I visited Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in 2000 as part of my Silk Road travels. I spent a month in those countries at a time when tourism was very new, so some (not all) of the hotels were kind of dicey, with holes in the wall, grey towels, brown or grey running water, and a TV where the cockroachs lived. In Ashkabad, meanwhile, the Turkmenbashi was building a magnificent capitol with giant golden statues of himself. All in all it was a fantastic trip, visiting the mosques and madrasas. People generally spoke Russian along with their native languages. The following year I followed up the Silk Road trip with three weeks in China, traveling from Kashgar to Shanghai.
I missed in the article one of the most interesting -stans, Frangistan. This was how Persians referred to Europe during the Middle Ages. Literally, the land of the Franks.
Geology, geography and etymology in one post. Cool! You are a multifaceted man, Geoff.
Through geography all things are connected 😅
I visited Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in 2000 as part of my Silk Road travels. I spent a month in those countries at a time when tourism was very new, so some (not all) of the hotels were kind of dicey, with holes in the wall, grey towels, brown or grey running water, and a TV where the cockroachs lived. In Ashkabad, meanwhile, the Turkmenbashi was building a magnificent capitol with giant golden statues of himself. All in all it was a fantastic trip, visiting the mosques and madrasas. People generally spoke Russian along with their native languages. The following year I followed up the Silk Road trip with three weeks in China, traveling from Kashgar to Shanghai.
Interesting that the Uyghur language is very similar to Uzbek.
Nice recap!
I missed in the article one of the most interesting -stans, Frangistan. This was how Persians referred to Europe during the Middle Ages. Literally, the land of the Franks.
Is Palestine actually Palestan?
Great post!
... but where is East Turkistan?
When you Stan for nothing, you get a lot of Stans for everything.
So... Durkadurkastan* is "the land of the durka durkas." Makes perfect sense now.
*If you know, you know.
Nice job here, Geoff. thanks