Uzbekistan Samarkand

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. It was conquered by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamberlane/Timur when it became the city which was capital of the Mongol empire. He is estimated to have wiped about 5% of the world’s population at the time but when he found great public works in the cities he conquered, he sought out their creators and offered them death or a role in beautifying Samarkand. The city became especially prosperous as a stopping point on the Silk Route from China to Europe. If you like Islamic architecture and ornamental art, this place is for you. Digital cameras will probably fare better in the heat than my film camera did during the Gorbachev era.

Its dusty so be careful where you change lenses, and take cleaning kit with you.

Fly, the distances are just too vast for anything else.