Aerial view down towards the famous Kalyan Poi Kalon Complex and Poi Kalon Minaret,Poi Kalan or Po-i-Kalyan and Mir Arab Madrasah (right side) in the center of the old town of Bukhara - Buxoro - Бухорo on a sunny day. Aerial Drone Point view at Sunset. Itchan Kala,Bukhara,Khorezm Region,Uzbekistan,Central Asia.

Visiting this formerly daunting part of the world is now easier than ever

We follow the paths carved by some of the greatest and most terrible conquerors,everyone from Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan to Timur.

  • byUte Junker
Khinkali,phali,chahokhbili,lobio,cheese and eggplant rolls:Georgia is one of the great food and wine destinations.

The world’s most underrated countries for food

If you’re looking for your next great meal in this moveable feast we call life,it might be time to head to these often-overlooked places.

  • byBen Groundwater
The Seventy Islands are part of the Rock Islands of Palau

Amazing and crowd-free:12 of the world’s most underrated countries

Look beyond the usual destinations and you’ll find outstanding countries that offer something different,and may well be bargain-priced and uncrowded too.

  • byBrian Johnston
Samarkand is home to some of the finest ­examples of 14th to 20th century Central Asian architecture.

Discover this incredible country before it turns into the next Dubai

This once-mysterious Central Asian nation now grants visa-free travel to 90 countries,part of a plan that may change its character forever.

  • byJames Draven
Uzbekistan's national dish and daily ritual,a hefty rice pilaf cooked with meat,onions,carrots,garlic,dried fruit,and a fair glug of oil.

What is plov? Uzbekistan's national rice dish is far tastier than it has any right to be

Uzbekistan can boast all sorts of achievements,from ancient astronomy to mathematics to empire-building to the perfection of plov.

  • byBen Groundwater
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Forish District,on the road from the Kizilkum to Samarkand.

Uzbekistan:An authentic off-the-beaten-track adventure

It is likely to involve plov,shorpa,non ... and quite a lot of vodka.

  • byBen Groundwater
Tamerlane's tomb in Samarkand,Uzbekistan.

Tamerlane's makeover:Uzbekistan's legends are not quite what they seem

The past is not always distant in this part of the world.

  • byBen Groundwater
Shah-I-Zinda memorial complex,necropolis in Samarkand,Uzbekistan.

Why there's never been a better time to visit Uzbekistan,best of the'Stans'

For much of last century,Uzbekistan was in Moscow's iron grip and few visitors reached the most splendid of the"Stans". Now it's in the midst of a creative and cultural revival that some have dubbed the Uzbek Spring.

  • byJoyce Morgan
Persepolis

Roads to ruins

Baby-boomers want tours that will feed their minds (plus a bit of shopping),writes Caroline Gladstone.

Rich tapestry ... a workshop of women embroidering textiles in Tashkent.

A stitch in time

On a trip along the old Silk Road,Sandra Hall admires intricate carpets and embroidery,and the revival of a nation's traditions.