This text explores the rich & diverse range of silk & textiles from Africa. Focusing on over 30 pieces from the British Museum's collection, it brings together traditions of silk weaving & embroidery from throughout the African continent. These range from textiles commissioned by royalty to multi-coloured burial shrouds. The authors also discuss the makers of the textiles, how ideas travelled across the continent & the significance of pattern & symbolism. ...

Silk Road in the Odyssey Guides series; aimed at travellers particularly interested in the culture & history of their destination; the guides focus on the atmosphere, customs, & distinctive character of a country, region or city. As the only English language publisher based in China, Odyssey Guides specialize in Asian destinations, relying on the expertise of local writers. This gives readers more of an insider ...

The Silk Road in the Odyssey Guides series; aimed at travellers particularly interested in the culture & history of their destination; the guides focus on the atmosphere, customs, & distinctive character of a country, region or city. As the only English language publisher based in China, Odyssey Guides specialize in Asian destinations, relying on the expertise of local writers. This gives readers more of an insider’s perspective, in companion with the practicalities of navigating through remote Asian landscapes. Each title is heavily dedicated to the culture of the destination, all with accompanying colour photography. The guides also showcase a range of literary excerpts which are taken from travel writers together with translations from the work of indigenous writers & poets, creating a distinctive tone unique to the publisher. There are also basic overview location maps & concise practical advice for visitors, including information on getting there & around, itineraries, climate, health, clothing & equipment, money, photography, communications, security, shopping, media, food & drink, holidays & behavior, customs & etiquette. ...

Rebelling against the predictability of banking life, & with only her wits to equip her, Claire sets off on her own on an eighteen-month, 6, 000-kilometre horseback adventure across Central Asia. ” Silk Route Adventure” takes you through rolling Mongolian prairie lands, monotonous Kazakh steppes, scales 4, 000-metre passes in Kyrgyzstan, & crosses the black sands of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. Throughout the journey, the author overcomes numerous obstacles & dangers, such as drunken & sometimes violent guides, hostile border police, raging rivers, snow-bound passes & seemingly endless stretches of desert. She fights to keep her horses alive & supplied with fodder in the bitter Kazakh winter & the unbearable heat of the Fergana Valley. In contrast to her remote & often harsh surroundings, coupled with the brutal realities of life in Central Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, she encounters the warm tradition of nomadic hospitality, witnessing a way of life largely untouched by modernity. Woven into the story of her adventure, Claire sets Mongolia & the ` Stans` in their historical context tracing their history from the height of Genghis Khan`s time to their absorption into the Soviet Union when they were largely forgotten by the West. Illustrated with 100 superb colour photographs & an immensely detailed map of the route, ” Silk Route Adventure” is an enthralling account of a seemingly impossible journey completed by a determined & eminently resourceful woman. ...

The Silk Route Countries at 1:3, 000, 000 from Gizi Map with coverage extending from eastern Turkey & Syria, across the countries of Central Asia, to western China & south to the Arabian Sea; different variants of the route across this vast region are clearly highlighted on the map. The map has altitude coloring to provide an excellent picture of the topography, with names of mountain ranges, deserts & other geographical features, numerous spot heights & peak names, swamps & salt flats, glaciers, etc. National parks, world heritage sites & other historical monuments are highlighted. The regions’ rail & road networks are shown, including dirt tracks, & driving distances are marked on major roads. The map also indicates local administrative boundaries & names of provinces in various countries. All place names are transliterated, with alternative versions provided where necessary, particularly in the border areas. Lines of latitude & longitude are drawn at 2° intervals. Map legend

Includes:: English. Index of localities is on the reverse of the map.PLEASE NOTE: this title is also available as a wall map.

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The Insight Guide to The Silk Route covers the world's most ancient & historic trail. Following the famous path from East to West, across three main regions: Western China, Central Asia & Western Asia, this guide expertly explores everything from the Buddhist caves of Dunhuang to the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an. A total of thirteen countries are explored altogether, including Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan & Mongolia. Local writers give a rare insight into the culture, arts & people that belong to each destination, alongside over four hundred incredible full-colour photographs that bring the Silk Road to life. In-depth History & Features sections look at the evolution of trade across 5, 000 miles of territory & 5, 000 years of human development, the transfer of ideas, religions & philosophies, as well as inventions & technological advances. Practical travel tips are also included to help with planning & as a useful reference along the way. The unique combination of insightful exploration alongside practical advice means that this guide truly is a pleasure to read before, during & after your trip. ...

The Insight Guide to The Silk Route covers the world`s most ancient & historic trail. Following the famous path from East to West, across three main regions: Western China, Central Asia & Western Asia, this guide expertly explores everything from the Buddhist caves of Dunhuang to the Terracotta Warriors of Xi`an. A total of thirteen countries are explored altogether, including Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan & Mongolia. Local writers give a rare insight into the culture, arts & people that belong to each destination, alongside over four hundred incredible full-colour photographs that bring the Silk Road to life. In-depth History & Features sections look at the evolution of trade across 5, 000 miles of territory & 5, 000 years of human development, the transfer of ideas, religions & philosophies, as well as inventions & technological advances. Practical travel tips are also included to help with planning & as a useful reference along the way. The unique combination of insightful exploration alongside practical advice means that this guide truly is a pleasure to read before, during & after your trip. ...

Silk Road Travel Atlas from ITMB in a handy A5 size paperback format, showing the route from the Mediterranean ports of Syria & Lebanon, across Baghdad, Teheran, Bukhara, Samark&, Tashkent & Kashgar to Xi’an on maps at varying scales, accompanied by a selection of street plans. The atlas uses the cartography from ITMB’s maps of the individual countries, so scales can vary considerably from page to page – from 1:190, 000 in Lebanon to 1:3, 000, 000 in China. The linear representation of the scale is given on each spread of two adjoining pages. Bold altitude colouring indicates the topography. The course of the main route of the Silk Road & of its variants is prominently highlighted along the road network & many other places of interest are also marked. Most pages have either latitude and/or longitude margin ticks or coordinates for the page corners. The atlas is indexed & presents all place names in the Latin alphabet only. Street plans, also annotated with tourist facilities (including selected hotels) & main sights cover central Damascus, Baghdad, Teheran, Samarkand & Tashkent, & also included are enlargements showing in more detail the environ of Baghdad & Teheran. ...

To the modern reader, the Silk Road conjures up images of fabled cities & exotic lands, of long-gone empires & great conquerors. Place names such as Samark&, Bukhara, Khotan or Chang`an continue to fascinate with the richness of their past. In this authoritative book, Luce Boulnois explores the encounter between East & West across the vast continental expanse that separates the Mediterranean world from the Chinese one. She unravels in a clear & compelling way the complex threads that make up the history of these great overland trade routes, which allowed the transmission across the world of ideas & beliefs, techniques & works of art, helping to shape the civilizations that flourished along the way. How did the Romans, following in the footsteps of the Greeks, discover these far-flung regions? What did the Chinese know of the European world? How did they manage to keep the secret of silk manufacture safe for centuries? Did Marco Polo really go to China, or was he just a clever impostor? In navigating through these questions, Luce Boulnois enlightens us about the relationship between the East & the West & their influence on each other in the light of the latest archeological discoveries, while also taking into account the recent geopolitical upheavals that have swept through these regions. This book meets academic requirements while remaining as readable as a novel. This 2012 edition has been revised by Bradley Mayhew. ...

Andre & Clara Malraux had the world at their feet. Wealthy & carefree, their life was a bohemian idyll, spent frequenting the hottest clubs & restaurants, travelling & mingling with the Paris literary set. But all this changed when the stock market crashed & their fortune disappeared overnight. Penniless but still craving adventure, Andre dreamt up a plan to travel to French Indochina where they would collect temple treasures & sell them for a huge profit in America. Against all the odds
- jungle fevers, inexperience & uncooperative locals
- they succeeded. But their treasure hunt turned into a dangerous crusade when Clara & Andre set up an anti-government newspaper in Saigon, defiantly exposing colonial injustices, corruption & the government`s stifling of Asian culture. ” Silk Roads” is a story of romance & adventure, crime & political awakenings, but it also paints a picture of the volatile relationship between two extraordinary people: Andre
- gifted, intense, who would later become one of France`s most celebrated literary figures, & Clara
- vivacious, independent, but forced to live in her husband`s long shadow.



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