Uzbekistan

Central Asia is a region that has historically served as a point of diverse political and cultural trade between eastern Asia, the Arab world, and the Mediterranean area. Uzbekistan is located in the heart of this crossroads region and was a major node along the Silk Route beginning in the fourth century BCE. The country is located amid mountains, river valleys, wetlands, and lowland deserts, with a rich diversity of landscapes and natural resources. Uzbekistan has numerous built treasures reflecting its vast history that includes the rise of multiple empires and religious and [Page 1389]cultural influences. Following its earliest history as a trading capital on the Silk Route during the rule of Alexander the Great, it continued to flourish as a monumental capital of Islamic ...