A journey through the Souk of Aleppo
A journey through Aleppo’s historic souk exploring areas which have been destroyed; areas that are under restoration and have been restored; the varied shops and street life; the Jebeli soap factory; the hammam and some of the culinary treats available in the longest covered market in the world.
The Citadel of Aleppo
The highest point of Aleppo, the Citadel sits imperiously over the city. You cannot help but marvel at the ingenuity and sheer labour that must have been required to build such a monumental edifice.
The Great Mosque of Damascus
A walk around one of the great monuments of Umayyad art and architecture.
Book Launch - The Silk Road: A Living History
I am delighted to announce the launch of my new book - The Silk Road: A Living History. The book will be available for pre-order in April/May and will ship in September.
The King Saud Mosque, Jeddah
A walk around Jeddah’s largest mosque as it began to fill up for prayer time.
Jeddah and the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale
In March 2023, I was fortunate to be invited by my friend, film director Ovidio Salazar, to attend the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Some of the installations at the biennale, and pieces of art in galleries I saw around the city, were breathtakingly beautiful.
Deyhouk, a dream of rebuilding the past
In the east of Iran, between the Lut desert in the south and Mashad in the north, lies the abandoned town of Deyhouk. After an earthquake in 1978, everyone left the town except for one person.
At the edge of Britain in western Cornwall
A photographic journey around the westernmost tip of Britain.
A walk into the Pyrenees
A three day hike into the French side of the Pyrenees with my buddy Cesar.
A walk around Samarkand
Some shots from a few days walking around the capital of the Timurid Empire.
Retracing the Silk Roads - podcast
I was kindly invited by The Barakat Trust and Asia House to speak on this podcast about my journey across Eurasia and about the work of the Aga Khan Development Network that I witnessed en route.
Travelling the Silk Road: From London to Beijing - a talk
Over a period of four months in 2019, I travelled 40,000km overland by car, bus, train, ferry, horse and camel from London to Beijing traversing sixteen countries.
In this talk, I share my experiences of the varied people, places and cultures I encountered and speak about the work of the Aga Khan Development Network along this most celebrated of trade routes.
The Muslim Quarter of Xi’an
Over the centuries, many Muslims travelled eastwards and ended up settling in Xi’an creating the Muslim Quarter. This area contains numerous eateries serving Central Asia food and is visited by both locals and tourists alike. It’s also home to China’s oldest mosque.
‘The Silk Road: A Living History’ exhibition
An open-air exhibition documenting my 40,000km journey along the world’s most celebrated trade route. 8 April - 16 June, Granary Square, King’s Cross, London.
Persepolis, 1st century capital of the world
Not far from Shiraz in southern Iran lie the ruins of Persepolis, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC); the first great Persian empire that ruled over 44% of the ancient world.
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar
Considered one of the first shopping malls of the world, construction of the Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar began soon after the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
The Gobi Desert at Dunhuang
On the edge of the Gobi desert in Central China is the town of Dunhuang. The name Dunhuang means "Blazing Beacon" and refers to the beacons lit to warn of attacks by marauding nomadic tribes during ancient times.
The Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore
In the heart of the Walled City of Lahore, lies the ornately decorated Wazir Khan Mosque. It was built between 1634 and 1641 by Hakim Wazir Khan, the Subedar of Lahore, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore
Built by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1673, the Badshahi mosque remains the largest Mughal-era mosque and is the second-largest mosque in Pakistan.
The mausoleum of Amir Timur in Samarkand
This mausoleum in Samarkand in Uzbekistan is known as Gur-e-Amir, Persian for "Tomb of the King". Inside is the final resting place of one of the greatest Mongol kings.