Central Asia: the land of the “-stans,” wedged between China and the Middle East, conjuring dusty, distant expanses crossed by merchants with their goods on the backs of Bactrian camels. The land that Marco Polo supposedly — very supposedly! — passed through on his way to China. (Come hear how he might not have.)

What do we actually know about it? It seems to constantly fall through the cracks, or get remembered only as an afterthought — that is, until some European imperial power tries to get its hands on it. But is that really all there is to it? Come and get answers to all the questions you never knew you had.

https://ufind.univie.ac.at/de/course.html?lv=141667&semester=2026W