Travels in Central Asia English 2004

Vambery's Travels in Central Asia describes the author's celebratedjourney through Central Asia in 1863, motivated by linguisticresearch. Disguised as a dervish and travelling with a party ofMuslim pilgrims, he succeeded in crossing the dreaded Turkomandesert via the ancient bed of the Oxus, and visiting the cities ofKhiva, Bokhara and Samarkand without detection. As well asdescribing these cities during their final years of independence(all were annexed by Russia within ten years of his visit), Vamberygives considerable details of the social and political relations,character and customs of the region. Finally, he provides a vividnarrative of caravan life, and of a remarkable journey in which hewent in constant danger of exposure. This edition maintains all thematerial from the original 1864 edition, including the varioustables, and illustrations. Only the map has been reduced in scale.