daniel (who was thrown to the lions). Muslim, Jewish, and Orthodox pilgrims flock near the eighteen-meter sarcophagus that keeps growing. Dinner. Night at the hotel.

• day 10

  Sunday SAMARKAND - TASHKENT

  Continuation of visits The OULOUGH BEGH observatory, one of the greatest astronomers of the 15th century (whose giant instruments we admired in India) THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF AFRASYAB: frescoes from the 5th century show a wedding procession: a princess from Sukhandaria, perched on a white elephant, comes to marry a king of Sogdiana! They come from the palace of ancient Samarkand, conquered by Alexander. Lunch. Departure for Tashkent. Arrival, dinner. Night at the hotel.

• day 11

  TASHKENT - FERGANA.

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure in a convoy of private, air-conditioned, and comfortable vehicles for 3 people, via the Kimchik Pass (2,268 meters) to the city of Ferghana (4h00 drive). The city of Ferghana (230,000 inhabitants) is the administrative center of the Ferghana region. It was founded in 1877. It was decided to build a new city 12 km from the old city of Marghilan. At first, the city was called "Yanghi Marghilan," which means "new Marghilan." In 1924, the city was renamed Ferghana. Today, Ferghana is an important industrial center of Uzbekistan. In terms of production capacity, Ferghana ranks second in Uzbekistan after Tashkent. Stroll through the grand market of Ferghana. Lunch. Visit to a silk workshop in Marghilan, the capital of silk. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight at your Ferghana hotel.

• day 12

  Tuesday. Ferghana / Richtan / Kokand / Ferghana

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the city of Richtan. Halfway between Kokand and Ferghana, the city of Richtan is renowned for its beautiful blue and green ceramics, with their unique "ICHKOR" glaze. The secret of this craft has been passed down from father to son for 800 years: local red clay and natural pigments. Visit to a ceramics workshop. Continue to Kokand, famous for its celestial horses. The region has many thoroughbred horses that sweat blood; their ancestors are said to descend from celestial horses. Lunch. Visit of Kokand: - The Palace of Khudayar Khan – Fortified palace called "OURDA" as opposed to the "ARK" of Bukhara. - The Juma Mosque. - The Madrasas of Narbouta Bey and Dastourkhantchi. Return to Ferghana at the end of the afternoon. Dinner. Overnight at the Ferghana hotel.

• day 13

  Wednesday Ferghana / Tashkent

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure in a convoy of private, air-conditioned, and comfortable vehicles for 3 people, via the Kimchik Pass (2268 meters) to the city of Tashkent (4h00 drive). Lunch. The visit to the Museum of Fine Arts is surprising: collections partly stolen from the Hermitage of Saint Petersburg by Grand Duke Romanov; paintings and sculptures from Europe from the 15th to the 20th century, icons from Novgorod, mosaics from Samarkand, gold-embroidered garments, goldsmithery, and very ancient objects: statues of Greek influence or Buddha's head. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel in Tashkent.

• day 14

  Thursday TASHKENT

  Breakfast at the hotel The eclectic and cosmopolitan capital of Uzbekistan, the largest metropolis in Central Asia. The "city of stones," which the Greek geographer Ptolemy already described as the astonishing crossroads of caravans coming from the East and West, has become a modern and dynamic city with glass towers, the vibrant economic heart of the country. Stroll through the old part of the city, visit the great Khast-Imam square, the spiritual home of Central Asian Islamic believers, with its 18th-century library housing the oldest Quran in the Islamic world, the 7th-century Quran of Osman. Meeting at the Barak-Khan madrassah's craft school with renowned artists: miniaturists, sculptors, and painters. We will take the metro! Some stations have amazing decorations: domes with golden foliage or ceramic cosmonauts floating in space! The ABDOUL KASSIM madrasa houses the finest artisans: miniatures, ceramics, embroidery, jewelry... Lunch. In Old Tashkent, we will be enchanted by the bustle of the CHORSU bazaar where melons, spices, and silk shawls sit side by side. The old city is a maze of traditional brick houses, mosques, and madrasas, whose courtyards, where people play chess, are adorned with rosebushes and vines. It features a very large exhibition of crafts, embroidery, and traditional jewelry. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 15

  Friday TASHKENT – PARIS / CDG

  Breakfast at the hotel. On AMIR TIMOUR Square, the equestrian statue has replaced the sickle, the hammer, and the head of Karl Marx. It has become the symbol of Uzbek independence! The immense MUSTAKILLIK Square is lined with palaces and enlivened by fountains. Transfer to the airport to take the return flight to Paris, flight HY251.