Watching paper being made in Samarkand
Mulberry bark, a stone vat and a sheet lifted out wet: an hour at a workshop worth the detour.
November 1, 2026 · 8 min
The observatory hill at low sun
A curved brick trench on a dry hill, mulberry trees below and almost no one else.
Newsletter
The Caravan Letter
A free letter every Thursday: one stop on the old road, one thing to look at and one thing to know before you go.
More posts
9 min read
Samarkand courtyards before the crowds
Which madrasa to enter first, which to leave for evening and where the best light falls.