Traveling along the historic silk route from the mountains of Fergana Valley to the desert's edge near Khiva we see and photograph the stunning beauty and monumental scale of Uzbekistan's unmatched mosques, madrassas and mausoleums. The friendliness and hospitality in the villages I visit along the way are most memorable. Some times tea is offered, other times a meal (all freshly cooked) with the traditional bread/non fresh from a tandoor oven.
The houses are often courtyard style - walled with a courtyard in the middle for growing fruit trees, vegetables , flowers, a sitting area for eating. For sleeping separate rooms on each side which open into the courtyard. A separate area for chickens, sheep, and goats. Often two generations will live together.
All photographs © Barbara Nelson Photography