Chris Aslan

Biography

A specialist on Central Asia, Chris Aslan is an accomplished author, lecturer and cultural specialist with a unique background bridging the worlds of academia and adventurous travel.

Chris studied at Leicester University, and later at Oxford University, where he also rowed competitively. Today, he lectures regularly for the Arts Society, writes both fiction and non-fiction, and continues to explore the cultures of Central Asia – an enduring passion that has shaped much of his life and work. His latest book, Unravelling the Silk Road, reflects both his deep expertise and enduring affection for the region.

Chris has spent more than 15 years living and working across Central Asia. In Uzbekistan's desert oasis of Khiva, he founded a UNESCO-sponsored workshop reviving 15th-century carpet and embroidery techniques. The project grew to become the largest non-governmental employer in the town. His time in Khiva ended when he was deported during an anti-Western crackdown, prompting a return to the UK and the writing of his acclaimed memoir, A Carpet Ride to Khiva. Following this, Chris lived in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, where he worked with yak herders to collect the animals’ down (a material similar to cashmere). He then spent several years in Kyrgyzstan’s vast walnut forests, establishing a sustainable wood-carving workshop rooted in traditional design.

His global perspective is informed by a richly textured personal history. He was born in Turkey and raised between there and war-torn Beirut. After finishing school, he spent two years at sea, an early chapter in what would become a life of continuous exploration and cultural immersion.

Now based in the mountains of North Cyprus, where he lives in a house overlooking the sea and is “overrun by cats,” Chris continues to write and lecture while returning to Central Asia as often as possible to lead cultural tours.