The Silk Road
Episodes
- S1 E1 - Italy: VeniceJuly 1, 201926minOur host begins his journey in Venice, like Marco Polo, the famous voyager who traveled the ancient route. On this journey we see the mosaics of St Mark's Basilica which reveal the links that connect this city with the distant lands of Asia. Also we get a taste of Venetian cuisine and view an Armenian monastery which is packed with manuscripts in all languages, brought there via the Silk Road.Join Prime
- S1 E2 - Turkey: BosphorusJuly 8, 201926minAt the edge of the European continent, Alfred de Montesquiou enters Turkish territory through the city of Edirne, to discover Ottoman architectural wonders and the traditional local sport of oil-wrestling, in which men are doused in olive oil before bouts.Join Prime
- S1 E3 - Anatolia, the Caravans of Asia MinorJuly 15, 201926minAt the heart of the Anatolian plateau, our host visits the first of the Caravanserai which dot his journey, as they once dotted the ancient trade routes. The Caravanserai at Aksaray is a perfect example of architecture of the Seljuq dynasty, the first empire in the region starting in the 10th century.Join Prime
- S1 E4 - Iran: Tabriz, Capital of MerchantsJuly 22, 201926minAlfred discovers 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 its 22 miles of alleyways and stalls. Our guide meets Dr Faribouz Esmaeli at the heart of this architectural gem he oversaw its restoration. Tabriz is also the center of the ancient Armenian community in Iran.Join Prime
- S1 E5 - Iran: Assassins, Emperors and MagiJuly 29, 201926minAlfred learns that Iran has a Silk Road office. Its representative explains that the government wishes to develop links between other countries along the illustrious road. Far from the city, at 2,000 meters above sea level, Alfred visits the ruins of Hassan-i Sabbah fortress, founder of a movement known as "Hashshashins" drug smokers and killers who gave us the modern word "assassin".Join Prime
- S1 E6 - Iran: Kashan, the Zoroastrain Fire Temple of YazdOctober 15, 201926minIn the oasis of Kashan, in central Iran, Alfred marvels at the famous pleasure gardens of Fin. At the temple of Chak Chak, in the nearby mountains, he is introduced to Zoroastrianism, Persia's ancestral religion. In the sacred city of Yazd, in southern Iran, he visits a zurkhaneh, a "house of strength", where athletes engage in training sessions.Join Prime
- S1 E7 - Bukhara, Light of TransoxianaOctober 15, 201926minAlfred arrives in Uzbekistan, halfway along the ancient Silk Road. He fulfills the dream of countless travelers down the ages by visiting Bukhara, the home town of Avicenna, and meets some of its artists and craftsmen. Woven into the pattern of a fabric, on talismans, and so on. The bazaar is the beating heart of the city and a bubbling melting-pot of cultures.Join Prime
- S1 E8 - Uzbekistan: SamarkandOctober 15, 201926minSome used to say Samarkand, in central Uzbekistan, was the center of the world. Alfred follows the ancient "Royal Road" to the city associated with the great Turco-Mongol warrior Timur, who was famed for his refinement and elegance. Alfred visits Timur's mausoleum and the imposing public square of Registan, journeying back in time with the help of a local historian.Join Prime
- S1 E9 - Uzbekistan: TachkentOctober 15, 201926minAlfred is struck by the modernity of life in Tashkent, the capital of present-day Uzbekistan and a major central Asian city, and the incredible mix of ethnic groups in this part of the world. Alfred visits a silk factory - a must for anyone retracing the Silk Road, then travels the age-old route through the mountains to his next destination: Kyrgyzstan, the land of the nomads.Join Prime
- S1 E10 - KyrgystanOctober 15, 201926minOsh 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, where you lose all notion of boundaries. Alfred learns about Kyrgyz identity from a girl student who tells him local legends at the foot of the "Throne of Solomon", the hill that overlooks the city.Join Prime
- S1 E11 - China: KashgarOctober 15, 201926minAlfred's point of entry to China is Kashgar, in the Xinjiang region, which covers a sixth of country's surface area. This is the home of the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority descended from Turkic peoples. When trade on the Silk Road was as its height, Kashgar was a major hub for caravans travelling to India or Central Asia.Join Prime
- S1 E12 - China: GobiOctober 15, 201926minA Uyghur family invite Alfred into their home, where he learns about their way of life and growing techniques. Gaochang was once an important way-stage on the Silk Road and a famous centre of learning. Alfred visits the city of Turpan, in the heart of the desert, and the tunnels of its ingenious water-supply system.Join Prime
- S1 E13 - China: DunhuangOctober 15, 201926minIt was only once they had succeeded in crossing the Taklamakan desert that the Silk Road caravans truly arrived in China. In the dunes of the oasis of Dunhuang, Alfred meets a woman camel breeder. The oasis is now a popular tourist spot, but its fragile ecosystem has to be protected. The valley of the 1000 Buddhas stretches outwards from the edge of Dunhuang.Join Prime
- S1 E14 - China: LanzhouOctober 15, 201926minAlfred travels to Liqian, at the narrowest point of the Hexi Corridor. Legend has it that Liqian is where the descendants of Crassus' lost legions ended up. From there, he goes to the sprawling industrial metropolis of Lanzhou, on the Yellow River, and samples an essential ingredient of Chinese culture - noodles.Join Prime
- S1 E15 - Xi'an, The Capital of the Sons of HeavenOctober 15, 201926minAlfred arrives in Xi'an, in the province of Shaanxi, where the caravans of the Silk Road ended their long journey. Alfred ends his journey with a visit to the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor to rule over a unified China. His terracotta army looks as if it is standing guard over him, ensuring he remains undisturbed for all eternity.Join Prime
Details
More info
- Content advisory
- Violence substance use smoking
- Audio languages
- English
- Subtitles
- English [CC]
- Directors
- Xavier Lefebvre
- Producers
- Arte
- Studio
- Arte France
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