SILK ROAD ODYSSEY: THE FIVE STANS MAY 28 JUNE 16, 2013

Transcription

1 TRAVELS SILK ROAD ODYSSEY: THE FIVE STANS Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Tajikistan Turkmenistan MAY 28 JUNE 16, 2013 Trace the path of the great camel caravans along the Old Silk Road, admiring the vaulted portals of the mosques and madrassahs, their domes cloaked in sky-blue ceramic tiles. Explore five different UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic Old Towns of the fabled Uzbek oases, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Wander the fabulous bazaars and step into the past on the streets of Silk Road trade centers crowned with complex Persian architecture. Along the way, learn about ongoing renovations with a local Bukharan architect, converse with students at the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, discuss current affairs with guests from the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent and meet with representatives of a Tajik NGO. STUDY LEADER: LAURA ADAMS has been studying national identity in the Soviet Union and post-soviet Central Asia since She teaches in the sociology department and the expository writing program at Harvard and is a faculty associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, where she co-chairs the program on Central Asia and the Caucasus. GROUP SIZE: Up to 25 guests (Harvard exclusive) PRICING: $9,995 / $11,990 SINGLE

2 SCHEDULE BY DAY B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, R=Reception TUESDAY, MAY 28 DEPART US Depart USA on international flights to Astana, Kazakhstan. Meals: In flight WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 ARRIVE ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN Most flights arrive late tonight or very early tomorrow morning. Transfer to a five-star hotel in the city center for a two-night stay. Meals: In flight / Overnight: Ramada Plaza Astana or THURSDAY, MAY 30 ASTANA Astana has been the capital of Kazakhstan only since 1997, when President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree moving the capital from Almaty. Located in remote north central Kazakhstan on the Ishim River and surrounded by sparsely populated steppe, Astana seemed at first a strange place for a capital city. Today its ultramodern buildings glow with Technicolor lights and its flourishing economy lures energetic young people from every corner of the vast country. During the course of the day s tour, explore Baiterek Tower, the symbol of the city, Atameken Park, Presidential Cultural Palace, Pyramid of Peace, and the city s other modern architectural wonders. Potential special arrangements may include a briefing at the U.S. Embassy or visit the National Academy of Music and meet with some of the young musicians. In the evening enjoy a welcome reception and dinner at a local restaurant. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Ramada Plaza Astana or FRIDAY, MAY 31 ASTANA FLY TO ALMATY This morning transfer to the airport for the approximately one and one half hours flight to Almaty. On arrival, explore Kazakhstan s largest city, spread out at the foothills of the Zaili Alatau Mountains in the Tien Shan range. Present-day Almaty sits on the site of an old Silk Road oasis town called Almatu; laid waste by the Mongols in 1211, the city left no ancient remains. Almaty s name means the place with apples, and the many varieties of wild apple in the vicinity give scientists reason to believe that this is where apples were first cultivated. Today the city is thriving on the considerable foreign investment it has attracted, primarily in the oil and gas industries. Begin at State Central Museum with exhibits that detail the development of Kazakhstan and its people from the Bronze Age through the Russian Empire, the Communist Period and the present day. Explore Panfilov Park, a green oasis in Almaty s central area, renamed by the Soviets in honor of 28 Kazakh soldiers led by General Panfilov who died on the outskirts of Moscow during World War II. Zenkov Cathedral stands in the middle of Panfilov Park. It is a wooden Orthodox church built at the turn of the century without the use of nails and is one of the few buildings in Almaty that came through the devastating 1911 earthquake. Also visit the delightful Museum of Musical Instruments, located in a 1907 Russian-style wooden building formerly called the House of Officers. Created in 1980, the museum exhibits a collection of traditional Kazakh instruments, including the dombra, a two-stringed lute-like stringed instrument ubiquitous to Central Asia. In the evening check in to hotel for a one-night stay. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Intercontinental or SATURDAY, JUNE 1 ALMATY DRIVE TO BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN Following breakfast, pay a visit to Almaty s Green Bazaar where locals shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, including the delicious apples that Almaty is famous for. Meat, eggs, flowers, plants, spices, dried fruit, delicacies, cheese, and mare s milk koumiss can all be purchased here, as well as jewelry, clothing, toys, hardware, and other household goods.

3 Later, observe traditional Kazakh falconry at a falcon farm outside of Almaty. Hunters on horseback wearing traditional costumes demonstrate how the beautiful birds are used for hunting in Kazakhstan. Enjoy lunch and a musical performance at a traditional Kazakh yurt restaurant in Small Almaty Gorge. The gorge snakes upward from Almaty to approximately 5,000 feet, where the Medeo Sports Complex is located. Its Olympic-size outdoor skating rink has seen 180 world records set. Then drive via the western road to Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. On arrival, check in to the hotel and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant with a Kyrgyz Manas folk performance. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hyatt Regency Bishkek or SUNDAY, JUNE 2 BISHKEK Become acquainted with Kyrgyz nomadic culture during the day trip to the countryside. Travel to the village of Tokmak where you will meet the villagers and witness demonstrations of traditional Kyrgyz arts of making felt and building yurts. Enjoy lunch at the private home with an opportunity to meet the host and hostess, discuss their daily lives, and sample traditional Kyrgyz dishes. Following lunch, attend a demonstration of Kyrgyz horse games, such as Ulak Tartysh, a sort of polo played with a goat carcass, and Kurosh, which is wrestling on horseback. Next visit the Burana Tower, one of the very few existing watchtowers on the Silk Road. Visit the small museum here and the collection of ancient bal-bals, carved stone figures used as monuments. Return to Bishkek for a free evening and dinner on your own. Meals: B, L / Overnight: Hyatt Regency Bishkek or MONDAY, JUNE 3 BISHKEK FLY TO TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN Bishkek was founded as the Russian garrison of Pishpek. The city is set before a backdrop of the northern edge of the Ala-Too mountain range, and was originally a heavily forested rest stop on the Silk Road. Appropriated by the Russians in 1877, the city was eventually renamed Bishkek when Kyrgyzstan achieved its independence at the break-up of the Soviet Union. During today s city tour, explore the State Historical Museum where you will learn about the history and culture of the nomadic people of the region and stop at the State Museum of Fine Arts, which has a collection of more than 15,000 paintings, sculptures and decorative pieces. Over lunch, meet with one or more of the political leaders within the current government of Kyrgyzstan, to discuss the current processes and future plans. Continue the city tour in the afternoon before transferring to the airport for an evening flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. On arrival in Tashkent, check in to hotel for dinner and overnight. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Tashkent Palace or TUESDAY, JUNE 4 TASHKENT Located at the foot of the Tien Shan Mountains, Tashkent dates back to the first century BC. Unfortunately, most of the city s architectural history was destroyed in a massive earthquake in Today, the city is an odd mix of wide tree-lined boulevards, oversized 20th-century Soviet buildings and reconstructed traces of the old city with mudwalled houses, narrow winding lanes, mosques and madrassahs. Following breakfast and a lecture, embark on the fullday city tour. View the Uthman Koran, considered by Sunni Muslims to be the oldest Koran in the world. Visit the Alisher Navoi Park and Monument, which offers a vantage point from which one can see the whole park: a 4,000-person concert hall; two lakes; an open-air venue where Tashkent citizens gather to celebrate Navruz, the favorite Uzbek holiday; a big Wedding Palace with banquet halls; and the former Abdul Kassim Madrassah, now the Artisan Center, are all within the area of the lovely green park. Over lunch, meet with representatives from the U.S. Embassy who will present an overview of Uzbekistan s political and economic situation. In the afternoon visit Kukeldash Madrassah. Located on a hill above Chorsu Plaza, the Kukeldash Madrassah is one of the largest 16th century madrassahs remaining in Central Asia. Then descend

4 into Tashkent s metro, the only subway in Central Asia. Enjoy free time in the evening for an independent dinner. Meals: B, L / Overnight: Hotel Tashkent Palace or In its reconstruction, the square maintains the majesty that it has radiated through the ages. Later, check in to your hotel for dinner and overnight. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Registan Plaza or WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 TASHKENT DRIVE TO KHUJAND, TAJIKISTAN Following an early breakfast, set off for Tajikistan and the city of Khujand. The drive and the border crossing will take the better part of the morning. On arrival, have lunch at a restaurant in the city before embarking on the afternoon city tour. Situated at the entrance to the Fergana Valley on the Syr Darya River, Khujand is the second largest city in Tajikistan. Its origins have been attributed to both Alexander the Great (in 329 BC) and Cyrus the Great of Persia (several centuries earlier); whichever is true, the city is an ancient one. A former religious center and an important Silk Road stop, Khujand is home to several medieval monuments. A city tour includes a visit to the Timurmalik Fortress, the Muslihidden Madrassah, the Sogdian Museum and the exciting Panshanbe Bazaar. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant followed by a discussion of ongoing humanitarian projects with representatives of a local Tajik NGO. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Khujand Grand Hotel or THURSDAY, JUNE 6 KHUJAND DRIVE TO SAMARKAND Today set off for UNESCO-listed Samarkand. Perhaps the most well-known of Silk Road towns, Samarkand, fabled oasis on the fringes of the Kyzyl Kum Desert, has been settled since the 6th century BC. Because of its location on the plains where the Zeravshan River spills out from the Pamir Mountains, Samarkand became a major Silk Road crossroads. It has been visited through time by many of the world s conquerors Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. FRIDAY, JUNE 7 SAMARKAND Today continue exploring glorious Samarkand. Visit the Bibi Khanum Mosque, built by Tamerlane to be the largest mosque in the Islamic world, and dedicated to the memory of his favorite wife. Architects from India and Persia were brought in to build the mosque, and it is said that 95 elephants were used to transport the marble and other building materials from India to Samarkand. Wander the row of tombs and mausoleums collectively called Shah-i-Zinde, or place of a living king, stretching between the present and the past. Behind the complex and set into the hill lies an active cemetery with gravesites dating back as far as the 9th century, and as recently as the present day. Pay a visit to Ulug Bek s Observatory. The astronomer-king was fascinated by the stars and the cosmos and built one of the most advanced observatories of the ancient world. The observations, which he undertook with the naked eye only, predated the telescope by over 150 years. By using careful methods, rigorous observation and meticulous recording, Ulug Bek calculated the length of the year to within a minute of the modern accepted value. He also created the most comprehensive (to that date) catalog of the heavens, earning his place in history. Other highlights include the colorful bazaar, as well as the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the final resting place of Tamerlane. This afternoon, participate in a specially arranged meeting with the Vice Rector and some of the students at the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. The evening entertainment features a dance performance by a young local troupe. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Registan Plaza or On arrival, begin the introduction to Samarkand at the Registan, considered to be Central Asia s noblest square. Three emblematic madrassahs frame the square, and loom over the empty space in the center.

5 SATURDAY, JUNE 8 SAMARKAND DRIVE TO BUKHARA Following breakfast, depart for Bukhara. Along the way, make a stop at Gijduvan, whose school of ceramics has long been known for its use of flower ornamentation combined with geometric shapes. After a tour of the workshops and lunch at the studio, continue to Bukhara arriving mid-afternoon. Check in to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening free at leisure to explore this Silk Road oasis city on your own. Dinner tonight is at the hotel s courtyard. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Sasha & Son or SUNDAY, JUNE 9 BUKHARA Spend the day exploring Central Asia s most ancient living city. An oasis in the desert, UNESCO-listed Bukhara offers cool shade and rest to the modern traveler as it did to the camel caravans that plied the Silk Road hundreds of years ago. Bukhara is as old as Samarkand, and has preserved its ancient architecture and design to an arguably larger extent than that city. The Old Town in Bukhara has a unified feel, drawn together by a central reflecting pool and plaza, by commonality in the structure of the domed bazaars and by the major monuments ringing the old town: the Kalon Assembly, the Zindan Prison, and the Ark Citadel. Sightseeing begins at Lyabi-Hauz Plaza, at the center of Bukhara s old town. The mulberry trees here are hundreds of years old and frame the 16th and 17th century madrassahs that make up three of the four edges of the ensemble. Stop at the nearby Kukeldash Madrassah, the largest Koranic school in Central Asia, built in Stroll through the cap maker and spice bazaars and past street-level mosques and madrassahs, before moving on to the Kalon Mosque and Minaret. The 12th century Kalon assembly, including the Kalon Mosque and Minaret and the Mir-i-Arab Madrassah, surrounds an open plaza teeming with merchants and local vendors. The minaret towers over the dusty square, looking down from a height of more than 150 feet, and casting its shadow between the mosque and the madrassah. Nearby is the Ark Citadel, the original fortress of Bukhara and likely dating back two thousand years or more. The current structure has been built and rebuilt on the same site throughout its history, and has preserved something of the form, purpose and function of the first Ark. Like the medieval castle complexes of Europe, the Bukhara Ark served the Emirs of Bukhara as a residence, audience hall, as protection from neighboring enemies and for more mundane purposes, such as a trade center and a police station. While at the Ark, attend an exclusive lecture by the Museum s Senior Advisor. Just behind the Ark Citadel is the infamous Zindan Prison and the even more infamous "bug pit" or "black hole," the cell where two of Britain's finest Great Game players, Colonel Charles Stoddart and Captain Arthur Conolly, were imprisoned before their execution. Also visit the lovely Ismael Samani Mausoleum, the 10th-century resting place of Ismael Samani, founder of the Persian Samanid Dynasty, with its sixteen different styles of brickwork. Finish the day with a walk through Bukhara s old Jewish Quarter, in the heart of the Old Town, where in the mid 19th century the Bukharan Jews developed their own dialect of the Tajik-Persian language that incorporates many Hebrew words, their own style of dress and their own unique form of Judaism. The only Bukharan synagogue allowed by the Soviets to remain is an unassuming place yet it is the center of life for Bukhara s greatly diminished Jewish community. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, more than 70,000 Jews have left Uzbekistan. This evening, visit a local madrassah to dine and enjoy a performance by local artists. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Sasha & Son or MONDAY, JUNE 10 BUKHARA DRIVE TO KHIVA Today make the drive to Khiva, the last great city on the Uzbekistan itinerary. The drive lies across long stretches of the Kyzyl Kum, or Red Sands, desert. This is the same route ridden by loaded Silk Road camel caravans and once plagued by brigands on hand to plunder their riches. The landscape is made up of dunes, saxaul bushes and the distant mountains. Stop en route to take a look at the Amu Darya River, which used to be called the Oxus, and loosely parallels the Uzbek-Turkmen border. Arrive in Khiva in time for dinner. Meals: B, L, D/ Overnight: Hotel Asia Khiva or

6 TUESDAY, JUNE 11 KHIVA Legend says that the ancient Silk Road oasis of Khiva was founded at the place where Shem, son of Noah, discovered water in the desert, and that the city got its name from Shem s joyful shout, Hey va! at the discovery. Today the living city is part museum town, part re-creation of life hundreds of years ago. Spend the day exploring Khiva on foot. Highlights include the Tash Hauli Palace, once the home of the khan and his four legal wives, and an open courtyard for enthroning the khans. Also see the 9th-century Dzhuma Mosque with an unusual wood ceiling and 115 carved wood columns, creating a forest-like effect. The khans had several residences, including the Tash Hauli Palace, but the Kunya Ark (Old Fortress) dates back to the 5th century as the original residence. The view from the watchtower of the Kunya Ark encompasses an ensemble of architectural masterpieces. During tonight s dinner, enjoy a colorful Khalfi performance of Khorezmian music and dance. Meals: B, L, D/ Overnight: Hotel Asia Khiva or WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 KHIVA DRIVE TO NUKUS Depart today for the small city of Nukus in western Uzbekistan. Nukus is the capital of the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, home to the Karakalpaks, a Turkic people more closely related to Kazakhs than to Uzbeks. A modern city, Nukus is at the center of an area crisscrossed by old caravan routes and dotted with ancient ruins. The surrounding cotton fields testify to the monoculture that stole the water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, the rivers that fed the Aral Sea. About 230 km north is the town of Muynak and the former seashore. Nukus was a closed city during the Soviet era, due to its proximity to the Aral Sea and Red Army chemical weapons research activities, which were conducted in the area. Today, it is home to a jewel in the desert -- the Savitsky collection at the State Art Museum of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. This remote desert museum houses the incredible life work of founder, Igor Savitisky, who was able to amass an extensive collection of thousands of banned avant-garde Russian art pieces without interference from Moscow and kept hidden from the watchful eyes of the KGB. The story of this collection has been told in the award-winning documentary, "Desert of Forbidden Art." Enjoy lunch at the home of a local Karakalpak family. The afternoon tour of Nukus includes a visit to the Karakalpak State Museum, offering insight into the natural history of the area, including an exhibit about the shrinking Aral Sea, and the culture of the Karakalpaks, expressed in clothing, jewelry and decorative arts. Check in to a local hotel for a one-night stay. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Rahnamo Hotel or THURSDAY, JUNE 13 NUKUS DRIVE TO TASHAUZ, TURKMENISTAN VIA KUNYA URGENCH FLY TO ASHKHABAD Drive from Nukus across the border into Turkmenistan. Make a stop in Kunya Urgench, the site of the ancient capital of Khorezm, which was razed by both Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. About half a mile south of the town lie the remains of the UNESCOlisted old city, including the 11th-century Kutlug-imur Minaret, ringed with 18 bands of decorative mud brick and blue majolica tiles. The minaret was for many years the tallest in Central Asia. Continue to the town of Tashauz for lunch. From here take an hour-long flight over the Kara Kum desert, to Ashkhabad. On arrival, transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Meals: B, L, D / Overnight: Hotel Sofitel Ashkhabad Oguzkent or FRIDAY, JUNE 14 ASHKHABAD Following breakfast, depart on a city tour of Ashkhabad. In spite of its location on a trade route, Ashkhabad never achieved the status and influence of other Silk Road cities like Khiva or Bukhara. Originally known as Konjikala, the city was destroyed by Mongols in the 13th century. In 1881 the Russians built a fortress on the site as a buffer against Englishdominated Persia, and by the early 20th century Ashkhabad was a prosperous and flourishing city. In 1948 a massive earthquake leveled the city, killing over two thirds of the population. Recently Ashkhabad has seen a boom in new construction, which has had a major impact on the look of the city.

7 See the Lenin Monument, one of the only to survive both the 1948 earthquake and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the New Mosque and Turkmen-Turkish Cultural Center, and enjoy the view of magnificent President Palace Square, flanked by the domed palace and the Parliament building. Visit the National Museum of History and Ethnography, which with its grand approach and panoramic views introduces both modern and ancient Turkmenistan. In the afternoon, venture outside the city to visit a horse-breeding farm devoted to the renowned Akhal- Tekke horse, arguably the oldest cultured breed of horse in the world and said to have lent their genes to both the Arabian horse and the American Quarter Horse. Return to your hotel for a free evening and independent dinner. Meals: B, L / Overnight: Hotel Sofitel Ashkhabad Oguzkent or SATURDAY, JUNE 15 ASHKHABAD Spend the morning at the Altyn Asyr Oriental Market located about an hour s drive from the city center. The Altyn Asyr is one of the largest bazaars in Central Asia. The huge market is brimming with all types of goods for sale, from household items to traditionally patterned carpets and from electrical appliances to animals. Enjoy a farewell lunch at a local restaurant featuring musical. In the afternoon, accompanied by a professional local archaeologist, visit Nisa, a site 15 miles outside of Ashkhabad, surrounded by the beautiful Kopet-Dag Mountains, that was once a major center of the ancient Parthian Kingdom. More than two thousand years ago the Parthian Empire spread out from Nisa and took its place among such kingdoms as the Achaemenid under Cyrus the Great and the Macedonian under Alexander the Great. Though Nisa was ruled by a succession of dynasties, it remained an important center in the ancient world until the 13th century, when the Mongols sacked it. Today archaeological work continues at Nisa, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in SUNDAY, JUNE 16 DEPART ASHKHABAD The tour concludes with an early morning transfer to the airport for departures to the US. Meals: In flight PRICING: $9,995 / $11,990 SINGLE PROGRAM COST INCLUSIONS: Accommodation in five-star and best available hotels based on double occupancy per itinerary with breakfast daily, local service charge and tax (standard hotel check-in/out times apply unless otherwise noted); Arrival and departure airport transfers for those arriving on the land tour start date and departing on the land tour end date; Private coach for all tours and transfers between cities; Internal airfare Astana-Almaty, Bishkek-Tashkent and Tashauz-Ashkhabad one way in economy class; All sightseeing and excursions including entrance fees per itinerary; Local English speaking guides throughout itinerary; Special cultural features as stated in itinerary; Services of an experienced professional tour manager throughout the land program; Meals as listed in itinerary, including special welcome and farewell dinners; Beverages with lunches/dinners: bottled water, choice of non-alcoholic drink, tea, coffee; Local beer and wine with all included meals; Bottled water on buses during tour days; Gratuities to local guides, drivers, and tour manager; Baggage handling at hotels and airports where available; Destination preparation information packet; $50,000 emergency medical evacuation insurance. PROGRAM COST EXCLUSIONS: International airfare between the U.S. and the start and ending cities; air taxes or fuel surcharges; pre- or post-tour services; visa or passport fees; medical and trip interruption insurance; evacuation costs; food or beverages not included in group meals; items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcohol, telephone expense, excess baggage fees, photo/video expenses inside museums (where allowed); other items not expressly listed as included. Enjoy dinner at a restaurant in the city before returning to hotel. Meals: B, L, D