LECTURE - The Silk Road | The Arts Society

The Silk Road

by Chris Aslan

Dear Members and Guests,

We invite you to join us for the 7th lecture of the season given by Chris Aslan on ‘The Silk Road’ in the Atrium on Tuesday 14th April 2026 at 20.00 hours.

We start exploring the Silk Road through the lens of textiles and how wool, silk, and cotton changed the fortunes, cultures, and landscape of Central Asia. Then we examine how Central Asia came under Russian and the Soviet influence and how art was used in propaganda, moulding and influencing the Muslim peoples now under Russian atheist rule. Finally we hear how independence of 'the -stans' has led to a resurgence in art and textiles, focussing on the silk carpet workshop founded by the lecturer, reviving 15th century carpet design based on Persian illuminated manuscripts.

This will be a live lecture with the lecturer physically present in the Atrium. We are hoping that members and Guests will take the opportunity to come to the Atrium.

For those unable to be present at the Atrium, this lecture will also be streamed via a Zoom to those who registered.

You are requested to sign up for the lecture beforehand, also if you are coming to join us in person at the Atrium, by clicking on the sentence at the 'How to book' section.

How to book this event:

Registration will open on +/- 29 MAR 26 and close at midnight 12 APR 26.

Please click on this sentence to register for Atrium attendance or Zoom.

THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Mr Chris Aslan

Chris Aslan was born in Turkey (hence the name Aslan) and spent his childhood there and in war-torn Beirut. After school, Chris spent two years at sea before studying Media and journalism at Leicester University. He then moved to Khiva, a desert oasis in Uzbekistan, establishing a UNESCO workshop reviving fifteenth century carpet designs and embroideries, and becoming the largest non-government employer in town. He was kicked out as part of an anti-Western purge, and took a year in Cambridge to write A Carpet Ride to Khiva. Chris then spent several years in the Pamirs mountains of Tajikistan, training yak herders to comb their yaks for their 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. Since then, Chris has studied and rowed at Oxford, and is now based in Cambridge, but with plans to move to North Cyprus. When he’s not lecturing for The Arts Society, he writes. His latest book, Unravelling the Silk Road, is published by Icon Books. Chris also takes tours to Central Asia, returning whenever he can, having left a large chunk of his heart out there.

GALLERY