In an age where Instagram has replaced the traditional photo album, holiday pictures are rare to come by as a physical, rather than digital commodity. Disposable cameras may still be used for nostalgic reasons, but collating photographic memories into a photo album is so archaic it’s on par with watching a VHS tape.



But for Yaffa Assouline, the journalist-cum-consultant-cum-creative art director, this isn’t the case. Uzbekistan: The Road to Samarkand is Assouline’s version of a holiday photo album, but instead of sharing with friends and family, she’s shared it with the world. Published by her namesake publishing company, the book follows Assouline’s year-long travels around the country. She captured the essence of Uzbekistan, from east to west, north to south, filled with unforgettable encounters along the way, with the intention to invite the reader to continue exploring (which we can only do imaginatively at this moment) this overlooked wonderland. Laziz Hamani accompanied Assouline on this journey, partly as a friend and partly as the photographer for this wanderlust-ful tome. The reader can see his passion for creating beautiful images through the close ups of intricate tiles and through the breathtaking landscapes. When you see the dizzying mountains, the sweeping valleys and the towns that are architectural treasures, you can see why Assouline wanted to share these moments and memories.

Uzbekistan: The Road to Samarkand is available to buy here.


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