Silk Road Cities
July 2026
Mosques, Medressas and Minarets
For family reasons over the next couple of years I’m expecting to make several trips out to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in Central Asia providing me with a fantastic opportunity to explore the region.
Uzbekistan is in the centre of Central Asia surrounded by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan is home to the medieval power houses of Khiva, Kokand, Bukhara and Samarkand that sit along the Silk Road all boasting amazing history and architecture.
In this first trip I spent a week visiting 2 of these cities Bukhara and Khiva both now conveniently connected to Tashkent by a new express train service. Although this was undertaken in the hottest month of the year, July with temperatures hitting 40C, it meant it was low season for tourism and it was easier and cheaper to get around.
To make the most of the light (and the cooler air) all of these images were taken before 8am or after 7pm.
Take a look at Bukhara - Central Asia’s holiest city
The Water Tower
Now a tourist attraction with views over the medieval fort
Char Minor
Meaning 4 minarets it was a gatehouse to a long gone Medressa built in 1807
Kalon Minaret
47m high and over 9 centuries old with the Mir-i Arab Medressa behind
The Mir-i Arab Medressa
With a locally dressed woman taken during the blue hour and lit up with floodlights and with a locally dressed woman
The Ismail Samani Mausoleum
Completed in 905, the oldest Islamic monument in the City
Kalon Mosque
Main entrance floodlit during the blue hour
Bolo-Hauz Mosque
Wooden painted and carved pillars
After 3 days in Bukhara we travelled further west on to the desert citadel of Khiva:
Khiva in the blue hour
Well, the World Cup was in full swing, although Uzbekistan had already been sent home
Khiva City Walls
The low sun in the sky really helps to bring out the relief in the walls
Three images of the fat turquoise tiled minaret of the Kalta Minor
According to legend the minaret was begun in 1851 by Mohammed Amin Khan who wanted to build a minaret so high he could see Bukhara from it, but unfortunately he dropped dead in 1855 leaving the stump unfinished.
Khiva City Walls
Taken from the Khuna Ark looking south over the West Gate
The Khuna Ark
Taken from the top floor of the Terasse Cafe
Three days seemed just about the right time to spend in each place although it would be easy to spend more time wandering around the back streets of Bukhara.
The biggest challenge from a photography point of view was the short amount of time each day when the light was good - being further south meant golden and blue hours were quite short, but it was very good during that short time!
To reduce weight in my camera bag, I left my long lens at home thinking that wide-angle works best for architecture, but maybe I missed out on one or two shots where I could have compressed the composition or just selected a smaller piece of the subject simplifying the image.
Well, just booked up flights for a trip late October when the climate will be less extreme - maybe take a look around Tashkent itself, maybe to the east and the mountains, maybe Samarkand. Hopefully some night photography!