Retracing the Silk Road in Uzbekistan

The

caretaker at Tamerlane's tomb draws his finger across his throat and jabs his chest. In my eagerness to photograph the crypt it seems I have damned us all, unleashing the warrior King's curse. It wouldn't be the first time Tamerlane has struck from his grave. On June 22, 1941, Soviet archaeologists working in the Samarkand crypt opened the sarcophagus to study the body and found the inscription: "Whoever opens this will be defeated by an enemy more fearsome than I." Hours later, Hitler invaded Russia. Five weeks after the great Emir was reinterred in 1942, the Germans surrendered at Stalingrad.

Samarkand has long been a place of legends. Flattened by Genghis Khan in 1220 and resurrected as Tamerlane's capital and the jewel of the Silk Road, its turquoise tile domes and minarets possess a mythical status sur-passed only perhaps by Shangri-la. Together with its Uzbek sister Bukhara, it was a key stop for the caravans that plied the network of routes stretching from the markets of Istanbul to the silk weavers of China. Traders, diplomats, pilgrims and missionaries thronged the cities' bazaars as East met West in a blossoming of commerce and learning. But with the discovery of sea routes to Asia, the long-distance caravan died off and Central Asia became an isolated backwater.

Today a few monuments still loom over Samarkand, overshadowing modern Soviet interlopers. From the immense ruin of Bibi-Khanym Mosque to Shah-I-Zinda's intimate alley of tombs and Tamerlane's resting place at Guri Amir Mausoleum, the city offers an imposing collection of intricately patterned towers, precise arches and azure domes. The Registan—a three-sided plaza of colossal mosaic portals, minarets and medressas (Islamic schools)—was the center of medieval Samarkand and remains the most impressive site (entry $1). In the market near Bibi-Khanym, something of the Silk Road survives as women hawk bread as big as dinner plates, children push barrows of melons and men slice sides of mutton for the kebab stands around town. Most hotels are concrete, Soviet-style affairs. The Furkat bed-and-breakfast offers doubles at $50; call (998-662) 353-261. Or try the Hotel Afrosiab, where doubles go for $90-$110; call (998-662) 311-341. For good Uzbek food (kebabs, mutton soup and noodles), head for Sharq, opposite the bazaar ($1.50 for a meal).

Six days away by camel, or six hours by bus, is Bukhara, a more relaxed and intimate experience. Aged, bearded men sit around low tables next to outdoor stone pools, playing chess and dominoes while drinking tea under the mulberry trees. A highlight of any visit is getting lost in the maze of caravansaries, alleys and domed markets in the old city. Be prepared for spontaneous invitations to a wedding or to share a cup of tea. The city's architectural wonders include the giant ramparts of the fortress known as the Ark, the banded patterns of the dizzying 47-m high Kalan minaret and the delicate brickwork of the Ismail Samani Mausoleum. They were among the few structures to survive Genghis Khan's passing. From the minaret, the Mongol chieftain ordered the destruction of everything around him, declaring: "I am God's punishment for your sins." The crumbling Ark (entry 60) has an equally dark history. From the square in front, 19th century ruler Nasrullah Khan oversaw the executions of thousands. Behind is the Zindon jail, where prisoners were kept in insect-infested "bug pits." For a more hospitable stay, try Shash & Lena's, which has doubles for $40; call (998-652) 233-890. Or try the New Bukhoro, with doubles for around $100, at (998-652) 230-024.

To the far west of Uzbekistan, on the Turkmenistan border, is Khiva. Although not a Silk Road city, from the 16th to 18th centuries it prospered from trade with Russia and as a slave market. Today the infamous oasis is preserved almost as a ghost town within the confines of its walls. Turquoise tiles dazzle from the incomplete Kalta Minor minaret. The twin turrets of the West Gate are breathtaking, as is the all-encompassing view from the Khan's Kunya Ark. Tour the bazaar outside the eastern wall: until 1873 thousands of slaves—Russians, Kurds and Persians—were sold at the pens by the Eastern Gate. Stay at the Hotel Khiva, a converted medressa, costing about $30 per person; call (998-623) 754-945.

Reach all three cities by road or fly from the capital Tashkent. (For Khiva, travel first to nearby Urgench). All tourists need a visa, which (except for Americans) requires a letter of invitation from an Uzbek travel agency. Try to avoid the blistering summers and piercing winters. But whatever the season, the spirits of the Silk Road will await.