Silk Road - The Times Of Central Asia

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Silk Road Exhibition

Silk Roads Exhibition: Beating Heart of the Ancient World

On a gloomy winter’s day, The Times of Central Asia visited the Silk Roads Exhibition at the British Museum. The sight of a significant queue wrapped around the museum for entry was startling. Once inside, the exhibit thronged with visitors snaking their way to peruse artifacts arranged by region and era. Concerned about blocking display views as you read descriptions? No need to worry — thick guidebooks with full narratives greeted you at the entrance to borrow during your visit. The exhibition envisions the Silk Road as the beating heart of the ancient world, with arteries stretching across seas, mountains, and deserts. With over 300 artifacts spread across five geographical zones, it can be hard to know where to start. I observed a nearby gentleman in tweed who offered a simple tip: start with a place that interests you and go from there. Then I overheard that he was going to Cairo. New partnerships with Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Tajikistan’s museums had seen fresh items loaned to the exhibit. These collaborations highlight Central Asia's important role in this sweeping narrative, helping to connect the dots in this continent-spanning story. Immersed in the culture and history, I couldn’t help but wonder — what did the audience think? After a few unsuccessful attempts, I spoke with an English visitor named Georgie Bennett. [caption id="attachment_27908" align="aligncenter" width="2029"] Georgie Bennett visiting the Silk Roads Exhibition; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland[/caption] TCA: What drew you here today? I think the thing for me is I have a really poor knowledge and understanding of this bit of history. So, I heard the exhibition was on and some of my friends already booked tickets, I said yes, I’ll absolutely come along because… I wanted to learn more. TCA: What’s the one item that’s caught your eye the most? I really like the story of the silk princess; it was a very humanizing story about this lady who’s newly married and brings the knowledge of how to make silk to her husband’s kingdom… I feel like I've learned so much. I’m enjoying it, though I almost wish I had a notebook and pen because I'm getting a general impression without knowing any of the details. [caption id="attachment_27909" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Charred wooden door panel from Kafir Kala, near Samarkand, Uzbekistan, circa AD 500, on loan from the State Museum reserve[/caption] The Times of Central Asia also spoke to one of the curators, Luk Yu-Ping to delve deeper into the Silk Road experience. TCA: Globalism is considered a modern concept of interconnectivity, but looking at the vast connections and influence within the Silk Road Exhibition it’s implied that this concept may have been prevalent in the past along these trade routes. Could you expand on this? This exhibition highlights the movement of people, objects, and ideas across Asia, Africa, and Europe during the period 500 to 1000 CE. The focus is not only on trade but also other ways of contact and exchange. Audiences might be...

Silk Road South Korea Diplomacy International Cooperation Foreign Trade Economic Cooperation International Relations

Central Asia and South Korea Seek to Expand Cooperation

The 17th Central Asia–Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum, which took place in Seoul on November 4, addressed key areas of partnership between Central Asian countries and South Korea in sectors such as transport and logistics, energy, critical minerals, digital transformation, environmental issues, and tourism. Speaking at the forum, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murat Nurtleu, emphasized the importance of transport connectivity for the region’s sustainable economic growth. Kazakhstan is developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route to ensure safe and efficient cargo transportation from Asia to Europe. The Kazakh minister invited Korean companies to participate in major projects to expand the route’s capacity to 10 million tons of cargo annually. Addressing energy cooperation, Nurtleu highlighted Kazakhstan’s abundant natural resources, including rare earth metals and uranium. The Kazakh Foreign Minister expressed hope that Korean companies would join projects for resource extraction and processing and participate in a consortium to construct a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. Nurtleu stated, "Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea are natural partners connected by a shared history, Altai heritage, and traditional trade relations dating back to the Silk Road era. The Republic of Korea is increasingly vital in the economic and technological development of the entire Central Asian region.” At the forum, Kyrgyzstan’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Asein Isaev, highlighted the growing role of South Korea as a high-tech nation interested in strengthening supply chains for energy resources and rare earth metals and developing transport and logistics routes with Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries. As part of the forum, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the heads of Central Asian delegations and pointed out Korea’s interest in strengthening relations with Central Asian countries through the K-Silk Road initiative. This strategic program supports Korean infrastructure development in Central Asia in exchange for improved access to the region’s raw materials and critical minerals. During his visit to Kazakhstan in June, Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and South Korea to supply critical minerals.

Silk Road Archaeology History World Cultural Heritage Silk Road Treasures

Two Lost Silk Road Cities Unearthed in Uzbekistan

Aided by laser-based technology, archaeologists in south-east Uzbekistan, have discovered two lost cities that once thrived along the Silk Road from the 6th to 11th centuries AD. As reported by Reuters, one was a center for the metal industry, and the other, indicates early Islamic influence. Located some five kilometers apart, these early fortified outposts are among the largest found on the mountainous sections of the Silk Road. “These cities were completely unknown. We are now working through historical sources to find possible undiscovered places that match our findings,” said archaeologist and lead author of the report, Michael Frachetti of Washington University in Saint Louis. The researchers state that the most expansive of the two, Tugunbulak, covered about 300 acres (120 hectares) and in existence from around 550 to 1000 AD, boasted a population of tens of thousands. As such, it was one of the largest cities of its time in Central Asia, rivaling even the famed trade hub Samarkand, situated about 110 km away, and according to Frachetti, many times larger and more enigmatic than other highland castles or settlements that have been documented in high-elevation Central Asia." The other city, Tashbulak, inhabited from around 730-750 to 1030-1050 AD, was only a tenth the size of its neighbor, with a population perhaps in the thousands. After discovering the first signs of the cities' existence, archaeologists employed drone-based lidar - a technology that floods the landscape with lasers to measure the topography - to map and establish the size and layout of the sites. Findings revealed highly defined structures, plazas, fortifications, roads, homes, and other urban features. An initial dig at one of Tugunbulak’s buildings, fortified with thick earthen walls, uncovered kilns and furnaces, suggesting it was a factory wherein, metalsmiths turned local iron ore into steel. During the 9th and 10th centuries, the region was known for its steel production and researchers are now analyzing slag found on-site to confirm their hypothesis that in addition to trade in livestock and related products such as wool, the metal industry may have been a central feature of Tugunbulak’s economy. According to Franchetti, “Tugunbulak, in particular, complicates much of the historical understanding of the early medieval political economy of the Silk Routes, placing both political power and industrial production far outside the regional ‘breadbaskets’ such as Samarkand." As stated in the report, Tashbulak lacked the industrial scale of Tugunbulak but boasted an interesting cultural feature: a large cemetery that reflects the early spread of Islam in the region. Its 400 graves—for men, women, and children—include some of the oldest Muslim burials documented in the area.“The cemetery is mismatched to the small size of the town," said Frachetti. "There's definitely something ideologically oriented around Tashbulak that has people being buried there." Tugunbulak and Tashbulak are especially remarkable given their altitude, which is roughly comparable to that of the later Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru, and as noted by Frachetti, “The key finding of this study is the existence of large, fortified, and...

Economy Silk Road Cultural Heritage international tourism tourism industry Tourism

Uzbekistan Aims to Attract 15 Million Foreign Tourists by 2030

In an article, “Uzbekistan Attracts More and More Foreign Tourists to the Country”, published on the popular online portal Tiger’s Media in Poland, Dunyo reports that Uzbekistan plans to increase the number of foreign tourists to 15 million by 2030. As stated by Tiger's Media, “this number is twice as much as the 6.6 million tourists who came to the country in 2023. In 2023, tourism brought about $2.1 billion to the economy and created about 70 thousand new jobs." The portal adds that “to attract the attention of young travelers, Uzbekistan is also attracting bloggers and social network activists with more than 10 million subscribers,” Uzbekistan is located on an important part of the ancient Silk Road. Cities of the republic, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, important trade centers in ancient times, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, known for their architecture, including madrasahs, mosques, and bazaars. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that tourism revenue made up 2.35% of Uzbekistan’s GDP last year. Other countries in Central Asia are likewise looking to boost their tourism industry. In June, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke bluntly about infrastructure weaknesses that must be fixed. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, is focusing on its rugged, mountainous landscape, citing riding and hiking and “hunting with eagles” among its main attractions.

History Silk Road

British Museum Opens Silk Roads Show – With Help from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan

The British Museum opened Silk Roads to the public on Thursday, delivering a highly anticipated exhibition about the vast, interlocking routes that connected cultures across Asia, Africa and Europe for centuries and includes ancient chess pieces and other items on loan from Uzbekistan as well as Tajikistan. The show, which runs until Feb. 23, 2025, aims to get beyond traditional notions of spices, camels and sand dunes, as well as the misconception that there was one “Silk Road” - a single pathway that ran across Central Asia, linking traders in the West with those in the East. While the Silk Roads network lasted for millennia, the British Museum is focusing on the period between AD 500 and 1,000, when contacts accelerated and religions and technology flourished across far-flung regions. “Rather than a single trade route from East to West, the Silk Roads were made up of overlapping networks linking communities across Asia, Africa and Europe, from East Asia to Britain, and from Scandinavia to Madagascar,” the museum says in its introduction to the London show. The British Museum worked with 29 national and international partners on the exhibition, which includes objects from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan that have never been on display in Britain and highlight the importance of Central Asia to the continent-sweeping saga of the Silk Roads. Uzbekistan, home to Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand and other sites associated with the ancient network, is a big player in the exhibition. It is lending “the oldest group of chess pieces ever found” and a six-meter-long wall painting from the ‘Hall of the Ambassadors’ in Afrasiab, an ancient spot in Samarkand, according to the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. “The painting evokes the cosmopolitanism of the Sogdians from Central Asia who were great traders during this period,” the state foundation said. Saida Mirziyoyeva, a daughter of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and a senior presidential aide, attended the exhibition roll-out this week. “A must-see for anyone passionate about Silk Road history!” she said on X. The National Museum in Tajikistan, which started working with the British Museum on plans for Silk Roads in 2022, has said it is lending items “related to the Buddhist culture of the 7th and 8th centuries, found in the monuments of Ajinateppa, Kafarnihon, and Vakhsh.” Objects on display include a Buddha figurine found in Sweden; an Islamic-style map drawn for the Christian king of Sicily; a Chinese ceramic dish found in a shipwreck in Indonesia; a gilded silver cup whose components indicate links between Scotland and West Asia; a gold shoulder clasp with Indian garnets that was found at the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk; and a gold bowl found in Romania that was linked to the Avars, an originally nomadic group from the northeast Asian steppe. The exhibition is not just about physical objects. There are also stories about an African king, a Chinese princess and other characters whose lives were connected to the Silk Roads, and insights into religious encounters and the spread of...

Turkmenistan Silk Road Archaeology

Turkmenistan: US embassy awards grant to restore Silk Road site at Dayahatyn

ASHGABAT (TCA) — U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan Matthew Klimow on October 21 awarded a $150,000 grant through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) to the National Administration for the Preservation, Study, and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Turkmenistan. Ambassador Klimow presented the award at an official ceremony held at the Museum of Fine Arts, the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat said. Continue reading