Book: Unraveling the Silk Road: Travels and Textiles in Central Asia
Author: Chris Aslan
Review by: Nancy Hollister, retired, formerly vice president of manufacturing for National Linen Service; current member of the International Club of Atlanta, ACIR and World Affairs Council of Atlanta.
This year, rather than choosing the typical bestsellers or recommendations from others on politics or history, I found this book clearly by accident.
While watching a Zoom presentation — “May the Evil Eye Not Strike! Magical Protection in Islamic Textiles, Dress and Jewelry” — by Chris Aslan, I was so taken by it that I decided to purchase two of his books to learn more.
Mr. Aslan, a Brit, was born in Turkey and spent his childhood in Ankara and Beirut followed by studies in media and journalism at Leicester University.
He then moved to Khiva, Uzbekistan, where he established “a UNESCO workshop reviving 15th-century carpet design and embroideries,” which was only the beginning of his 15-year journey through the world of textiles and Central Asia.
In addition to Khiva, he “spent several years in the Pamirs mountains of Tajikistan, training yak herders to comb their yaks for the cashmere-like down. Next, came a couple more years in Kyrgyzstan living in the world’s largest natural walnut forest and establishing a wood-carving workshop,” according to his website bio.
In his book, he interweaves his experiences with the people and places he lives, the history of the region, and the knowledge he gained regarding textiles and the part they played in this area of the world.
We all hear about the Silk Road and how important it was for dissemination of knowledge, culture, art, food, in fact, every facet of human experience, but Mr. Aslan also delves into the lesser-known Wool Road which preceded it and the Cotton Road which followed.
He begins his book by asserting that “everything is about textiles.” He goes on to explain that because we humans lack the “brown fat layers to metabolize for warmth or adequate hair or fur to insulate us,” we were forced to learn to create clothing from animal skins and later woven cloth.
Mr. Aslan’s ability to speak some of the local languages made it possible to glean wisdom from communities while helping some that were severely impacted by Soviet policies and political disruptions. There were difficult living conditions, as well as some really dangerous and rather exciting situations he encountered, which clearly made for an engaging book. I couldn’t wait to pick it up and journey with him for another chapter.
Editor’s notes: Global Atlanta will receive a 10 percent commission on any purchase of this book through the links on this page.
Each year, Global Atlanta asks influential readers and community leaders to review the most impactful book they read during the course of the year. This endeavor has continued annually since 2010.
See last year’s full list of books on Bookshop here, and all 2021 reader picks here.
All books were chosen and reviews written independently, with only mild editing from our staff.