13 March.- Tashkent – Flight to Urgench- Khiva
Our representative will be meeting you on arrival. Transfer to hotel.
In the afternoon we will be Flying for Khiva, next to the Urgench airport. If time allows we will start visiting the city before dinner and later go for a sunset.
14 March.- Khiva
Early sunrise session.
Khiva is settled in the middle of the Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts, and was founded in the 5th or 6th centuries. The place became recognized as a modest trading stop on the Silk Road. Not until the 16th century did the majority of Khiva's enormous architectural projects begin, and the town defined itself as a regional center of power.
Photographic opportunities unfold before our eyes with local visitors wandering around the city as well as pilgrims. We will photograph domestic tourists coming from remote regions, often in attire that is still only seen in villages. Long tunics consisting of a loose cotton coat, called chapan. The chapan is long-sleeved, knee-length or longer, and is made of cloth with a variety of colored stripes.
Our accommodation is strategically located within the Ichan-Kala fortress, which was the first site in Uzbekistan and Central Asia to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a photo tour to Uzbekistan where the opportunities are appearing opening the door of our hotel. As we walk through the narrow labyrinthine streets, we will get a sense of how crowded and bustling this town must have been in the past.
15 March. - Khiva
We'll be out early in the morning strolling and photographing the historic city with its tiny alleyways, mosques, minarets, and an old graveyard set against the city walls.
We have many chances to witness a typical wedding ceremony. Khiva is a favorite destination for weddings and it is not uncommon to see parades in the street and the occasional visit to the mosque by the bride and groom-to-be. In addition to the extraordinary architectural and cultural beauty, daily life offers photographic opportunities: from a street celebration to a communal meal.
The city is home to 54 massive historical structures and 250 historic residences. It is going to be an unforgettable experience. With 94 mosques and 63 mosques, Khiva is regarded as an important Islamic center.
The day in Khiva concludes with a folk show and dinner at Khiva Khan Toza Bog's summer home.
16 March .- Khiva - Bukhara.
Morning Filght to Bukhara. Arrival and Check-in.
Bukhara has a number of well-preserved walls and gates, and you may see these ancient landmarks during our photo tour experience.
Again, around the extraordinary buildings and streets of this landmark on the Silk Road, we will seek to meet the pilgrims visiting the mausoleums, mosques and necropolises. It is tradition for devout Muslims to pray at the tombs of the great guides of Islam. We will also provoke occasions to witness, as much as possible, the local life and immortalize the events with our cameras.
We'll also go to the Kosh Madrasah, which consists of two Abdullah Khan and Modar-i-Khan madrasahs, the Poi-Kalon ensemble, and a visit to one of the working madrasahs, one of the most prominent Islamic educational institutions in the post-Soviet environment. We will visit as well the Chor Bakr necropolis, one of Uzbekistan's biggest architectural groupings.
17 & 18 March - Bukhara
After breakfast, we'll continue our fascinating photographic discovery of Bukhara's sites. Spectacular ancient mosques, mausoleums, and synagogues, a historic necropolis, dusty backstreets, dilapidated buildings, and a magnificent early Soviet wrought-iron water tower are among the treasures.
We'll stop by a teahouse for a cup of green tea and to take in the atmosphere.
The photo tour in Bukhara will conclude with a visit to the old synagogue and the Jewish quarter.
March 19th. Bukhara - Samarkand
Drive to Samarkand .
We have organized the trip to coincide with the celebration of Navruz. The atmosphere at this time is special. After lunch we will start discovering Samarkand.
Samarkand is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, approximately 2,750 years old.
Alexander the Great came there in 330 B.C., as part of his campaign to seize the possessions of Darius III. In 1220, Genghis Khan invaded, devastated, and destroyed the city.
When the Uzbeks conquered Samarkand in the 16th century, the capital was relocated to Bukhara. The Persian, Turkish, and Chinese emperors that succeeded them were unable to reverse the city's collapse, which was virtually abandoned two centuries later due to a series of earthquakes.
It was resurrected by the Russians following their annexation of it in 1868 and later Sovietized culturally and scenically.
It would re-enter the world upon Uzbekistan's independence in 1991.
We will have a photo session on our visit to the neighboring Rukhabad and Aksaray mausoleums as well as the Gur-Emir mausoleum. Today's dinner at the Novy Arbat restaurant in Samarkand will feature oven-cooked mutton.
With gorgeous blue tiled walls as a backdrop, photographing the pilgrims is a dream come true. We'll then proceed to Registan Square, which is a genuine gem in the heart of the old city. An incredible architectural photography milestone.
March 20th .- Samarkand.
We will visit a village, document and enjoy the experience of a lunch with a family at their home. In Uzbekistan people in the villages generally live in large families consisting of several generations, so preference is given to large houses built on the land.
The traditional hospitality of the Uzbek people is legendary and the national dish, Plov (made with rice, chunks of meat, grated carrots and onions), is shared at all family events.
The tea ceremony occupies an important place in life as an element of hospitality. And preparing tea and sharing it with guests is the exclusive prerogative of the host. Invitations for lunch and dinner are always accepted and you are expected to arrive on time.
We will later drive to the Khujum silk factory and Konigil village for a tour to a paper mill and dinner with the craftsmen after a brief break.
March 21st.- Samarkand – (Possibly) Kupkari Games
When it comes to public holidays, Navruz is a big one. Public events are held on March 21, however celebrations can stretch for up to two days.
Folk festivals flow over into the streets of villages. Traditional sports tournaments in rural areas draw enthusiastic crowds. Horseback wrestling, equestrian contests, and the national game of kupkari, in which two teams on horseback fight over a goat carcass, are among the most popular.
But it is impossible months in advance to be certain of the times and locations at which a particular activity will take place. The local culture and organization is such that, most of the time, an event like Kupkari is decided a couple of days in advance. We will be vigilant to the possible celebration of the activities and we will adapt our program to the reality on the ground.
We have planned a depart for Urgut, where Kupkari and other celebrations in honor of Navruz could take place.
Following our participation in Kupkari, we will return to Samarkand to wander through the venues for concerts, fairs, and sporting activities.
Our next destination will be a little town with a workshop that makes traditional silk paper from mulberry tree bark. It's a beautiful location where we can capture people engaged in the papermaking process. We will visit and photograph the Gur Amir Mausoleum in the late afternoon.
22 March .- Samarkand – Tashkent.
Early speed train to Tashkent.-
We will go to the subway for a photo session in the Soviet-style stations. The day will be followed by a visit to the huge market, Chorsu Bazaar, where we will enjoy street photography with the local shoppers and the local visitors where they gather outdoors for lunch.
If time permits, we will go to some strategic points of the city to see the daily life and, especially, Plov central restaurant - the famous Uzbek food - where we will document photographically the activity in the kitchens and with the consumers.
Finally, we will have a farewell dinner in a grandiose
Uzbek-Soviet style restaurant, ending our cultural and photographic immersion in Uzbekistan.
Tashkent, 23 March
Transfer to the airport for our return trip home after breakfast.
