Traveling around Uzbekistan

I used to think almond wood was just firewood. Turns out, in the valleys around Samarkand and Bukhara, Uzbek artisans have been carving almond wood into

I used to think the Silk Road was just one road. Turns out, it wasn’t even really about silk half the time—though yeah, Chinese silk was definitely

I used to think clay toys were just cheap souvenirs until I watched an Uzbek master potter’s hands move. The thing about traditional Uzbek clay toy

Karshi sits in the Qashqadaryo Region, about 520 kilometers south of Tashkent, and honestly, most people haven’t heard of it. I used to think Central

The Timurid Dynasty—honestly, I used to think it was just another empire that came and went. But here’s the thing: when you actually dig into what

I used to think pilgrimage sites were all about quiet contemplation and hushed reverence. Then I visited Shakhimardan Valley in the Fergana Valley region

I’ve driven past Sangardak three times before I actually stopped. The waterfall sits roughly 80 kilometers northeast of Tashkent, tucked into the

I used to think parks were just green spaces where people jogged. Then I spent an afternoon in Bukhara’s Central Park—officially called the Recreation

The dutar sits in his hands like a living thing. I first heard Uzbek instrumental music in a cramped café in Tashkent, where an older musician played what

I’ve been lugging camera gear through Silk Road cities for the better part of a decade, and Samarkand still manages to make me fumble with my light