Uzbekistan by High-Speed Rail

After a late lunch at a traditional Uzbek restaurant, enjoy a gentle afternoon’s tour, beginning at the Hast Imam complex in old Tashkent, whose handsome 14th-century mosques, tomb and madrasa today house workshops for traditional crafts, as well as one of the world’s oldest Qurans. From there, head across town to the centrepiece of the modern city, Amir Timur Square, home to a huge equestrian statue of Uzbekistan’s eponymous national hero, Amir Timur, better known in the West as ‘Tamerlane’.

Most of Bukhara’s standout buildings were erected by the Timurid Dynasty and the Shaybanids in the 16th century, after the city had been destroyed by Genghis Khan. One of the only structures spared by the Mongol warlord was the Minara-i Kalan, a magnificent brick minaret whose striking form dominates the Poi-i-Kalan complex. Below it, facing each other from opposite sides of a large piazza, are the mosaic-tiled facades and turquoise domes of the Kalan Mosque and Mir-i Arab Madrasa – two of the great architectural masterpieces of the old Silk Road.

The Ark citadel is a more implacable and functional edifice than the nearby Poi-i-Kalan, its sloping walls enclosing the labyrinthine palace where the British emissaries, Stoddart and Conolly, met with untimely deaths in 1842 at the hands of the redoubtable Khan of Bukhara. Most of what stands today is a modern reconstruction. The last ruler, Alim Khan, ordered the building be blown up rather than allow it to fall into the hands of the Bolsheviks in 1920.

On the eastern outskirts of the city, the four-towered, delightfully quirky Chor Minar is on an altogether smaller scale. Modelled on the famous ‘Char Minar’ of Hyderabad in India, the building dates from the 19th century, when it was prized by Sufi mystics and musicians for its wonderful acoustics.

Amir Timur’s magnificent Registan complex is made up of three separate madrasas, or theological colleges, lining three sides of a huge plaza. Behind the richly decorated facades are hidden cloistered courtyards where the former priests’ and students cells today hold small crafts and souvenir shops. At one, you can listen to traditional Uzbek instruments being played. In another, majolica tiles are made in time-honoured fashion.

After the Registan, you could cross town to see the giant Bibi Khanum mosque, once the largest and most impressive on the Silk Road, before a wander around nearby Siab market – a great place for picking up local dried fruit, nuts and textiles.

Spend the afternoon relaxing ahead of a return visit to the Registan at sunset time.

The ruins of Afrosiab sprawl over an expanse of sun-baked wasteland on the northeast side of the city. The site was founded by the Sogdian Dynasty in the 7th century BC and rose to become one of the great trading centres of the Silk Road before its destruction by Genghis Khan in 1220 AD. Although little remains of the city itself, the adjacent museum warrants a visit to see the fabulous 'Ambassador's Painting', a rare survivor from of the Sogdian period painted over two-and-a-half-thousand years ago, yet still vibrant. After lunch, visit Ulugbeg’s extraordinary observatory complex, considered by astronomers as one of the finest of its kind in the Islamic world.

The Shah-i Zinda group of tombs occupies the southern edge of the plateau on which ancient Samarkand was built. Its sumptuously decorated mausoleum were built for the Timurid queens, consorts and concubines, and are a popular destination for Uzbek women. The combination of their traditional clothes and wonderful tilework offer some great photos, and opportunities to interact with local people. For many, this site ranks among the highlights of the trip.

The 15^th-century Gur-i-Amir is a richly decorated tomb enshrining the remains of Amir Timur and his family. The beautiful jade graves take pride of place in a building whose exquisite proportions and fine majolica tilework greatly influenced the architects of the Mughal emperors, creating a blueprint that saw its culmination in the Taj Mahal in Agra.

After a relaxing afternoon, you’ll be transferred to the station for the two-hour journey back to Samarkand by high-speed train.

Among the many items on display at the National Museum are some of the Asia’s most sumptuous antique carpets, a collection of ancient suzani embroidered silk wall hangings and Buddhist figurines from the pre-Islamic Silk Road era. Lunch today could be at the famous National Plov Centre, high altar of the national dish of Uzbekistan – a regional take on pulao made with sizzling lamb, rice, vegetables and apricots. Afterwards, time permitting, consider a visit to Tashkent’s bustling market – Chorsu Bazaar – where everything from embroidered Uzbek hats to wedding gowns and bowls of juicy mulberries are on sale. Photographers will be in their element.