In the village of Hazara, in the Zarafshan valley between Bukhara and Samarkand, stands one of the oldest mosques in Central Asia. The Deggaron mosque dates from the eleventh century, and from the outside it looks almost humble: a square, squat brick building with a cluster of low domes. Inside, it is a revelation, with massive brick columns supporting a forest of small domes and arches, the brickwork laid in patterns that play with light and shadow. It is a rare survivor of the pre-Mongol architecture of the region, and it forms part of the Silk Roads listing for the Zarafshan-Karakum corridor, inscribed by UNESCO in 2023.
The Zarafshan, whose name means gold-strewing, brings meltwater from the Pamir-Alay mountains down into the desert, and for thousands of years its valley has been a ribbon of green, fields, orchards and mulberry trees, between the sands. Caravans of the Silk Road moved along it, linking Samarkand and Bukhara, and the region is dotted with ruined caravanserais, fortresses and settlements. Today cotton and wheat grow in the fields, and villages of mud-brick houses with flat roofs line the canals.
Riding in Uzbekistan is an adventure. The main road between Samarkand and Bukhara is generally decent, but it can be rough in places, and the traffic, a mix of old Soviet cars, buses, trucks and donkey carts, demands attention. Police checkpoints are common, so carry your documents. The landscape is flat and open, with long straight roads and wide horizons, and July heat on the open plain is brutal, so April, May and October suit a ride far better. Side roads to the villages are narrow and sometimes unpaved.
Fuel can be a challenge: many Uzbek cars run on compressed gas, and petrol stations, especially for higher octane fuel, can be scarce outside the cities, so fill up whenever you can. Qiziltepa and Navoi are the nearest towns, and Bukhara and Samarkand have everything. Uzbek hospitality is warm, and the food, plov, samsa and grilled shashlik with fresh flatbread, is hearty. Dress modestly when visiting the mosque, and ask before taking photographs inside.