The heart of the ancient Silk Road is located in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan, historically known as Turkestan - a region that has a rich history of beautiful art, cultural diversity, and breath-taking architecture. Ikat is inextricable bound to this home - as it is also bound to generations of artisans trained in the techniques and dye recipes, often handed down as family or workshop secrets. This unique fabric tells a historical tale of what is now Uzbekistan. Silk came to Central Asia from China, when, according to legend, a Chinese princess, who was forced to marry a barbarian from Turkestan, smuggled the first silkworms to the region. As the desire for luxury goods, including silk, grew in the West, merchants traveled to Europe along the trade route known as the Silk Road - actually a network of roads passing from East to West. Camel caravans traveled through and merchants bought and sold at busy bazaars in what is today Uzbekistan. Art and ideas traded this way as well and a synthesis of styles developed. The history of Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region is defined by great world-travelers, famous conquerors and empire builders, such as Alexander the Great; Timurlane, conqueror of the world; and Genghis Khan, whose empire became the greatest land empire the world has ever known. Enduring legacies left the spectacular tiled city of Samarkand, the domed city of Bukhara, and the walled city of Khiva, a desert oasis preserved in time.