Mosaic Class in Samarkand: Learn & Craft Uzbek Tiles

Mosaic Class in Samarkand: Learn & Craft Uzbek Tiles

One of the main draws to Uzbekistan for many aesthetically inclined travelers — myself included — is its intricate tilework and mosaics in a monochrome rainbow of blues, ranging from pale turquoise to inky cobalt. All over the country, mosaics and tilework are an important point of national pride and identity. And perhaps nowhere is…

Seven Lakes, Tajikistan: Is It Worth a Day Trip from Samarkand?

Seven Lakes, Tajikistan: Is It Worth a Day Trip from Samarkand?

Normally, I like to see a country as in-depth as my time allows; I don’t visit countries just to say that I’ve “been there, done that.” However, my Central Asia trip was already quite long by my standards, which unfortunately meant that Tajikistan was going to be out of the cards… until I realized there…