#867 Taxila, Pakistan

Just out of the capital, Islamabad, past its twin city of Rawalpindi, lies one of Pakistan's ancient treasures: Taxila or Takshasila, built by the Achaemenians in 6th century BC. It is one of the regions most rich archaeological sites, though sadly much was destroyed by religious fanatics. Taxila was one of Gandhara's most important cities (Gandhara is the old name for the Peshawar Plain), visited by Alexander the Great, where Mauryan emperor Ashoka built a university. Bactruan Greeks and Kushans both extended this city where it was a centre of culture in a large Central Asian empire until the White Huns destroyed it in the 5th century.

Bhir Mound is often the first place visited, near the museum, which was the Gandharan center, and bears a resemblance to similar Buddhist mounds on the other side of the Indian subcontinent. Streets, shops and steps have been neatly excavated. At the other end of the complex is Jandial, which is of Greek style, including ionic columns. 

Jaulian and Mohra Moradu are complexes further away from the main center, but house the fascinating monk cells of a monastery and the amazing collection of bas relief Buddhas, elephants, and other creatures.

Source: Lonely Planet Pakistan & The Karakoram Highway, 7th Edition
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139

#874 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The capital of Turkmenistan is one of the most bizzare cities I have ever visited. It feels like a ghost town, and is a frightening example of Totalitarianism at its worst. The longtime dictator of Turkmenistan who liked people to call him Turkmenbashi (father of the Turkmen), created the town from scratch after a 1948 earthquake flattened it, and it is a monument to himself in memory of his family killed there.

The buildings are statuesque and grand, if quite plain. They line the highways in repetition of white glamour. The monuments are bordering on idolatry: there was one in solid gold of Turkmenbashi himself which rotates with the sun so that he is always basking in the glory of light.

A curfew exists, and all tourists are restricted to their hotels and closely monitored. Soviet service (poor) survives, and the obligatory seedy nightclub vies with the in-house Chinese restaurant for tastlessness.

The soul of the city is in the outskirts where you can find the famous Tolkuchka bazaar. There, you can buy anything from a camel to sheep, to a teapot or a cup of tea. Many Chinese goods are imported, but they also have carpets, shawls, clothing, and foodstuff. Turkmen carpets are my favorite carpets in the world. The famous Bukhara carpets actually originate here!

In a spectacular location at the foot of the Kopet Dag mountains, with golden domes of newly built mosques, it is one of the hardest places in the world to visit, and has a long history despite its newness. The impressive Azadi mosque, Independence and Peace Monument, numerous museums and government offices survive, but in August 2010, Turkmenbashi's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov removed the Arch of Neutrality (the golden Turkmenbashi statue!) from Parliament Square.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashgabat

#934 Lankoran, Azerbaijan

If you asked most people living or visiting Azerbaijan about Lankoran, very few would know much. Unless you travel up from Iran, the chances of visiting Lankoran are slim. One would also never say that as a city it is beautiful -- it has a typical Soviet square where no doubt Lenin once stood (now replaced by Heydar Aliyev), one former Intourist Soviet hotel, and a very small downtown. There is a seafront along the Caspian with an old lighthouse, and there used to be an (in)famous tank statue on the shore (now removed), but now it has little except a dirt track alongside a concrete barrier.

Lankoran, however, deserves another look. It is at the foot of the beautiful Talysh Mountains with ancient villages like Lerik and Yardimli, Ballabur Castle and amazing landscapes. One place is a Soviet-era dam and Xanbulan Lake that feels like it hasn't changed in 50 years, grown over with forest and surrounded by a forgotten town. The wettest part of Azerbaijan's many climates, just north is beautiful Qizil Agach bay with many flamingoes and a spit of land where Naimanabad village is slowly crumbling into the rising Capsian Sea.

South of the city, just miles from the Iranian border at Astara is an interesting phenomenon where you can see fire emerge from water (because gas is trapped in the same vein as a natural spring) - Yanar Bulaq, and the quaint villages like Pensar shelter ancient mosques with beautiful wooden stained glass windows and old fashioned Turkish bathhouses. The pace of life is relaxed and old men sit outside and watch the world pass by while sipping tea and playing backgammon.

Source: Mark Elliot's 'Azerbaijan' Guidebook, 4th Edition

#961 Esfahan, Iran

Beautiful, romantic, historic Esfahan: even the name sounds beautiful and evokes emotion! If ever there was a city to evoke the essence of Iran and Persian culture, Esfahan is a pretty good place for it. With its hot summers and cool winters, its iconic blue-tiled domes and muqarnas (the sheer quantity of which is an Islamic architecture buff's dream), the fantastic shopping, and its place on silk trade routes of antiquity, it is memorable and atmospheric.

Its Naghsh-e Jahan Square (Imam Square) is one of the biggest public squares in the world, and is faced with buildings each spectacular in their own right. With Ali Qapu Palace, the Grand Bazaar, Madrassas, Mosques, across the river there is even Vank Cathedral, it is a mixture of heritage and culture.

12th C Pol-e Sharestan Bridge of 33 arches.

The Grand Bazaar during the lunch hour siesta.

One mosque off of Iman Square

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isfahan

#978 Samarqand, Uzbekistan

The Registan main square.

The mystique and impressiveness of the Silk Road cannot be captured any better than in Samarqand. Hot desert, snowy winters, an Islamic religious center, a pilgrimage site, the riches of kings, a center for learning, astronomical discoveries by Ulughbek, capital of the infamous Tamerlane (Timur the lame) and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities.

Some might have called it the center of the world during Timur's reign of the 14th C, and in fact, from the 6th to the 13th C it was bigger that it is today. It's name means simply, 'rock town' or 'stone fort' in Turkic or perhaps it could, if it hadn't already been called Marakanda when Alexander the Great sacked it in 332 BC, part of Transoxiana (an area encompassing the Oxus and Jaxartes Rivers, a.k.a. Amu Darya and Syr Darya).

As is true of all Silk Road cities, it was held by many groups over the years, from Arabs to Turks, Perisans, and others before the Mongols arrived in 1220. Later of course, there were Uzbeks, Tajiks and Russians/Soviets. It was visited by Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta and has several important historical areas, from the Registan central square, including Ulugh Beg's Madrasa, and the Lion's Gate. There's also the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Gur-e Amir Mausoleum, Ulugh Beg's Observatory, the Shah-i-Zina necropolis and other important sites.

Photos taken 1997 - film!
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarkand