I started out on something just a year ago based on asking ‘why not’ instead of ‘why’, and what a journey that has led me on. I have met many interesting people, learnt a lot about running a trading business, spent time understanding what is important to me and been humbled by the unwavering support of my family and friends. And today a service provider to the company I previously worked for said to me ‘In a world where people tend to be “ruthless” to get on, you manage by being the opposite and working on the goodwill that generates. There is hope in this world of ours.’ I don’t know if he knows it but he made my day. I hope someone makes your day special. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the year ahead.
Welcome to Arastan
Arastan was an online store that curated rare and handpicked treasures from exotic bazaars along the ancient silk route. Unfortunately we ceased trading in early 2014.
You can read about the reasons for closure.
You can still browse some of the products we used to have via the category links above, although none of these are available for purchase.
Relive our travels and stories by browsing our articles and archives from the menus below.
Browse all our articles
- ►Creating Arastan (42)
- ►Craft Heritage (18)
- ►Afghanistan (1)
- ►Caucasus (7)
- ►India (8)
- ►Iran (1)
- ►Morocco (11)
- ►Thailand (2)
- ►Turkey (11)
- ►Turkmenistan (1)
- ►Uzbekistan (34)
- ►Events (12)
- ►Creating Arastan (42)
Browse our archives
- ► 2014
- ► 2013
- ► 2012
- ► December
- ► November
- ► October
- The Silk Route - India Today Home
- Banarasi Brocade, Mirzapur Carpets, Fantastic Samosas and some Soul-searching (Part I)
- Arastan Gift Cards
- Festive Carpet Offer
- Alisher Nazirov (Master Ceramist from Rishtan)
- Rustam Usmanov (Master Ceramist from Rishtan)
- Kaivalam to Iran: Antique Suzanis and Other Hand-crafted Treasures
- ► September
- ► August
- ► July
- ► June
- ► May
- ► March
- Fergana Valley: Ceramic, Ikat and Shavla
- The Tashkent Zoroastrians
- Bukhara in a Cold Sweat
- In Search of Zoroastrianism
- Happy Women and Mortifying Men
- Mosques, Mausoleums and Me
- Mobbed in Urgut and Stunned by Samarkand
- Beautiful Iroqi Embroidery and the Ak-Saray in Shakhrisabz
- Fabulous Suzanis, Terrible Toilets and Buzkashi
- To the South: Termez
- Exhausted (after orange lemons at Chorsu Bazaar and exquisite miniatures at Abulkasim Medressa)
- ► February
- ► January
- ▼ 2011
- ▼ December
- ► November
- ► September
- ► August
- ► July
- ► April
- ► March
- ► February
- Day 10: Windchilled in Bukhara!
- Day 9: Three Show Stoppers, 'I am a Disco Dancer' in Shakhrisabz, Rip-off in Bukhara
- Day 8: Ulugbek's Observatory, Registan and a Search Mission for Calligraphy
- Day 7: Mobbed in a Bazaar!
- Day 6: To Samarkand!
- Day 5 - Snow in Tashkent!
- Day 4: In Margilon – the land of Ikats!
- Day 3: Fergana to Rishton
- Day 2: To the Fergana Valley
- Changing Money in Uzbekistan
- Day 1: Valentine's Day in Tashkent!
- Eventful flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Visiting Master Craftsmen In Moradabad
- Getting Closer with Brand Identity...
- More Carpets Arrive...
- ► January