What We Are Reading Today: American Mirror by Roberto Saba
Photographer Christopher Wilton-Steer's recently published book 'The Silk Road: A Living History' is more than just a travelogue or photo collection. Adorned with 150 original photographs, alongside personal reflections, it is a vivid reminder of the shared history that connects us all.
The Silk Road, which began during the Han Dynasty around 130 B.C., played a pivotal role in facilitating the exchange of goods, cultures and ideas. By the 15th century, however, its influence began to wane.
Wilton-Steer set out to build a new bridge between the past and present, and between the old and new.
Undertaken just before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the world, Wilton-Steer retraced that historic Silk Road path between July and November 2019, traveling 40,000 km using trains, buses, camels and horses to fully immerse himself in the places he visited.
He took the scenic route, and let his shutter do the talking. Photographs were taken in such places as Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, and, of course, China.
As the head of communications at the Aga Khan Foundation, a global nonprofit organization that works to improve quality of life in underdeveloped regions, the London-based Wilton-Steer brought his vision to life.
After a pause due to worldwide lockdowns, his photographs from the journey were displayed at an open-air exhibition in 2021 at London's King's Cross, featuring almost 100 photographs. Then, a more intimate selection was showcased at the Aga Khan Park in Toronto, lasting until May 2022.
Now, you can travel the Silk Road in the form of the book, without leaving your living room.
What makes 'The Silk Road' stand out is the combination of visuals with the author's personal insights.
He offers a fresh, personal perspective on the historic trade route that connected the East and West for more than 1,600 years. His writing explores the exchanges that took place on the Silk Road, which continues to shape life today.
From the bustling markets or ancient ruins, his insights add depth to the images.
The foreword by historian Peter Frankopan provides historical context, but it is Wilton-Steer's own voice that really makes it worth a look.
Through his lens, we are reminded that history is not just something of the past — it is very much alive today. And if a photo can tell 1,000 words, there are many more to tell.
The Silk Road is no longer merely a mythical path you read about in history books. This book brings it to the present.
Published by Hemeria, a publisher specializing in high-quality photo books, 'The Silk Road: A Living History' can be a great addition to your coffee table or bookshelf.
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Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Missiles in the sky, prayers in their hearts: Pakistanis recount perilous journey home from Iran
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Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Al Arabiya
The latest: Airlines cancel flights to Middle East amid Israel-Iran strikes
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Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Chinese Travel Thousands of Miles to Flee Iran Overland
The first Chinese evacuees from Iran have started sharing on social media their desperate efforts to reach the country's borders and the safety of Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the Israel-Iran air war entered a sixth day. Several thousand Chinese nationals are thought to reside in oil-rich Iran, according to state media reports, highlighting Beijing's efforts to deepen strategic and commercial ties with Iran over the past two decades. "My heart was pounding but amid the haze of war, everything became clear: I packed my bags and tried to evacuate to the embassy," wrote a Chinese travel blogger under the alias Shuishui Crusoe, a nod to Daniel Defoe's fictional castaway, Robinson Crusoe. The travel blogger had decided to leave after sitting through Israel's overnight bombings last Friday when the conflict began, even as the embassy advised her to stay put. Emboldened by news of fellow citizens who made it across to Armenia, 750 km (500 miles) from the Iranian capital Tehran, she chose the same route, arriving by bus in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday, a day before China's embassy officially urged its citizens to leave Iran. China started evacuating its citizens from Tehran to Turkmenistan by bus on Tuesday, a distance of 1,150 km, state-run China News Service reported Wednesday. Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said Beijing had not received any reports of Chinese casualties. "Seven hundred and ninety-one Chinese nationals have already been relocated from Iran to safe areas, and over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated," he told a regular news conference. While the embassy emphasized evacuation, some other Chinese netizens still in Iran shared video compilations showing an orderly scenario of well-stocked grocery shops and fruit stalls, with only a couple of clips of large purchases of bottled water. Most Chinese in Iran are engineers who moved there to work for Chinese firms that have invested just under $5 billion in the country since 2007 - primarily in its oil sector - according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank. If the regime in Tehran is severely weakened or replaced, Beijing loses a key diplomatic foothold in a region long dominated by the US, but vital to President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road initiative and its aim to link the world's second-largest economy with Europe and the Gulf. China, the world's leading energy consumer, has also benefited from importing heavily discounted Iranian crude, despite Washington's sanctions aimed at curbing the trade.
