All language subtitles for ITV.Joanna.Lumleys.Silk.Road.Adventure.2of4.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org-eng

Doesn't really matter where
you cross a border,

or into which country.
There's always a queue.

I'm leaving Turkey behind,
and crossing the border

into Georgia.

Just a small country.

Vitally important for trade
of all kinds,

and for the Silk Road in particular.

Despite its neighbours being
incredibly overbearing

and important -
to the north, Russia,

to the south, Turkey and Iran.

Georgia's always remained
fiercely independent.

Of itself, its culture,

its extraordinary alphabet...

I've never been here before.

I can't wait to explore it.

This is the second leg of my journey
along the legendary Silk Road.

A network of ancient trade routes

that stretch 7,000 miles

between Europe and China.

So far, I've met the Master silk
weavers of Venice,

Gee whiz! Respect!

And visited the hardy shepherds of
Turkey's Eastern Highlands.

No, thank you!
LAUGHTER

Ahead of me, to the north, is wild,

and intoxicating Georgia.

Luckily, I'm not driving
us back through the river.

A country steeped
in Silk Road history.

These little darlings have made
people richer than a king's ransom!

I'll cross the majestic
Caucasus mountains.

This is so beautiful!

And uncover ancient
traditions in Azerbaijan.

The mysterious
and booming land of fire.

It's like standing on the back
of a whale!

Follow me,
on my Silk Road adventure!

Just over the border,
on the shores of the Black Sea,

lies the city of Batumi.

During the Soviet era,
the border with Turkey was closed.

And Batumi was a bit of backwater.

The past 15 years, it's suddenly
exploded into this huge,

flourishing international
holiday resort.

But this isn't a holiday.

I want to get to know
the real Georgia.

So my first stop is its capital,
Tbilisi.

Georgia is a country
of four million people

at the crossroads
of Europe and Asia.

Today, it's a democratic Republic.

But, until 1991,
it was part of the Soviet Union.

When I hear the name Tbilisi,
I'm reminded of war zones

and civil strife.

It's one of the great
cities of the Silk Road.

It's got hints of old
Soviet occupation,

but hints of a grander
and finer and earlier Georgia.

Great golden George and the Dragon.

George, the patron saint of Georgia,
of course.

In the Georgian language,
the word 'tbili' means warm.

The city takes its name from over
30 hot springs

which provided a respite

for weary Silk Road travellers.

Beautiful balconies.

And all these houses say,
"for rent".

Think of living up there!

Under that beautiful castle wall.

Over the past decade,

Tbilisi has as cast off
its Soviet past

and is reinventing
itself as a buzzing tourist town.

There's a thriving restaurant scene.

A bit of gorgeousness here.

Sulguni cheese
fried in a clay pan.

That's supper for me tonight.

And the city even has its own
fashion week,

That's attracting serious
international attention.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Eddy and Patsy would feel
right at home.

Thrilled.

The woman behind it
is former model,

Tako Chkeidze.
Hello?

Hello, Tako!
Hi, how are you?

How lovely...
Lovely to meet you!

You look sensational!
Thank you!

How old were you when you
started modelling?

Oh, I started
when I was 14 years old.

And at that time, in Georgia,
it was a little bit difficult.

The fashion scene was really,
really slow.

It must have been a very different
country under the Soviet Union.

And in the 1990s,
it was a tough time, wasn't it?

A really tough time.
Tell me about that a bit.

We had war...

We had civil war,
and there was no electricity,

it was cold, it was...

LAUGHS

Even, we had huge lines for the...

to buy bread!

Yeah.
Yeah, and...

Georgian people are really unique.

In that tough period,

everyone were like close
to each other, I think.

And that survived us.

TANKS BLAST, MACHINE GUNS FIRE

The collapse of the Soviet Union
and the ensuing civil war,

brought fighting
to the streets of Tbilisi.

The scars of which
are still visible today.

HARP PLAYS

Take a stroll through the old town

and many of its beautiful 19th
century townhouses are falling down.

But there is one remarkable
survivor.

This stunning house was built over
100 years ago, and was lived in,

since then, by the same family.

The Kipshidze family.

It's the last intact 19th century
townhouse in the whole of Tbilisi.

Eliso is the
great-great-granddaughter

of the original owner.

How lovely to meet you!
Thank you...

She and her family have spent the
last seven years

restoring the house.

GASPS: Oh!

You can see how beautiful it was

when it was first done. This
original green colour? Yes, it is.

It's all original.
And ornate plaster work.

Yes, it is.

WHISPERS: I love this house!

When was it built?

It was built in 1897.

It's one-of-a-kind
in the 19th-century. Old Tbilisi.

It's gorgeous.
And there's the skylight up there,

with coloured glass around it.

In my little humble house in London,

the back door into the garden

has just this coloured glass
around it.

So now when I look at it,
I shall think, it's Tbilisi glass.

I'll think of that link.

The house's crowning glory
is its beautiful balcony,

which is decorated with hints
of Tbilisi's Silk Road past.

Look at this!

What is this colour?

Er, this we call piruzi.

Piruzi... But, that's like firuze.

That's like, Persian for turquoise!

It is! Yes, yes, yes.

So you've got Persian words
in Georgian language?

Yes. I think quite a big percentage.

I think this is something to do with
all the travelling in the Silk Road.

And Tbilisi was
so central to all of this.

Influences coming in all the time.

Languages, culture, food...

Architecture! Of course.

When I come and live here, I'll...
Please do! Really!

When I come and live in Tbilisi,

I'm going to buy one of the old
falling-down houses

and restore it.
Because they're too lovely.

They mustn't disappear.

The ancient kingdom of Georgia

goes back over a thousand years.

But it's often been
threatened by powerful neighbours.

The Mongols, the Persians, Ottomans

and the Russians have
all ruled this land.

Throughout centuries
of conquest and invasion,

it's often been culture
that's kept Georgian identity alive.

DRUMS BEAT

And Tbilisi's
Sukhishvili Dance Company,

quite literally embodies
that fighting spirit.

Nino Sukhishvili,
the company manager,

has invited me to watch a rehearsal.

This is... The physicality
of it is just extraordinary.

And that's the real swords.

You could see sparks
flying off them.

You need to have
good fighting skills,

and training a lot.

LIVELY GEORGIAN MUSIC

Each dance is inspired
by a different region

of the country.

And a different chapter
of Georgian history.

You know, Georgia is just
in the middle of Europe and Asia,

this famous great Silk Road
came through Georgia.

So, it's a lot of influences.

And during the centuries

we keep dances, language,
customs, history...

I think it's one of the ways to keep
identity of Georgian people.

People feel the history

and traditions through the dances.

Well, it's completely thrilling!

I feel dazzled...

I feel overwhelmed!

It's overwhelming.

The company has been
promoting Georgian identity

around the world for over 70 years.

Nino designs all the traditional
costumes herself.

This is all handmade.

It's a silk,

or real wool...

Some of costumes are about

five or six kilos.

That's so heavy, let me help you.

Now, look, I tell you,
as if it weren't heavy enough,

look what Nino has managed
to attach to it... Chains!

And this thick wool,
beautiful wool coat...

What have you got under here?

Oh, my lord, look at this.

We've got layers of petticoats,
we've got under skirts...

You're a torturer!
LAUGHS

JOANNA GASPS: Can I try a crown on?
Yes.

Is it on the front of the forehead?

Yes. That's for a real queen.
You look like a real queen.

You know I don't,
but I'm thrilled just to hear that.

You sweet girl, thank you.

Folk dancing is now so popular
in Georgia,

that one in three children
takes lessons.

Do you like dancing?
Yes? You like to dance?

Yes, I like it.

A new generation is keeping that
fighting spirit alive.

APPLAUSE

That's so lovely.

What a privilege to watch
the Sukhishvili company at work.

I adore watching rehearsals.

I adore watching the muscles,
and the energy...

And the dedication
and the brilliance.

And at the heart of it is Georgia.

Keeping Georgia's identity alive.

Georgia's culture.

Every part of it was ravishing.

And now I'm wishing all over again
that I'd been a dancer.

My next incarnation,
I shall be a dancer.

And I'm going to walk
out of this like a dancer.

I've got to leave now.

Leaving Tbilisi is a wrench.

It's such a fabulous,
buzzy, buzzy city.

To the north-west
lie the mighty Caucasus mountains,

which stretch almost a thousand
miles from the Black Sea

to the Caspian

forming a natural
border with Russia.

I'm following in the footsteps

of the most intrepid
Silk Road travellers.

This road was only opened in 1934.

Before then,
the only way to get up the mountains

was by horse and cart,
or on foot.

Little rough tracks.

Through these unbelievable forests

and sheer, sheer mountainsides.

Look at that! That's the Caucasus!

DRAMATIC VIOLIN MUSIC

Wow!

Alpine pastures.

Great, white peaks,

just coming up out of
the clouds behind.

Then, just rolling on around.

And this isn't even the highest
part of them.

Here we are, in mid summer,

with snow, snow, snow.

This region was terribly
cut-off before the road was here.

It meant that they developed
a completely separate

and singular,
terribly interesting culture.

And ahead of me lies the region

where that remarkable culture
lives on.

I'm going by car. You have to walk.

Quite easy.
Chaps did it in the old days...

OK.

Close to the Russian border
lies Svaneti,

one of the remotest regions
in Georgia.

Because of its isolation,
the Georgian Kings and Queens

of the Middle Ages would send their
treasures here for safekeeping.

And a unique culture developed,

untouched by the outside world.

Like all high mountain villages,

it's got an Alpine air.

It's full of butterflies and bees,

and beautiful flowers.

Ox-eye daisies, vetch...
Got potatoes growing here.

INHALES DEEPLY

In the air,
the smell of wood smoke,

because I think someone's baking
bread or something.

It's fabulous.

And everywhere, these...

immense and terribly strange towers.

These towers, unique to Svaneti,

were built between the ninth

and 13th centuries as lookout posts.

And as places of refuge,
in times of conflict.

Cowpats, watch out.

In the village of Laghami,

Reizo Khadjoliani
is taking me to visit

one of Svaneti's great treasures.

A place few outsiders get to see.

Oh, Reizo,
what a beautiful little church!

I'm going to put on the scarf.

Remember my convent training.

IN GEORGIAN: Thank you.

GASPS: Look at this!

This is
The Church of the Transfiguration,

which has stood here
for over a thousand years.

MONKS CHOIR

Oh, Reizo, look at this!

These astonishing frescoes were
created in the 13th century.

They tell the story
of the Svan people's unique faith,

a mixture of Orthodox Christianity,
and pagan worship.

Look at the study of this
man's face.

It's absolutely extraordinary
to think it was painted

in the 13th century. 12-something.

The paintings
range from pre-Christian goddesses,

to more familiar saints.

We all love somebody who will
slay dragons for us.

And here he is.
Looking actually like a teenager.

It's very, very beautifully done.

At the time of the Silk Road,

the mountain passes through Svaneti
were important trading routes.

Today, across the region,
these old paths are being restored.

This is The Trans-Caucasian Trail.

And the idea is, that eventually,

it will spread a thousand miles
across the Caucasus mountains

allowing walkers to follow
in the footsteps

of original Silk Road traders

and see these fabulous
mountains for themselves.

And Kichkhuldashi,
which is where I'm aiming for,

is only ten minutes to go,
which is great.

Because if I was going to Phari,
it'd be another three hours

and 15 minutes.

Come on,
just little bit more puff-pant.

Follow, follow.

The tough life here has prompted
many Svan people to abandon

the mountains
and move to the cities.

In 1987, a series of avalanches
killed around a hundred people.

Since then,
there's been a steep decline

in the population here.

There's nobody around.

But some people
are determined to hang on.

OK, I'm going to ring the bell...

BELL RINGS OUT

Valeri and Marovi Blirani
are the last remaining

residents of Kichkhuldashi.

They've invited me to stay
the night.

How lovely to meet you.

THUNDER ECHOES

Maro! How lovely to meet you, Maro.
Listen to the thunder!

With the nearest
town over an hour away,

Valeri and Maro are almost
completely self-sufficient.

GASPS: Look! Beautiful cheese.

This is so beautiful.

It must make your heart happy

every morning when you look out.

Me too.
That's what children should love.

Nature, and work!

Valeri keeps pigs,

chickens and a herd of dairy cows.

And he grows almost
all his own vegetables.

JOANNA WHISPERS: Oh, Valeri!

This farm has been handed down
through generations of his family.

In the winter, how do you
manage with all the snow and ice?

You're cut off up here!

My grandmother said,
you can't live on views alone.

There's something about this place
that restores the soul.

Georgians are famous
for their hospitality.

Valeri and Maro have invited me
to share a traditional dinner,

known as 'supra',

consisting entirely of produce
from their farm.

Oh...
Thank you, Valeri.

Maro, may I try some of your
homemade cheese?

Just made, up on this hillside,

by you.

A bit of this?
A little bit of salt on it.

Georgian dinners are traditionally
accompanied by toasts.

And Valeri is leading
the way with some 'Chacha',

a potent spirit which
he makes with wild pears.

Madloba. Madloba. Madloba.

How gorgeous.

I'd never heard of chacha
before this generous introduction,

but Georgian wines from Kakheti
are justly world famous.

Look at these vines, everywhere.

The tradition of making wine
here goes back even further

than the Georgian nation itself.

Archaeologists have discovered
evidence of people making wine here

8,000 years ago.

Across the Kakheti region,

there are even old monasteries
that make their own vintages.

I'm meeting up with one of the
youngest winemakers in the country.

Hello, Joanna!
Oh, Shota!

How lovely to meet you.

Shota Lagazidze is only
28 years old.

But he's already become
one of the most

talked-about winemakers in Georgia.

Yeah, please.
Thank you, Shota.

I shall follow you.
Yeah, this is our wine cellar.

In the rest of the world,
most wine is made by removing

the skin from the grapes
and fermenting the fruit

in wooden barrels.

But in Georgia,
they do things differently.

This is the qvevri,

which is the old vessel which
we are using to make wine.

Has this got wine in it?

No, this is empty.

It's waiting for harvest time.

We crush the full amount
of grapes inside

and then start the fermentation.

We have a special stick, there,

which helps us
to mix the fermentation process.

I love it!

When all the skins come up,
so we push them on back

and leave the wine with the skins

about five, six,
sometimes seven months.

You know, Shota,
I think if one of those ancient

winemakers came back
from 8,000 years ago

and came in here,
he'd feel completely at home.

Yeah!
He'd see everything undisturbed.

Shota's harvest comes from just
half a hectare of vineyard.

To get there,
we're taking the scenic route.

Our first harvest was 2015.

We had only 900 bottles.

Just four qvevris,
and we drink 500 ourselves.

LAUGHTER

Shota, we seem to have
come to a river.

Yeah. It's just a small part.

Oh. We go across this? Yeah.

Hoo-hoo!

The water is pretty low.

Sometimes, it's pretty high.

Oh, Shota, what an extraordinary
life you lead. It's brilliant.

Yeah, and it's extreme too!

Of the thousands of grape
varieties in the world,

an incredible 500 of them

are Georgian in origin.

This is mostly the kartli,

which is a white grape variety,

and the most popular grapes
in the Kakheti region.

Yeah? So, the white grapes,
if you just ferment the juice,

it becomes just
the usual white wine.

If you use even a little
bit of skin contact,

several days, or several weeks,

it gets this beautiful amber colour.

I have to tell you,

I am suddenly longing

for a glass of your wine.
CHUCKLES

I have been known to enjoy the odd
glass of red and white in my time.

But, unbelievably...

CORK POPS
I've never tasted amber wine before.

Amber colour, for me,

it makes wine delicious.

Well, that's just gorgeous!

Full of fruit, full of earth,

I can taste the ground.

I mean...

Not horrible earth,

EARTH.
I can taste the world.

I think cos it's fermented
in a qvevri

which is buried underground, so...

It does taste completely different!

It's absolutely beautiful.

Luckily, I'm not driving us
back through the river.

CHUCKLES

Maybe try the second bottle now,
Sh-Shot?

While the tradition of winemaking
has changed little

since ancient times,

in this part of Georgia,

the product that gave
the Silk Road its name

is in decline.

The towns here were once thriving
hubs of silk production.

But with the collapse
of the Soviet Union,

the industry died out.

There is, however, one remarkable
woman who's hoping to revive it.

Lamara?
Joanna! Hello!

How lovely to meet you.

Come! Thank you.

Here, in the village
of Magharo, Lamara Bejashvili is

famous for what she keeps
in the shed bottom of the garden.

I'm guessing this is where all
the action takes place.

GASPS

Look! Lamara!

Silk!
Silkworms, cocoons!

CATCHES BREATH

Lamara produces silk by harvesting

a miraculous natural phenomenon.

The dense cocoon of silk
thread produced

by every silkworm
during its life-cycle.

Look at that lovely little creature!

And there...
Look, a fully grown,

much, much bigger one.

1,500 metres?

GASPS

How extraordinary,
that an animal can produce this...

incredibly strong stuff,

just out of its own system.

Just out of its mouth.

To grow it
round and round and round.

Keep wrapping round and round,

twisting and turning.

These feel absolutely beautiful.

They're not cold, they're not slimy,
they're smooth

and soft,
and its little inquisitive face

and its little tiny,
tiny feet underneath...

Look, it's listening
to me talking about it.

Little thing!

It's a kind of miracle, isn't it?

Absolutely stunning.

And when do you feed them, Lamara?

Silkworms live off mulberry leaves,

which, apparently,
also have miraculous properties.

Very good antiseptic?
How extraordinary!

The silkworms used
in commercial silk production

don't exist in the wild.

They've been selectively
bred over centuries,

so they depend on humans
to feed them.

Look, they are starting here,
to start eating.

The noise of these little guys
eating, it sounds like rain falling.

Oh, Lamara, that's wonderful!

Just the softest tick-tick...

These little darlings
have made people

richer than a king's ransom!

Richer then the richest person
you can ever think of.

Just by producing
what's natural to them,

and to us, is desired!

WHISPERS: Silk!

I'm wearing one as a brooch,

because I have become
very attached to him.

In traditional silk production,

once the cocoons are ready
for harvesting,

they're boiled to soften the thread.

But sadly,
silkworms die as a result.

A new, more humane method
has been developed,

which allows the moths
to hatch naturally.

It's a more expensive process,

but it's kinder to these
remarkable creatures.

And here it is.

A cloud of brilliance.

Something so valuable,

that one of the great trading routes
in the world is named after it.

GIGGLES

It's always hard to leave a country
you've fallen in love with.

But the Silk Road leads on...

to Azerbaijan!

It says,

"Azerbaijan border... Good luck!"

It's rather sweet that, isn't it?

This is the border crossing
between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

By the way, whenever I wear
striped clothes like this,

it's a tribute
to Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock.

I just thought I'd let you know
that The King is always with me.

Have a nice day.

Madloba. Thank you so much.
Goodbye.

This is my first visit
to Azerbaijan.

I have no idea what to expect.

Immediately, it
just feels completely different.

I don't know what it is.
The landscape's different...

Honestly, these avenues!

These wide avenues...

It makes you feel like you could
almost be in France!

Azerbaijan is a country
of nearly 10 million people

sandwiched between Russia and Iran.

Formerly a Soviet Republic,

since 1993,
it's been ruled by one family.

Look, here's the poster
of Heydar Aliyev.

Founding father
of modern Azerbaijan.

And no matter what
you might think about him,

you will never escape him...

because his poster is everywhere.

WHISPERS: Watching you!

70 miles from the border lies
the city of Sheki.

Once a vital stop on the Silk Road,

linking Azerbaijan
to the northern trade routes

through the Caucasus mountains.

Its artisan crafts
and renowned silk industry

attracted huge merchant caravans

from Europe and across Central Asia.

The city built grand
accommodations to host them.

GASPS

So this is a caravanserai.

Wow.

Huge doors,
so that the camels, fully laden,

can come walking in here,

into this central courtyard
and what a relief,

not only for the merchants,
but for the creatures themselves.

To come into this great cool dome.

Perhaps, to take a sip of water.

And this huge courtyard
is where the camels would finally

crumple up on their great legs
and lie down.

And all of the goods would
be taken off them.

All of the merchants
would sleep in these rooms.

These rather monastic rooms
around the side.

It's a brilliant idea.

And now that they've restored
this lovely caravanserai,

they've made it into a hotel!

And I'm staying the night here!

But before that,
there's time for tea.

Sheki style.

This town is famous
for its luscious, sugary treats.

The perfect pick-me-up
for a weary Silk Road traveller.

Look at these.
These are like doughnuts.

I might drop some of these,
because I'm eating disgustingly.

These are white cherries.

I might have to eat one of those.

They are so sweet, honestly,

you can feel your teeth
loosening in their sockets.

This is halva.

It's calling out, "Eat me."

I could sit here today slowly,
slowly eating through the whole lot.

Then by the end,
crazed with a sugar rush.

Sheki's pivotal position on the
Silk Road meant it was fought over,

and changed hands many times.

Despite the history of conflict,
one ruling power left

an astonishing legacy.

In the 18th century,

this part of Azerbaijan
was ruled by Persian governors

known as khans and they built
this summer palace here.

An absolutely stupefying palace.

Simply because of these
immense trees.

They're called chinar trees.

So, when the Khan saw these
two great trees,

which were quite a height already,

they thought, this will make
a cooling umbrella

for this fa-a-bulous little palace.

The palace was completed in 1762

as a place for the Khan
to entertain important guests.

It took two years to build,

but eight years to decorate.

WHISTLES

Stunning, stunning work.

Majestic.

This astonishing
sort of Bayeux tapestry

of history, of hunting scenes,

of battles,

of Khans riding here.

The room's most remarkable feature

is the delicate
stained-glass windows.

Made using a special Azeri technique

known as shebeki.

Look at this work here,
it's beautiful!

That's over the top of it,
but this is set-in.

This is set-in.

All of his glass is put together
with no glue, no nails,

and it comes from Murano, in Venice.

And it travelled here
all the way on the back of a horse!

And all around, Islamic shapes.

Look at that!

Can you imagine, you came to Sheki,

if you are a great trader,

and if the Khan let you in...

If you're bringing some treats,
some gold, some silver...

Some glass!
He might let you in.

And you'd sit there,
looking at this, going,

AMERICAN SOUTH ACCENT:
"Oh, my Lord!"

WHISPERS: If you came from
America...to the Silk Road.

I'm leaving Sheki
and travelling east

to the centre of Azerbaijan.

The village of Baskal
is famous for a product

traded for centuries

that embodies the very essence
of the Silk Road.

Yes, here we are. Look!

There's the sign of the silk.

Kela..guy..you? Kela..guy..yee?

Kelaghayi. Kelaghayi.

Kelaghayi are exquisite silk scarves

unique to Azerbaijan.

Which, over the ages,

have been exported from Baskal

to Persia, Russia, India and Europe.

Marco Polo visited Azerbaijan
in 1293

and he wrote in his memoirs,

"Nowhere in the world
have I seen such products

"of silk and brocade,
as are made here."

They're the traditional
headscarves of the Azeri women.

They're full of symbols,
mysterious symbols...

Quite a lot of them
have links to the Silk Road.

The scarves are individually
printed by master artisans.

Abbas Ali uses 300-year-old
carved wooden stamps.

What is the symbol that you're
going to be putting on here?

Abbas, I was born in the mountains,

can I have a go at doing mountains?

What is this stuff? What is it?

CHUCKLES

So... I've got to shake it
a bit more than that?

Abbas has been printing scarves
for over 20 years.

And it's harder than it looks!

Oh, look! Sorry...

Sorry. That was awful.

I didn't shake it enough.

It's important to get it right.

These ancient designs

are cherished symbols
of Azeri culture.

Better?

Once the scarves have been printed,

then it's time
for the real alchemy to begin.

The dyeing process.

This is the beautiful
preparation of all the dyes

before the silks are dipped into it.

Here, this extraordinary tree bark
is being boiled

and it's bringing the most
wonderful yellow colour.

Whoa!

Look at that, Abbas!

It's divine!

Vivid turquoise
coming over from the corner

being tipped into that barrel.

And now, just stirring, here.

You see,
you have to be a master artist

to judge things by eye.

All of this is done without
any kind of measurement at all.

Except he knows the colours,
he knows the quantities.

With each dipping, it's getting sort
of richer, and darker, and greener.

Beautiful!

Look at that colour!

In 2014, the Kelaghayi scarves
of Azerbaijan

were recognised by UNESCO

as part of the intangible heritage
of mankind.

It's impossible to leave a place
like this without wanting

just a little memory...

You can't blame me!

I mean, quite honestly, I think
something like this will link me

to the Silk Road forever.

Knowing that through time,

people have been wearing
these same symbols...

..that I have now got
around my neck.

Like that.

And, may never take off again.

I'm certainly
sleeping in this tonight.

If rural Azerbaijan is still
steeped in ancient traditions,

as we approach the capital Baku,

we're entering a modern region

shaped by business and industry.

As we get closer to the Caspian Sea,

the landscape has changed
completely.

All the greenery's gone

and it's become much more dry,

and desert-like.

That's because we're entering
oil country.

There are places that
the oil and gas

are so close to the surface,

that the ground is actually...

on fire!

It's burning.

And that's one of the reasons
why Azerbaijan is called

"The Land of Fire."

Baku experienced its first
oil boom in the 1870s.

By 1901,
the city was producing

around half the crude oil
in the entire world.

Production fluctuated
during the Soviet era,

but over the last 15 years,

the industry has been booming all
over again.

The population of Baku has
climbed to 2.5 million.

Wealth from the oil and gas
industry is fuelling a staggering

architectural explosion.

What a city this is!

Everywhere I look,
there's something new springing up.

It's bizarre!

Down by the waterfront
lies the Carpet Museum.

Literally, like a rolled-up carpet.

And then there's the space-age
Heydar Aliyev centre,

designed by renowned architect,

Zaha Hadid.
Amazing.

But perhaps the most extraordinary

of Baku's recent architectural
triumphs,

are the Flame Towers.

A trio of skyscrapers
designed to resemble

shimmering tongues of fire.

They're home to a spectacular hotel.

WHISTLES

Will you look at that!
It looks like...

a thousand diamond necklaces!

Raphael? I'm Joanna.

Raphael, head of public relations,
is more than happy

to whisk me up to the 28th floor

for a personal tour
of the exclusive Royal Suite.

I'm not so great on heights.

Has it got good views
out over the city?

You will like it.
SHE WHISPERS: I can't wait!

You will like it, it's wonderful.

GASPS

Look at THIS!

It's magic!

And you see the great Caspian Sea

wrapping all the way around here.

I can't believe it.

We're so high!

I'm now royalty.
Where do I go?

Let me take you.

And here we are.

Oh, saints alive!

It's HUGE!

It is a palace.
Yes.

And I think for royalty,

they want to feel at home.
Absolutely.

I'm going to explore.

Ooh...
It's a kitchen!

Things gushing and cooking
and roasting!

I think people are so rich
they bring their own silver.

This is where you could play
Scrabble with the children.

I'm sure I've got some children.

Let's get them in here.

Oh, now a change. Carpet.

Oh, I see,
we're in the master bedroom.

It's lovely and cool.

CHUCKLES: Oh, this is the bathroom!

His and hers basins.

Oh, do tell me about today, darling.
Was it fun?

Yes! It was so amusing,
I can't tell you.

LAUGHS HAUGHTILY

Was it? How amusing...

Put champagne down there please.
Yes, thank you.

CHUCKLES THROUGH TEETH

SUNGLASSES CLATTER TO FLOOR

I feel this is a very vulgar
question.

But could you tell me,
how much it costs?

Per night?

5,000 Euros plus.

THEY LAUGH

That's so discreet, "plus."

I think I would be on the plus.

Yeah, on the plus.

Oh, how fantastic.

I think that might be
a bit beyond our budget.

So I'm just going to stand here,

and admire the view
until I get thrown out.

For all of Baku's modernity,

old traditions
are still dearly cherished.

This ancient Muslim shrine
on the outskirts of the city

provides a mysterious
healing treatment.

For centuries,
people have been flocking to this

shrine for an extraordinary
folk ritual.

It's called 'childagh.'

And it's a treatment to alleviate
stress, anxiety,

nervousness and fear.

Now, I've never thought of myself
as a particularly nervous person,

but I think all of us have
a little bundle of fear

we keep knotted inside our rib cage,
and I'm no different.

It would be nice to get rid of that.

So here goes.

Salam.

Thank you.

The treatment involves having
a burning roll of cloth,

like a cigar,

stubbed onto specific nerve
endings around the body.

The idea is,
it stimulates the circulation,

and the nervous system.

The first part of the ritual
finishes with a blessing.

How lovely.

To complete my treatment,

I'm sent outside for stage II.

WOMAN WHISPERS HEALING CANTATION

Is that good? Thank you!
Thank you...

So, I did blink, but, you know...

I didn't jump out of my skin.

The bottle smashing ritual
may seem surprising,

but many people place
great faith in it.

GLASS BREAKING

Do you feel calmer already?

Good.

Tomorrow, good.

Good luck.

CHUCKLES
That's wonderful.

Well, that was most enlightening.

And I'm going to become a much
calmer and better person.

Much better.

Obviously, not very good
at leaving frame, but, you know...

Despite the reverence for
old traditions, Baku's passion

for futuristic architecture
shows no sign of letting up.

This massive shopping
and entertainment complex

is the newest kid on the block.

It's modelled on the eight-pointed

star at the centre
of the Azeri flag.

This is going to be one of the most

ambitious projects
in the whole of Baku.

And that's saying something!

It's the Caspian Waterfront Centre.

Does it remind you of anything?

That's because the people
that made the Sydney Opera House

have come here to make the roofs.

I wonder what it's like up there?

Oh, Randolph! How are you, Joanna?
Hardhat...

Developer Randolph Decker is putting
my fear of heights to the test.

Do I have to bend my legs
inside out and backwards?

Let's see if that bottle-smashing
treatment has actually worked.

I'm tied onto the roof.

So even if I just go "ahh!"
like a girly, and fall off,

I'll be attached.
Erm, and now we are going up.

OK. I'm going to hold onto you
like a child.

Can I hold onto the back
of your harness?

Or, do you mind holding my hand?
No! Absolutely not.

I love that!

Oh, my, giddy aunt!

Check this out!

Wow-how-how!

Fear of heights...
What fear of heights?!

Well, this is just...
Here we are!

..unbelievable.

It's like standing on the back
of a whale, isn't it?

A surfacing whale.
Have you ever done that?

This is amazing.

You've got the great Caspian Sea,

and there is the centrepiece,

which is shaped like a flame,
it's going to be...

It's representing fire,
that, isn't it?

Yep. And you can actually see
on the top there,

somebody's in the restaurant level.
Yeah?

And you go up two levels,
there's an outdoor

"bird's nest",
we'll call it. Up at the top.

It's looking pretty good.

I think what's been great
about Baku is,

I think all of the developers
here compete with each other.

Yeah.

To try to outdo
the last guy's project.

And I'm hoping we're making a
pretty good stand with this project.

This is just the most extraordinary
city I've ever been in.

It seems to be old,

it seems to be new,

it seems to be on fire.

And this is booming.

That's the oil boom,
but that's the Baku boom.

Look at it!

Well, what a thrilling journey
this has been.

From the Black Sea, to the Caspian.

In the shadow of the Caucasus
mountains through cities

and countryside
I just couldn't imagine.

And ending back here, in Baku...

Booming city!

But something very exciting
has just happened.

After months of negotiations,
we finally got access

to one of the most astonishing
and intriguing countries

on the Silk Road.

With a history and culture
that shaped the world.

I mean, the scale of it!

It's Iran!

So, see you, in Persepolis!

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