00:00I'm Lily Douse and this is Grand Voyager.
00:04In this series, I travel the world to discover incredible places filled with culture, luxury and adventure.
00:13Along the way, I meet the people, taste the flavors and experience the moments that make each destination unforgettable.
00:26Today, I'm traveling to Uzbekistan, in the heart of Central Asia.
00:31Its cities were once important stops along the Silk Road, where different cultures came together.
00:38My first stop is the Islamic Civilization Center in Tashkent.
00:43It took almost nine years to build, and its grand design and enormous dome are inspired by Uzbekistan's historic architecture.
00:53Inside, the museum explores centuries of history, culture and scientific discoveries.
01:00Right now, we are sitting in the main hall of our center, a hall of gallery.
01:05In this hall, you can see 14 semi-all friends around us, representing our scholars.
01:10Everything comes together. It is absolutely breathtaking inside it.
01:16The mosaic designs celebrate renowned Islamic scholars, bringing their stories to life through interactive displays presented in a range of
01:26languages.
01:28If you were talking about, let's look back.
01:30He was a great scholar of astronomy, and he was a great ruler.
01:35And he counted 1,018 stars inside his observatory, called the Lookback Observatory.
01:43The center's collection includes historical objects, maps and scale models.
01:49Among them is a display about the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
01:55In front of us, you can see the fragment of Kaaba Kaaba that was used in 1988 to cover holy
02:03Kaaba.
02:04The verse from Quran and decorations were made of silver and gold streams.
02:09Earlier Kaaba coverings were much more colorful than those used today.
02:14Another important artifact is a fragment of one of the largest handwritten Korans ever made.
02:23Omar Akhtar was a calligrapher, and he copied this large holy Quran book in 14th century, and sent Amir Tamur
02:30as a gift to impress him.
02:33The final room houses a Koran manuscript, thought to be one of the oldest in the world.
02:41This hall is located in the middle of our center, under the dome.
02:46Over one million Swarovski stones were laid by a hand.
02:50It's a spectacular room.
02:52The stars, the ceiling, having the ancient holy Quran, it's spectacular.
03:03Uzbekistan has so many ways to immerse yourself in the culture and the history.
03:09And this definitely has been fascinating.
03:14Tashkent is full of beautiful architecture, but some of the most impressive sights can be found underground.
03:22At Cosmonatla Metro Station, the walls are decorated with artworks celebrating the history of space travel.
03:30Tashkent Metro is open in 1977.
03:34The length of Tashkent Metro is 71 kilometers, which has included 50 stations.
03:40Almost 50% of the Tashkent population use this transport.
03:45Many of the stations celebrate Uzbekistan's heritage and culture.
03:49One such station incorporates architecture inspired by the poet Alisha Nevoi.
03:57This is one of the top metro stations I've been to.
04:00I've never seen so many domes.
04:03Tashkent was the first city in Central Asia to have a metro.
04:07It started with just nine stations on a single line.
04:12This is the Pafloko station.
04:14All the architecture is handmade.
04:17Much of the metro dates back to when Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union.
04:23Many of the original stations keep their same grand designs.
04:27I love the mosaics on the walls.
04:30It's very impressive.
04:32And also so clean.
04:34Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991.
04:37And some of its names have changed over time.
04:41This is Independence Avenue Station.
04:44Before it was named Lenin Square.
04:46After reaching Independence Day, it changed the name to Independence Square.
04:52With chandeliers, mosaics and marble walls,
04:56these really are unique metro stations.
05:01Food is a big part of Uzbek culture.
05:05Here in Tashkent, the Museum of Polov celebrates the country's famous rice dish
05:10made with meat and vegetables.
05:12This is a typical Uzbek palace with a famous bread.
05:19This is the smell of Central Asia.
05:21It smells divine.
05:23I'm so ready to eat, so let's get cracking.
05:26Let's go.
05:28Chefs come from across Uzbekistan and prepare their own versions of Polov.
05:33These are all the different ones on one way.
05:36All different Polov.
05:37It's a dish that brings people together.
05:39But there's also some friendly rivalry.
05:43Each region is proud of this Polov.
05:46That is why if you're asking Tashkent people what kind of the best Polov,
05:49you say Tashkent was.
05:50If you're asking from Bukhara, you say Bukhara.
05:52Samarkand, Samarkand.
05:53For me Tashkent.
05:54I think the Tashkent one might be my favorite.
05:57I think this one.
05:59The kitchen also prepares traditional Uzbek pastries filled with meat and vegetables and baked in large clay ovens.
06:07It really is a palace dedicated to Uzbek cuisine.
06:14Uzbekistan is full of historic cities and Samarkand is one of the most famous.
06:20Known for its incredible architecture, its historic center was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
06:30Uzbekistan.
06:31Once upon a time, a thousand years ago, here were lots of caravans.
06:35And they used to bring goods from every part of this wonderful world, meeting each other here.
06:42But then the big space for caravans had been transformed into this wonderful ensemble with the three majestic madrasas.
06:51The Ulag Beg Madrasa dates back to the 15th century.
06:55It was an Islamic school where students lived and learned.
06:59In this madrasa, they would study astronomy, philosophy, Arabic poets and Persian poets.
07:06And these universities, they were fountains of development of science.
07:10Science which is recognized as a contribution to the world culture today.
07:16It feels very calming and relaxing in here.
07:19The big open space out there and then you come in.
07:22And I can imagine studying here.
07:24Nearby is Shazinde, a collection of mausoleums dating back centuries.
07:31The mausoleums dedicated for the royal family, mostly they were built in the 14th century.
07:37But they were built next to the place which is famous from the 8th century.
07:43The tomb of Qasim ibn Abbas, the cousin of Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah.
07:48The site remains an important place of pilgrimage today, attracting visitors from all over the world.
07:55All these glazed bricks, you see, they are actually calligraphy in Arabic, in foofy style.
08:02Much of the historic site was destroyed in the 13th century.
08:06But new mausoleums were built in the years that followed.
08:12Samarkand was also a major center for paper making.
08:16And we've come to a traditional mill to find out more.
08:20We call it silk paper.
08:21Left paper which is produced here, handmade.
08:25And as a raw material, we use the bark of a mulberry tree.
08:29The outer bark is peeled away.
08:31And then the inner fibers are broiled.
08:34Once softened, they're beaten into a pulp, using a water wheel for power.
08:40This part we use for silk paper production.
08:42With no glue, with no any chemicals, with no any chemical colors or whatever.
08:47All natural made.
08:48Yes, all natural made.
08:49The pulp is then spread onto a screen to form thin sheets of paper that are pressed and dried.
08:56Once ready, we polish the paper, rubbing the surface to make it smooth and shiny.
09:02It's this silky finish that gave the paper its name.
09:08One of the busiest places in Samarkand is Sayab Bazaar.
09:13The stores are packed with dried fruits and nuts, as well as sweets and honey.
09:18But there's a little trick to finding the best quality.
09:21You ask him, please give me raisins, or please give me almonds or pistachio.
09:28But give me something which you have behind.
09:31Oh.
09:32Because in the Oriental Bazaar, what is already shown is very delicious.
09:37But which is behind hidden, this is for superb tastes.
09:41The city is famous for its raisins, and I'm keen to try them for myself.
09:49I've never tasted a raisin like that.
09:51It's really meaty.
09:52Happy first time.
09:53They're delicious.
09:54Everything is amazing.
09:56The nuts here, the dried fruits, because it's good quality.
10:00Another of the city's famous food traditions is this distinctive round bread.
10:06At this family bakery, I'm learning how it's made.
10:10In the days of Silk Road, traders would carry Samarkand bread on their long journeys.
10:16Tandir is a big oven for baking bread.
10:21And this size of Tandir fits about 40-45 pieces of Samarkand bread.
10:28Each bread is one kilo and a half.
10:31Each loaf is carefully shaped by hand, before being placed against the hot walls of the oven.
10:41The heat from the oven is intense, and these loaves take around half an hour to bake.
10:48Ah, that smells amazing.
10:51Once the bread is ready, it's time to see how everything turned out.
10:55That is the most perfect bread I have ever seen.
10:59And they come up pretty easy.
11:02He's done them to perfection.
11:05Here, bread is traditionally shared between friends and family.
11:09And with loaves this size, there is plenty to go around.
11:15This is so heavy.
11:17One kilo of bread.
11:19And it smells divine.
11:22As my time in Samarkand comes to an end, I look back on my journey through this beautiful country.
11:30It's the experiences I've had along the way that make this trip extra special.
11:38Uzbekistan has been a tale of two cities.
11:41One with historic culture, and the other with much more modern style.
11:46There's so much to explore.
11:49But now, time for my next adventure.
11:52We'll see you next time.
11:54We'll see you next time.
11:54Bye.
11:59Bye.
