Travel along the Silk Road as we visit the ancient cities of Uzbekistan. Begin and end in Tashkent, the capital city that has reinvented itself after a century of Soviet occupation. Next stop: Samarkand, a city of mosques and madrassas, built in the 15th century by Temur Amir, 14th-century conqueror and modern-day hero of the Uzbeks. Then, join the throngs of holiday-goers for the Goldbroidery Festival in Bukhara to enjoy song, dance, and shopping for treasures. Instructor Bio: June Anderson has visited many “faraway places with strange sounding names” thanks to her son’s career in the Foreign Service, including Uzbekistan twice—once in 2002 and again in 2022.

After first viewing the Biblical Mt. Ararat from its capital city, Yerevan, we’ll explore Areni Cave, where archaeologists have unearthed a 6,000-year-old wine press along with fermenting vats and storage pots. Follow the trail of prehistoric standing stones, Armenia’s “Stonehenge,” march across the mountaintop, visit a pagan temple complex, and a monastery carved into a mountain. We’ll also learn the history and truth about the 1915 Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks, in which 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives. Instructor Bio: Visiting her son, posted as a diplomat in the American Embassy in Armenia, has given June Anderson a unique opportunity to travel this ancient land and learn about its history and culture.