The Moghul Empire in North India and modern Indian Muslims both trace their beliefs and for some their family lines directly to this region. The Aryan tribes came from here and it is believed that Gypsies also started their wanderings in this region.

THE JOURNEY

The journey will start at the ancient oasis town of Khiva, in the middle of the Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts of Northern Uzbekistan and will continue to Ashkhabad the capital of Turkmenistan.

Then, following the Silk Road through the fabled towns of Merv, Samarkhand and Bukhara, it will end in the Ferghana valley, in the Pamir mountains. Merv, Samarkhand and Bukhara were major staging posts on the Silk Road which connected Peking to Europe long before our modern times. As such they became centres for the travellers and traders who passed from East to West. These travellers enriched the cities through which they travelled both with their cultures and wares. The monumental architecture of these cities are renowned for their striking designs and grace, but they are also a living testament to the antiquity of this region.
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