SILK ROAD REVISITED

Three of the ancient trade route's best-preserved caravan cities are now drawing intrepid travellers to Uzbekistan.

- LIM CHEE WAH

With all its myth and mystique, the ancient Silk Road often feels more like a legend than a real place. But as Uzbekistan gradually opens its doors to the world, parts of that fabled route are becoming more tangible than ever.

This Central Asian country is home to three of the Silk Road's most storied trading posts Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand - all lying on the edges of sprawling desert plains.

Today, they are home to some of the world's most breathtaking Islamic architecture, and so remarkably preserved that they feel like time capsules, allowing us to witness the riches of the Silk Road's golden age.

ITCHAN KALA IN KHIVA: THE LIVING MUSEUM

Uzbekistan's first Unesco World Heritage Site, the fortified ancient city of Khiva - known as Itchan Kala - holds 2,500 years of history. In its heyday, it was a crucial pitstop for caravans to rest and refuel before continuing their journey across punishing deserts.

Enclosed by imposing mudbrick walls, Itchan Kala is compact and walkable, and very much a living museum thanks to its high concentration of well-preserved historic monuments. But don't let its movie set-like appearance fool you into thinking it's soulless. Far from it: local families and artisans still live within the walls as they have for generations.

From a distance, two minarets dominate the skyline. The Kalta Minor Minaret, famously stout and unfinished, is adorned with vibrant turquoise tiles. It remains one of Khiva's most enduring symbols. The slender Islam Khoja Minaret, in contrast, is the tallest structure in the fortified city, beloved for its eye-catching bands of blue, white and red tiles and arched lantern.