S01E01 Italy: Venice
Our adventurer begins his journey in Venice, just like Marco Polo, the most famous voyager to have proceeded down this ancient route. The many cultural influences are immediately obvious: The architecture and the mosaics of...
The Silk Road
S01E08: Uzbekistan: Samarkand
Some used to say Samarkand – in central Uzbekistan – was at the center of the world. Alfred follows the ancient Royal Road to the city – associated with the great Turco-Mongol warrior Timur, who was also famed for his refinement and elegance.
Overview
Alfred de Montesquiou, a war correspondent for the Associated Press news agency and a journalist for Paris Match – for which he has covered most of the Arab Spring revolutions – will be our knowledge broker along the Silk Road, the mythical network of trade routes that for centuries linked the Far East to the West. Follow in the footsteps of illustrious predecessors, from Alexander the Great to Marco Polo.
Journey through time, encountering specialists, historians, or just everyday people with a passion who will help you grasp the past and present identities of those countries. From Bursa in Turkey to Xi’an in China, Alfred guides and accompanies you in this fresh and original way to discover History.
Episodes
S01E02 Turkey: Bosphorus
At the edge of the European continent, our guide enters Turkish territory through the city of Edirne. He discovers Ottoman architectural wonders and the traditional local variant of wrestling, in which men are doused in...
S01E03 Turkey: Anatolia, The Caravans of Asia Minor
At the heart of the Anatolian plateau, our guide visits the first of the caravanserais that dot his journey, as they once dotted the ancient trade routes.
S01E04 Iran: Tabriz, Capital of Merchants
Alfred discovers the north of Iran; enter the city that once was the core of the entire Silk Road in Persia: Tabriz. He heads into the bazaar, the finest in the country, and wanders through...
S01E05 Iran: Assassins, Emperors and Ma
Alfred learns that Iran has a Silk Road Secretariat. Its representative in the northern city of Qazvin – Hooman Babapoor – explains that the government wishes to develop links between other countries along the illustrious...
S01E06 Iran: Kashan and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Yazd
In the oasis of Kashan, in central Iran, Alfred marvels at the famous pleasure gardens of Fin that cemented the Persians’ renown. He then discovers Iranian Zoroastrianism in a “house of strength”, whose inhabitants hone...
S01E07 Uzbekistan: Bukhara
Alfred arrives in Uzbekistan, at the heart of the ancient Silk Road. He discovers Bukhara the beautiful, dream city for numerous travelers.
S01E08 Uzbekistan: Samarkand
Some used to say Samarkand – in central Uzbekistan – was at the center of the world. Alfred follows the ancient Royal Road to the city – associated with the great Turco-Mongol warrior Timur, who...
S01E09 Uzbekistan: Tachkent
Alfred is awestruck by the modernity of life in Tashkent, the capital of present-day Uzbekistan and a major central Asian city. There is an incredible mix of ethnic groups in this part of the world.
S01E10 Kyrgystan
Osh is the first place Alfred visits in Kyrgyzstan. He saunters down the aisles of its bazaar, but soon realizes that the real Kyrgyzstan is to be found on the endless steppes and vast mountains,...
S01E11 China: Kashgar
Alfred's point of entry to China is Kashgar, in the Xinjiang region – the biggest in the country. It is home to the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority descended from Turkic peoples.
S01E12 China: Gobi
A Uyghur family invites our guide into their home. He learns about their way of life and growing techniques. Gaochang used to be an important waypoint through the Silk Road and a famous gathering place...
S01E13 China: Dunhuang
Crossing the Taklamakan desert is a demanding step. And only once the Silk Road caravans made it could they say they truly arrived in China. The Bactrian camel has become emblematic of the region: without...
S01E14 China: Lanzhou
Our guide travels to Liqian, at the narrowest point of the Hexi Corridor. Legend has it that this is where the descendants of Crassus' lost legions ended up.
S01E15 China: Xian
Alfred arrives in Xi’an - in the province of Shaanxi. The Silk Road caravans used to end their long journey in this millenary city.
Cast
Alfred de Montesquiou
Host
