People & stories

Behind every view there are people: warlords who founded cities, exiled poets, architects who gave their lives to a single church. Here are 162 historical figures linked to our destinations and 1161 local stories. History and folk legend are labelled separately, and every story has a source.

乌兹别克斯坦

14th–15th century · 1320s–1405

Timur

Founder of the Timurid Empire

2 related places

15th century · 1394–1449

Ulugh Beg

Timurid ruler and astronomer

2 related places

1526–1530

Babur, full name Zahīr al-Dīn Muhammad Babur, Persian: بابر

Early-16th-century Timurid prince of Fergana and founder of the Mughal Empire (1526–1530 as Emperor of India), also author of the *Baburnama*.

3 related places

哈萨克斯坦

1771–1781

Ablai Khan, also Abylai Khan; full name Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan

18th-century Khan of the Kazakh Khanate (1771–1781 as Khan of the unified three jüz), a commander and diplomat who rose in the Dzungar wars.

10 August 1845–6 July 1904

Abai Kunanbaiuly, also Abay Qunanbaiuly; birth name Ibrahim

19th-century Kazakh poet, thinker, composer, and enlightener, founder of Kazakh written literature.

土库曼斯坦

1064–1072

Alp Arslan, original name Muhammad bin Da'ud Chaghri

11th-century second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire (reigned 1063/1064–1072), victor of the Battle of Manzikert.

c. 1724–c. 1807 (also 1808)

Magtymguly Pyragy, Persian: مخدومقلی فراغی

18th-century Turkmen Sufi poet and thinker, founder of Turkmen written literature.

2 related places