Contemplate the architectural wonders of Islamic art, with its sumptuous buildings with mosaic decorations
On the mythical Silk Road, several cities are real open-air museums and are full of architectural jewels, offering an admirable view. Samarkand, the glittering capital of the Silk Road, has many masterpieces of Central Asian architecture, including the dazzling blue domes of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the splendid Registan Square, and the mosaic-covered facades of the Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, which earned it a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2021. An essential stopover on the Silk Road and rich in 2,500 years of history, Bukhara is one of the oldest cities in the world that is still inhabited. A cultural, intellectual, and spiritual center that attracted princes and poets in medieval times, its aura remains ever-present. Its center is home to more than 140 medieval architectural monuments, including magnificent madrasas and minarets, as well as modest, flat-roofed houses built of traditional sunbaked bricks. 500 km away, in the northwest of the country, the city of Khiva flourishes in an oasis. Surrounded by ramparts, this marvelous open-air museum dazzles with its magnificence, especially when, at sunset, its buildings are adorned with an amber color and draw a panorama worthy of One Thousand and One Nights.
Brighten up your winter evenings by dressing in a sumptuous muniskat with ikat patterns
Renowned for its textiles and weavings, Uzbekistan is a country rich in traditional clothing, such as clothes with ikats. The patterns of these fabrics are obtained by juxtaposing yarns that are dyed before weaving, making fabulous overlapping colors. Legend has it that the superimposition of colors and patterns of the ikats was inspired by a divine rainbow reflected in the water of a pond. Struck by this wonderful vision, a weaver would have transposed this image on his silks in his workshop. Many prestigious fashion houses in Uzbekistan source ikat fabrics for their collections. The muniskat is a kind of dress folded under the sleeves, adorned with beautiful embroideries, whose patterns and colors differ according to the region. Nothing more fitting than this long indoor garment to sublimate the long winter evenings at home! To perfect your outfit, you can accessorize it with Ichigi: mules with soft soles decorated with delicate embroideries.