Visit Turkistan

The world's largest car-free old city.

Ancient Islamic city of 82 mosques, where hyenas are fed by hand at night.

The first Ottoman capital under Mount Uludag: the Green Mosque, the silk bazaar and Iskender kebab.

The Kul Sharif mosque inside a Kremlin, the capital of Tatarstan where minarets and domes share a skyline.

The fourth holiest city of Islam: the Great Mosque of 670 and the carpet souks.

Visit Almaty, the former capital and largest city of Kazakhstan. Explore the Central State Museum (showcasing Kazakh history and culture, including the Golden Man archaeological find), ride the cable car to Kok-Tobe Hill (offering panoramic views of the city and the Tian Shan mountains), and stroll through Panfilov Park (home to the colorful Zenkov Cathedral, a wooden Russian Orthodox church built without nails).

The southern trading city, a Silk Road bazaar and the base for Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve.

Faded Ottoman-Italian Red Sea port.