Memories of the Samanid mausoleum in Bukhara
When I posted this on Instagram in September 2019, I received a beautiful message from Azeema Nur, a photographer and Bukharan who currently lives in California, about her childhood memories of this mausoleum,
The gift of photography
I was so happy this morning to receive a WhatsApp from my friend and colleague Aisuluu Kozhomkulova with some heart-warming news.
The ruins of Konye Urgench in Turkmenistan
In eastern Turkmenistan, not far from the Uzbekistan border, lies the ruins Konye-Urgench. The city dates all the way back to the 4/5th century but today only a few buildings constructed between the 11th and16th centuries remain.
Ayten Tiryaki, master calligrapher and illuminator of Istanbul
Through a contact at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, I had been put in touch with a calligraphy and illumination Hodja (master) living on the Asian side of the Bosporus.
The Hadži Kurt Mosque in Mostar
In the Hadži Kurt Mosque, I met Ilma, a young red-headed women with bright blue eyes. She told me about the history of this small Ottoman-era mosque.
Luigi Bevilacqua, Venetian textile makers
On the Grand Canal in the Santa Croce neighbourhood, is Luigi Bevilacqua’s weaving workshop, a textile business that dates back to 1875.
Tabriz's Grand Bazaar
A photographic journey through the largest covered market place in the world.
Ashgabat, the otherworldly capital of Turkmenistan
Four days in undoubtably the most surreal place I have ever visited.
The train from Podgorica to Belgrade
A couple of years ago an intrepid friend of mine spoke of a train journey through the Balkans that sounded like no other. She described a line that connected Podgorica in Montenegro to Belgrade in Serbia crossing a spectacular mountain range. In, 2019, I had a chance to travel it.
Kashgar, ancient Silk Road trading hub
A selection of photographs from the ancient Silk Road trading hub in the westernmost corner of China’s Xinjiang Province known to the Uyghur community who live there as the Republic of East Turkestan.
Ceilings of Iran
Images of the spectacular ceilings that can be found in Iran and the mosques, mausolea, madrasahs and palaces they belong to.
Ceilings of Uzbekistan
Images of the spectacular ceilings that can be found in Uzbekistan and of the palaces, mosques, madrasahs and mausolea they belong to.
Then & now: The Mausoleum of Oljaytu
Some historical lithographs and photographs of the magnificent mausoleum of the the Mongol general Oljaytu recently came to my attention via an Instagram post by Fartash Tours that included a photo I took of the mausoleum in 2019.
Life and death along the ghats of Varanasi
I had barely slept the last few days so I asked the proprietor of the hotel for a quiet room. He paused briefly and then meeting my eyes said: “this is a very difficult place to find peace.” Ironic, I thought, since this is where people come to die.
Rock breakers, northern Pakistan
After a glacial lake burst in 2015, Singal village was partly destroyed by flooding and the rock avalanche that came with it. The villagers would do everything in their power not to let that happen again.
Stari Most: The bridge at Mostar
Mostar is arguably most famous for its soaring 20 metre high arched bridge that traverses the Neretva river.
The bridge was commissioned by the Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557. It stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 9 November 1993 during the Bosnian War.
Meet the young Pakistanis conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore (part 2)
Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan. I spoke with some of the team working on this project to understand why this restoration work is so important to them and to Pakistan.
Meet the young Pakistanis conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore (part 1)
Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan. I spoke with some of the team working on this project to understand why this restoration work is so important to them and to Pakistan.
London to Beijing along the old Silk Road
Dear friends, in two weeks I will be embarking on the most ambitious trip of my life, the trip I always dreamed of. I will be travelling from London to Beijing by land crossing 17 countries and 40,000km over four months.
Sufi mystics, Istanbul
On the outskirts of Istanbul lies one of the few remaining Sufi monasteries in Turkey. Here, the local community gather to watch a performance of ‘whirling dervishes’ - a practice which originated from the teachings of the 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi.