Poster for The Silk Road

ARTE 2017 1 season 15 eps Ended

The Silk Road

2017 1 season 15 eps

7.7

Season 1

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Season 1

26 min

S1 · E1 · Jan 10, 2017

Italy: Venice Episode 1

Our adventurer begins his journey in Venice, just like Marco Polo, the most famous voyager to have proceeded down this ancient route. The many cultural influences are immediately obvious: The architecture and the mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica reveal the links that connect this city with the distant lands of Asia; the textile maker Alberto Bevilacqua recounts the history of the silk trade, while a restaurant owner passionate about gastronomy explains the varied origins of Venetian cuisine. Alfred then shows us a little-known treasure: the Armenian monastery’s library. It is packed with manuscripts in all languages, brought there through the Silk Road.

7.6 · You

26 min

S1 · E2 · Jan 17, 2017

Turkey: Bosphorus Episode 2

At the edge of the European continent, our guide enters Turkish territory through the city of Edirne. He discovers Ottoman architectural wonders and the traditional local variant of wrestling, in which men are doused in olive oil before bouts. After a stop in Istanbul, the ultimate symbol of the Silk Road, Alfred discovers the city that was once the Ottoman capital, Bursa, and gains an insight into Anatolian culture.

7.9 · You

26 min

S1 · E3 · Jan 24, 2017

Turkey: Anatolia, The Caravans of Asia Minor Episode 3

At the heart of the Anatolian plateau, our guide visits the first of the caravanserais that dot his journey, as they once dotted the ancient trade routes.

8.1 · You

26 min

S1 · E4 · Jan 31, 2017

Iran: Tabriz, Capital of Merchants Episode 4

Alfred discovers the north of Iran; enter the city that once was the core of the entire Silk Road in Persia: Tabriz. He heads into the bazaar, the finest in the country, and wanders through its 36km of alleyways and stalls.

8.0 · You

26 min

S1 · E5 · Feb 7, 2017

Iran: Assassins, Emperors and Ma Episode 5

Alfred learns that Iran has a Silk Road Secretariat. Its representative in the northern city of Qazvin – Hooman Babapoor – explains that the government wishes to develop links between other countries along the illustrious road.

8.1 · You

26 min

S1 · E6 · Feb 14, 2017

Iran: Kashan and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Yazd Episode 6

In the oasis of Kashan, in central Iran, Alfred marvels at the famous pleasure gardens of Fin that cemented the Persians’ renown. He then discovers Iranian Zoroastrianism in a “house of strength”, whose inhabitants hone both their spirit and their body.

8.1 · You

26 min

S1 · E7 · Feb 21, 2017

Uzbekistan: Bukhara Episode 7

Alfred arrives in Uzbekistan, at the heart of the ancient Silk Road. He discovers Bukhara the beautiful, dream city for numerous travelers.

8.1 · You

26 min

S1 · E8 · Feb 28, 2017

Uzbekistan: Samarkand Episode 8

Some used to say Samarkand – in central Uzbekistan – was at the center of the world. Alfred follows the ancient Royal Road to the city – associated with the great Turco-Mongol warrior Timur, who was also famed for his refinement and elegance.

8.1 · You

26 min

S1 · E9 · Mar 7, 2017

Uzbekistan: Tachkent Episode 9

Alfred is awestruck by the modernity of life in Tashkent, the capital of present-day Uzbekistan and a major central Asian city. There is an incredible mix of ethnic groups in this part of the world.

7.7 · You

26 min

S1 · E10 · Mar 14, 2017

Kyrgystan Episode 10

Osh is the first place Alfred visits in Kyrgyzstan. He saunters down the aisles of its bazaar, but soon realizes that the real Kyrgyzstan is to be found on the endless steppes and vast mountains, where you lose all notions of boundaries.

8.1 · You

26 min

S1 · E11 · Mar 21, 2017

China: Kashgar Episode 11

Alfred's point of entry to China is Kashgar, in the Xinjiang region – the biggest in the country. It is home to the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority descended from Turkic peoples.

8.2 · You

26 min

S1 · E12 · Mar 28, 2017

China: Gobi Episode 12

A Uyghur family invites our guide into their home. He learns about their way of life and growing techniques. Gaochang used to be an important waypoint through the Silk Road and a famous gathering place for scholars.

8.2 · You

26 min

S1 · E13 · Apr 4, 2017

China: Dunhuang Episode 13

Crossing the Taklamakan desert is a demanding step. And only once the Silk Road caravans made it could they say they truly arrived in China. The Bactrian camel has become emblematic of the region: without it, trade could not have developed along the Silk Road.

8.2 · You

26 min

S1 · E14 · Apr 11, 2017

China: Lanzhou Episode 14

Our guide travels to Liqian, at the narrowest point of the Hexi Corridor. Legend has it that this is where the descendants of Crassus' lost legions ended up.

8.2 · You

26 min

S1 · E15 · Apr 18, 2017

China: Xian Episode 15

Alfred arrives in Xi’an - in the province of Shaanxi. The Silk Road caravans used to end their long journey in this millenary city.

8.1 · You

15 episodes in Season 1

Some details come from TheTVDB.

Alfred de Montesquiou, a war correspondent for the Associated Press news agency and a journalist for Paris Match – for which he has covered most of the Arab Spring revolutions – will be our knowledge broker along the Silk Road, the mythical network of trade routes that for centuries linked the Far East to the West. Follow in the footsteps of illustrious predecessors, from Alexander the Great to Marco Polo. Journey through time, encountering specialists, historians, or just everyday people with a passion who will help you grasp the past and present identities of those countries. From Bursa in Turkey to Xi’an in China, Alfred guides and accompanies you in this fresh and original way to discover History.

Documentary Reality Travel

Where to watch

Not streaming anywhere

Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.

Your rating

Your review

Cast

1 person

Alfred de Montesquiou

Host

Known for

France

Xavier Lefebvre Director

Director

Xavier Lefebvre

Total runtime 7h 30m · Episode length 30 min · Type Documentary

Show info

Premiered

January 10, 2017

Final episode

April 18, 2017

Status

Ended

Network

ARTE

Country

France

Type

Documentary

Episode length

30 min

Total runtime

7h 30m

Original language

French

Production

A

ARTE

Production

É

Électron Libre Productions

Production

Languages

Original title

La Route de la soie et autres merveilles

Spoken on screen

Arabic · Chinese · French · Italian · Kazakh · Persian · Russian · Turkish

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Some details come from TheTVDB.

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