From Silk Road Cities to the Bosphorus: A Journey Through Bukhara, Samarkand, and Istanbul
I recently returned from a two-week journey that left a deep mark on me — creatively and personally. I traveled through the heart of Central Asia, visiting Bukhara and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, before heading west to Istanbul. What connected all these places wasn’t just geography — it was the living presence of history, art, and craftsmanship.
Traditional vintage Uzbeki china
Bukhara: A City Frozen in Time
Bukhara felt like walking into a living museum. The old city is wonderfully preserved, with medressas, minarets, and trading domes that date back centuries. Every surface seemed to be covered in intricate tilework — blues, turquoises, and golds glinting in the sun.
What struck me most was how much beauty was embedded into everyday life — patterns in the carved wood doors, handwoven carpets in the bazaars, and even the way tea was served felt intentional and artful. I was especially drawn to the Suzani embroideries — rich, symbolic textiles traditionally stitched by Uzbek women, often given as part of a bride’s dowry. The detail, the color stories, the sense of time and care… it’s stayed with me.
Vintage Suzani tapestry circa 1880, BuKhara
Samarkand: Grandeur and Geometry
Samarkand was more expansive, more monumental — the Registan is breathtaking in its scale and symmetry. It’s one of those places that feels surreal even when you're standing in front of it. The tiled facades shimmer, and the geometric precision is astounding.
Registan Square
Here too, I kept coming back to the textiles. The Ikat fabrics — with their blurred, hand-dyed patterns — felt like visual poetry. There’s a kind of rhythm to them that I’ve been sketching into my own work since returning.
I visited a few artisan workshops, watched block printing and silk weaving, and felt a deep respect for the continuity of these crafts — ancient techniques still alive in modern hands.
Pottery studio in Samarkand
Vintage Ikat fabric on display at the Tashkent Museum
Istanbul: Layers of History and Light
From Central Asia to the edge of Europe, Istanbul felt like both a continuation and a contrast. The city is layered — Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern lives stacked on top of each other. I wandered through the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace, and sat by the Bosphorus, watching the ferries move between continents. The light on the water alone was enough to stir something inside.
I also spent time in museums — the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, and smaller galleries tucked into side streets — soaking up Ottoman calligraphy, ceramics, and textiles. The colors, the motifs, the sense of devotion in the craft…it was all familiar, yet fresh.
The Bosphorus
At the Sakip Sabanci Museum
This trip left me full — visually, emotionally, creatively. Since coming back, I’ve started a new picture book project and am working on several paintings, all infused with what I saw and felt. Travel always resets my perspective, but this time, it felt like more than that. It was a reminder of the deep, sustaining power of art across cultures and time.
More soon — and maybe some glimpses of the new work as it evolves.
