Uzbekistan- stories to whet your appetite
NOTE I am sure there are a lot of other books that should be on this list….this is what I can think of at the moment. I still have boxes of books to unpack 😊
The Silk Road was a pathway of trade goods and information and education that stretched all the way from Europe to China. The biggest, most active part of this Road was Central Asia and the Medieval Islamic World. The establishment of The House of Wisdom in Bagdad in late 8th Century established traditions of scholarship and information sharing that saw the collection and protection of ancient works from Greece and the known world. Whist Europe was in the Dark Ages the light shone in the Medieval Islamic World.
Places of learning like the House of Wisdom prospered for 800 years until the expulsion of the moors by the Catholic Kings in Granada in the 15th century. During this period scientific development, art, architecture, and much more grew and prospered.
Over the years many writers have fed my fascination with this area and its history, here a few that might interest you.
Some of my favourites
- My Name is Red. Orhan Pamuk -Wow.
- People of the Book– Geraldine Brooks. Well written and a great insight into the life of a medieval manuscript
- Islam Quintet– Tariq Ali. Story of a family after the fall of Granada.
- Samarkand– Amin Maalouf [all of his writing]
- Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler- great read and good background information to underlying influences of The Silk Road
- The Book Of Roads And Kingdoms by Richard Fidler
- A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling, but commonly known as The Rihla. By Ibn Battuta- what an inspiring traveller. This was written Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys.
History
- The Great Game– Peter Hopkirk. Colonial powers, England and Russia vying for Central Asia. He wrote a number of insightful books
- Inside Central Asia:A Political and Cultural History of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Iran by Dilip Hiro
- Central Asia: A New History from the Imperial Conquests to the Present by Abeed Khalid [waiting for this one to arrive- looks good]
Travel Writing
- Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thoron
- A Carpet Ride to Khiva by Chris Alexander– very inspiring story
Contemporary Uzbek writers
- The Railway by Hamid Ismailov,
- The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov -the author is Kyrgyz, he writes in Russian, the book is set in an imaginary part of Kazakhstan…. But I think I passed that railway station in Uzbekistan. I feel the book gives a feel of the Stans area and life
- Jamila by Chingiz Aitmatov
