Sophie Ibbotson is a Central Asia specialist who has worked in the region since 2008, focusing on economic development — in particular tourism development — and water security. Through her company Maximum Exposure, she is a consultant to national governments and to the World Bank, and is Uzbekistan’s Tourism Ambassador to the UK.

Sophie is the author of six guidebooks for Bradt Travel Guides, and has written for Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller, and Culture Trip, amongst many other publications.

She is also Chairman of the UK’s Royal Society for Asian Affairs, founded in 1901 as the Central Asia Society.

On this episode of the show, Sophie shares her one way ticket destination is to Samarkand in the early 1420s, when Ulugbek - a grandson of Amir Timur (Tamerlane) - was governor. Sophie points out that at this point, before he became the Timurid Emperor, Ulugbek had just finished constructing his madrassa and astronomical observatory, solidifying Samarkand as one of the great intellectual and cultural centers of the Islamic world.

In our conversation, Sophie also highlights:

• What surprises most visitors to Uzbekistan
• Why the Registan (central square) in Samarkand is one of the top 5 places in the world to visit along with Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal
• Tashkent’s dazzling subway
• Bukhara's unique Jewish community and the city as the most beautiful on the Silk Road
• The backstory behind suzani textiles
• The world’s second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art is housed in the Savitsky Museum in the Karakalpakstan capital of Nukus (thus making it known as the Louvre of the Steppe!)
• The gem that is the walled city of Khiva
• What makes Sudan such a fascinating destination – apart from it having more pyramids than Egypt.

We wind down the conversation with Sophie sharing her philosophy on travel which is: “If you have the opportunity, go”!

Follow Sophie on Instagram & X: @uzambassador

For more on Sophie, visit: www.uzbekistan.travel/en &

www.maximumexposure.co