Introduction: Joanna Lumley's Silk Road: Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan (03:07)

FREE PREVIEW

Western Uzbekistan is surrounded by the Kyzylkum Desert. Joanna Lumley reflects on the importance of camels to the Silk Road and her journey thus far. She tours Ayaz-Kala, a ruined fortress that has stood since 300 B.C.

Khiva, Uzbekistan (03:18)

The city is famous for producing chugirma, a type of hat that displays one's prominence. Lumley tours the slave market that sold Russian boys.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (03:33)

Over 200 million residents live in the capital. Legend dictates the city is the halfway mark between Europe and Asia on the Silk Road. Each of the 29 subway stations possesses a unique architectural theme.

Uzbekistan Wedding (02:58)

Weddings last four days. Rayhon G'aniyeva discusses performing at three or four weddings a night. Tradition dictates the bride and groom ignore each other until after the ceremony.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan (03:32)

Lumley finds everything inexpensive in Uzbekistan; she takes a high-speed train to the cultural city. Artisans repair and restore the buildings. Women from Fergana Valley adorn their faces with a green line across their brows.

Gur-e-Amir (04:21)

Lumley visits the mausoleum and describes the life of Tamerlane and his burial curse. In Samarkand, bread is supposed to remain fresh for years. Sesame seeds help with digestion.

Sogdian People and Culture (03:16)

Lumley describes how the Sogdians enabled the Silk Road to grow in prominence. The Afrasiab Museum contains a fresco depicting individuals from China, Tibet, Korea, and India paying respect to the King and the skull of a woman who practiced cranial deformation.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (03:20)

The capital is located within the Tian Shan mountains. Lumley watches the Changing of the Guard, describes the history of the city, and joins a flash mob dancing to K-pop.

Riots in Bishkek (02:44)

Marina Kim works as a professor and a DJ. She wants the city to move forward after the protests caused by President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev.

Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan (04:18)

Experts believe the Black Death originated at the salt lake. Lumley stays overnight in a yurt and takes a mobile sauna. Women make Manti, traditional dumplings of Asia.

Bokonbaevo, Kyrgyzstan (03:26)

Lumley meets a family that hunts with eagles. She watches a man and his daughter hunt; the bird detects movement over two miles away.

At-Bashy, Kyrgyzstan (03:45)

Lumley visits the last town on the way to China. She watches a school assembly and explains how merchants relayed goods. Herds of yaks remain in the mountains year-round.

Tash Rabat (04:12)

Lumley visits a well-preserved stone caravanserai. Experts do not know why or when it was built. Lumley reviews places in she explored along the Silk Road; she cannot film in China.