Central Asian Chronicles: Echoes of the Silk Road in Manuscripts and Imagery

Through eight meticulously prepared manuscripts and evocative images, this exhibition re-tells stories woven through the heart of the Silk Road, the historic trade route in Central Asia. Among these are the political intrigues of a 19th-century Turkic ruler; chronicles of the Khans (nobles, the most recognizable of whom is the 13th-century Mongol, Chingiz—or Genghis—Khan); and teachings of revered leaders of Sufism, an Islamic form of mysticism. The exquisite calligraphy and illuminations in the manuscripts displayed convey the ideals, aspirations, and soul of an entire region. 

Guest curated by Gulnar Eziz, Preceptor in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University, and Isa Youshe, Graduate Student, Program on Inner Asian and Altaic Studies, Harvard University. 

Now through Wednesday, May 8th at the Houghton Library

Visit the Harvard Library website for more information.