Uzbekistan is a premier cultural heritage destination sought out each year by more and more travellers wishing to immerse themselves in the magic of Central Asia’s Great Silk Road. How do you keep your bearings? Learn the unique stories behind the buildings. In each of Uzbekistan’s three Silk Road cities – Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand – a landmark minaret has a myth behind it, adding a touch of intrigue to the present-day wonder.

In a place called Shakhrisabz, about 80 kilometres south of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, a giant monument to the 14th-century Mongol khan Temor (Tamerlane) marks the place he was born. The towering statue of Temor cues what is to come: in the city of Samarkand itself, even more references to one of the country’s most important historical figures are to be found, including the heavily-restored mausoleum where he was buried.

Buzkashi, which literally means ‘goat fetching,’ is a traditional horse game of the steppe nomads in Central Asia. It has been played since the epoch of Genghis Khan, the 12th-century ruler of the Mongol Empire, and variations of the game are popular in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, northern Pakistan and Kazakhstan, as well as in Uzbekistan, where, having first found followers in rural villages, it is today a celebrated national sport.