MIR Corporation Travel's video: MIR s Silk Road Tour: Journey Through Central Asia

Central Asia is home to the old Silk Road, with its great trade routes linking Europe and China for more than 2,000 years. Join one of MIR's most popular tours, "Journey Through Central Asia: The Five 'Stans" (https://goo.gl/v0b1ZR), a modern-day caravan on an epic journey to five of Central Asia's exotic countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. These five 'Stans are laced together with traces of the old Silk Road, conduits for the silks and spices that gave the world much of its brilliance and flavor, as well as ideas, art, architecture and spiritual beliefs. • Note: Click on "CC" icon (lower-third right side in video) for handcrafted closed captions. ________________________ KEY SECTIONS: 1:44 Skip to: Kazakhstan 2:38 Skip to: Kyrgyzstan 3:53 Skip to: Uzbekistan 4:42 Skip to: Tajikistan 5:06 Skip to: Uzbekistan 7:56 Skip to: Turkmenistan • Explore Central Asia in MIR's in-depth story filled with exotic, colorful photos: "Silk Road Tour Spotlight: Journey Through Central Asia" – https://goo.gl/kRC2KU • Learn more about MIR's small group tours and handcrafted, private journeys to Central Asia – (http://goo.gl/DaxKra). • For detailed information on each of these Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan – (https://goo.gl/hZE0et) Kyrgyzstan – (https://goo.gl/NLtaJP) Tajikistan – (https://goo.gl/lhbY64) Uzbekistan – (http://goo.gl/IL1Btq) Turkmenistan – (https://goo.gl/gcns66) _______________________ SUBSCRIBE: MIR's YouTube channel, MIRCorpTravel: http://goo.gl/I0zCIM _______________________ CONTACT: MIR Corporation – http://www.mircorp.com Destination Specialists since 1986 Small Group Tours • Rail Journeys by Private Train • Custom, Private Trips • Siberia & Western Russia • Central Asia & Silk Road • South Caucasus 1-800-424-7289 ______________________ PHOTO AND VIDEO CREDITS Video script, creation and voiceover: Helen Holter Photos: Christina Z. Anderson, Michel Behar, James Carnehan, Russ & Ellen Cmolik, Donna Collins, Jamshid Fayzullaev; Richard Fejfar, Ana Filonov, Lindsay Fincher, Jered Gorman, Douglas Grimes, Peter Guttman, Helen Holter, Dilshod Karimov, Martin Klimenta, Charles Lawrence, Andrew Mills, David Parker, Abdu Samadov, Ann Schneider, Kevin Testa, Bill Thornton, Vladimir Ushakov, Ji Wensheng Video narrator and creator: Helen Holter Video: Marina Karptsova, Jamshid Fayzullaev, David Parker, Abdu Samadov, Kevin Testa Video thumbnail: Lindsay Fincher Music: Karakalpak Musicians of Nukus; Khalfi Family of Khiva; Urda Bass Troupe of Almaty VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION (HIGHLIGHTS) 00:00 – INTRO More than 2,000 years ago, the great trade routes that linked Europe and China opened Central Asia to foreign cultures, customs and religions. MIR's iconic tour, "Journey Through Central Asia: The Five 'Stans," is a modern-day caravan on an epic Silk Road journey to five of these exotic countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. 01:44 – KAZAKHSTAN Kazakhstan is the largest and richest of the five 'Stans. We visit the country's former capital, Almaty, known as the "Capital of Apples;" Zenkov Cathedral; as well as a falcon farm for an up-close look at these beautiful birds used in hunting. 02:38 – KYRGYZSTAN Mountainous, unspoiled Kyrgyzstan is Central Asia's best-kept secret. We visit Lake Issyk-kul; learn about horses and traditional horse games; visit Burana Tower; and in the country's capital, Bishkek, we listen to a portion of the famous poem, "Epic of Manus" – with nearly half-a-million verses. 04:42 – TAJIKISTAN Tajikistan is a country infused with the influence of Persia, Islam, and Russia. We visit the 2,000-year-old city of Khujand; in this old Silk Road town we explore the colorful covered Panjshanbe Bazaar. 05:06 – UZBEKISTAN Some of the most famous UNESCO-listed Silk Road sights are in Uzbekistan. We visit Osh and Rishtan in Fergana Valley; explore the country's capital, Tashkent; wander through Samarkand, known as the "Crossroad of Cultures" with Registan Square's blue-tiled mosaics, mosques, and madrassahs; and see Shakhrisabze, birthplace of Tamerlane the Conqueror. Bukhara was an oasis in the desert for Silk Road camel caravans long ago, and still is for modern travelers today. In Khiva, the Old Town called Ichon Qala looks much as it did centuries ago, while Nukus is known for its once-banned avant-garde Soviet art at the Savitsky Museum. 07:56 – TURKMENISTAN Turkmenistan is a country of tribal culture and camels as well as modern cities and transportation. We visit three UNESCO-listed sites: Khorezm's Kunya Urgench and Kutlug-Timur Minaret, Merv, and the 2,000-year-old city of Nisa. The tour ends in Turkmenistan's capital of Ashgabat, filled with white marble buildings, as well as a nearby visit to an Akhal-Teke horse-breeding farm.