The Silk Road

In the desert-like plains of Gobustan in Azerbaijan, historian Bettany Hughes uncovers extraordinary rock art, dating back 40,000 years, testament to a busy thoroughfare. She then heads north, to Shaki, an important stop for merchants travelling on the ancient Silk Road and meets weavers still making silk in the traditional way. Bettany explores the remarkable palace of glass built from the riches that the silk trade generated.