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Uzbekistan - Known for its highly ornate mosques and decorative mausoleums, Samarkand is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia.

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Uzbekistan - A long exposure of the west gate in Itchan Kala, the walled inner town of Khiva. The stars above are seen as moving across the night sky.

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Uzbekistan - The sprawling Mizdakhan necropolis, an ancient cemetery in Nukus.

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Uzbekistan - The grand and exquisite outer gate of the mausoleum of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Tamerlane, in Samarkand.

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Uzbekistan - Uzbek women in colorful dresses sit, rest, and gossip in the city of Khiva.

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Uzbekistan - A rooftop panorama of Bukhara. Many of its buildings date largely from the 9th to the 17th centuries. The city was a prominent stop on the Silk Road trade route.

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Uzbekistan - A Uzbek craftsman at work in the Toqi Sarrafon bazaar, in Bukhara's old quarter.

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Uzbekistan - The foundations of the ancient brick walls encircling Khiva's Itchan Kala date back to the 10th century.

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Uzbekistan - The Uzbek capital Tashkent challenges the eye with its mix of modern and Soviet-era architecture. Pictured is the needle-like TV tower.

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Uzbekistan - The fabulous interior of the Tillya-Kori Madrasah in the Registan, the ancient inner city of Samarkand. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0)

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Uzbekistan - Tandir kabob, a traditional Uzbek dish of mutton prepared in a tandir oven.

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Uzbekistan - The colossal Ark of Bukhara, a massive earthen fortress built on earlier structures that date back to the 5th century. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Turkmenistan - The remarkable Darvaza gas crater, otherwise known as the "The Door to Hell." It's been burning continuously since 1971 and is a major tourist attraction.

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Turkmenistan - Much of Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat was destroyed in a 1948 earthquake. Its Soviet-era architecture is still very evident.

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Turkmenistan - Ashgabat is still expanding, with many new buildings constructed in white marble. In fact, the the city was included in the Guinness Book of Records as having the world's highest concentration of white marble buildings.

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Turkmenistan - The Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque in the village of Gypjak is the final resting place of President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died in 2006. Niyazov was the country's first post Soviet leader.

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Turkmenistan - The Great Kyz Kala, among the vast ruins of the ancient city of Merv, was probably built for the elite rulers of the day, around the 8th or 9th centuries.

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Turkmenistan - Ashgabat's Monument of Niyazov and Arch of Independence at sunset.

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Turkmenistan - The squat Tomb of Ahmed Sanjar at Merv dates back to the mid-12th-century.

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Turkmenistan - The capital's Neutrality Monument is nicknamed "The Tripod" by locals. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Turkmenistan - You can't miss the handsome red brick exterior of Pokrovskaya Church, located in Mary (ancient Merv). It's a popular tourist attraction. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Turkmenistan - A beautiful Russian Orthodox Church built in 1900, Pokrovkaya has an equally attractive interior.

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Turkmenistan - The compelling archaeological site of Gonur Tepe is a large early Bronze Age settlement dated from 2200-1700 BCE.

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Turkmenistan - Little remains of the ancient Sassanid city that was Abiverd.  What's left, however, is still worth exploring for the sense of history the site conjures up.

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Kyrgyzstan - Hunting with eagles is a traditional form of falconry practiced for centuries by the Kyrgyz people.

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Kyrgyzstan - A museum site and unusual visitor attraction, the Burana Tower is a minaret located in the Chuy Valley. It stands near the site of the ancient city of Balasagun.

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Kyrgyzstan - Serious walking and hiking territory, Ala Archa National Park in the Tian Shan mountains challenges the most seasoned of adventure tourists.

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Kyrgyzstan - A young Kyrgyz woman in a traditional yurt dwelling.

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Kyrgyzstan - The familiar twin spires of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic in Bishkek, the nation's capital.

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Kyrgyzstan - The distant Tian Shan mountain range provides a dramatic backdrop against this tranquil pastoral scene.

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Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, seen from the air.

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Kyrgyzstan - The Valley of Tash Rabat ablaze with colorful spring wild flowers.

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Kyrgyzstan - A traditionally dressed Kyrgyz couple in their yurt, Bishkek.

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Kyrgyzstan - Naryn is the largest region in Kyrgyzstan and is celebrated for its mountains and alpine pastures that are among the most picturesque in the country. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Kyrgyzstan - The culture of making and sharing flatbread in Kyrgyz communities goes back centuries.

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Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek's National Museum of Kyrgyzstan is a veritable time capsule of all things Soviet. The collection includes a series of lavish and bizarre murals that were, in fact, painted after the collapse of the Soviet Union. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Kazakhstan - A modern and contemporary cityscape is provided by Astana, Kazakhstan's second-largest city after Almaty.

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Kazakhstan - Traditional dombra instruments in a Kazakh yurt interior. The long-necked lutes are popular among Turkic communities in Central Asia.

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Kazakhstan - The Big Almaty Lake, a natural alpine reservoir located in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. This is one of the most beautiful lakes in Central Asia.

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Kazakhstan - The Ak Orda Presidential Palace in Astana, the official residence of the nation's president.

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Kazakhstan - The sunken forest of Lake Kaindy is one of the country's most beguiling natural wonders. It lies under the shadow of the Tian Shan Mountains.

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Kazakhstan - Almaty, the country's largest city. The view takes in the grandiose Republic Square.

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Kazakhstan - Sheep graze on rolling meadows along the foothills of the mighty Tian Shan mountain range.

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Kazakhstan - The roof of a yurt is the most complex part of the structure. The image shows the intricate ceiling and traditional decoration of a Kazakhstani yurt.

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Kazakhstan - A Kazakh family gathering in the village of Saty. The young boy on the left is playing a dombra.

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Kazakhstan - Scenic Charyn Canyon on the Sharyn River (which is spelled with an "S") in southeast Kazakhstan.

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Kazakhstan - A young Kazakh woman in traditional dress is all smiles as she dances during a festival in Almaty.

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Kazakhstan - Modern Almaty glowing after nightfall.

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Tajikistan - A bucolic view from Hissar Fortress. The stronghold's twin-towered gateway is visible in the image.

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Tajikistan - Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

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Tajikistan - The Palace of Nations, the impressive residence of the President of Tajikistan, in Dushanbe.

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Tajikistan - Patches of twilight paint an area of the Pamir Mountain range, which lie mostly in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan province.

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Tajikistan - There are about 1450 lakes in Tajikistan, many of them embellishing stunning mountain environments.

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Tajikistan - The elaborate interior of the Haji Yaqub Mosque in Dushanbe.

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Tajikistan - Tajik horsemen pause during a game of buzkashi, or "dead goat polo," in Northern Tajikistan. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Tajikistan - Yamchun Fort in the Wakhan Valley. This remote outpost was set overlooking the ancient Silk Road and dates back to the 3rd century BCE.

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Tajikistan - Once the summer residence of Bukhara emirs, the 18th-century ruins of Hissar fortress still manage to invoke awe and wonder.

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Tajikistan - Trekking and climbing in Tajikistan's unforgiving Fann Mountains, set mostly in the country's Sughd province. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Tajikistan - A modern place of worship completed in 1943, St Nicholas Cathedral in Dushanbe features a series of eye-catching religious icons.

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Tajikistan - The landmark Isma'il ibn Ahmad monument in Dushanbe. Known also as Ismail Samani, he was a revered Samanid emir. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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