Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Colour

By Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva

Follow the Silk Road—and color! “A joy . . . a beautiful book about the arts, craft, and architecture of Uzbekistan.” —Olga Núñez Miret, author of the Angelic Business series
 
Like the fascinating culture that comes to life between its pages, Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Color will take you on a journey of discovery from the blue and gold splendors of Samarkand to the intricacy of sacred mosaics. It’s the perfect way for you and your children to explore Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage, taking us along the Silk Road from fifth century architecture to modern-day artists.
 
As we turn the pages, exquisite full-color photographs transport us to some of the world’s most magnificent architectural monuments. From palaces through mosques, madrasahs and mausoleums, we wend our way amongst masterpieces of Islamic architecture, marveling at the captivating mosaics with their complex geometric patterns or motifs inspired by the world of plants and mythological beasts. Fascinating and vibrant, they testify to the skill and craftsmanship of historic Uzbek masters.
 
As a tribute to this rich heritage, Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Color is a celebration of the arts and pictorial traditions of this fascinating land. Photographs of architectural monuments, murals, ceramics, tapestries and ornamented textiles highlight the country’s cultural treasures. Short accompanying texts explain their historical significance. On the right-hand page, the reader is given the opportunity to color in drawings based on the beautiful photographs provided.
 
“A gorgeous book for grownups who want to get their coloring on.” —Cayocosta 72

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Feb 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781526750204

Book preview

With its rich and unique traditions, Uzbekistan well deserves the epithet ‘cradle of civilization.’ Through the ages, a wealth of nations has passed through its territory, leaving a cultural legacy that has evolved over many centuries. The particular topological and climatic conditions found in the vast valley between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers made this region ideally suited to early farming settlements, which then paved the way for larger states of the ancient world such as Bactria, Sogd and Horezm.

Ancient Uzbekistan was a melting pot of cultures; neighbouring nations from the Eastern Steppe, Siberia, Mesopotamia, Iran, India and China all added their distinctiveness to its developing artistic traditions.

With time, the rich cultural exchange expedited by the Silk Road carried the culture, science and art of this region farther afield, to Western civilizations.

But it was here, on the territory of modern-day Uzbekistan, that one of the most important centres for the exact sciences came into being. Great thinkers such as Ahmad-al-Farghani (Alfraganus), Avicenna, Al-Farabi, Al-Biruni and Mirso Ulugbek made significant contributions to science and culture, ensuring a stimulating academic environment flourished here throughout the Middle