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.

I can’t tell you if I was especially motivated to take pictures on the day I took this shot of Monastiraki Square in Athens, but it is one of my favourite photographs. It seems as if there is no difference between the vast history represented by the Acropolis wall, the Adrian library and the old mosque and the present day. People continue to walk through the square, just as they have done for generations, bringing movement and life to those historical edifices.

Strolling through Damascus’ Al-hamidiyah Souq, one comes across many Levantine delights. The goods on sale include items of local copperware, wooden mosaic artwork and much, much more. Everyone should sample the delights of the Bekdash Ice Cream shop, which serves first-rate, locally made ice cream to help you gain weight! After a wonderful walk, you find yourself in the shadow of the the beautiful Umayyad Mosque.

With so many destinations in the WHL Group’s ever-expanding network, we have an incredible wealth of local travel information at our fingertips. Through the Inside Word, our local partners – all travel experts – share their top tips. Here we lift the lid on the Georgian city of Tbilisi, one of Eurasia’s most important social, cultural and industrial centres, located in the Southern Caucasus Mountains.

THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC. Cairo is a city of contrasts, simultaneously modern and deeply connected to its golden past. Full of life, this capital of Egypt is a bustling sleepless metropolis that boasts monuments and architecture spanning thousands of years. Cairo is the largest city on the African continent, as well as in the Middle East.