Stan's the Man I: Central Asian Geography by Abhi

Long ago, the Silk Road was the main passage by which people encountered the multicolored region of Central Asia. Today, the People's Republic of China is attempting to reestablish the region's importance through a massive infrastructure project that will connect it to the rest of Eurasia. What is the name of this initiative?

For the rest of us, the easiest way to get to the area is by flying. Name any of the three airlines that serve every core Central Asian country (the first five listed in the quiz description). Hint: None of them are actually based in the region.

One of the great myths about the Silk Road is that it was, well, a road. Rather, many of its way stations are high in the mountains, where travelers could hide from bandits along the way. What is the main mountain range that forms the region's eastern border with China, also called the "Tengri Tagh?"

Chinese influence is surprisingly limited in the region, mostly because of this geographic barrier--but it exists nevertheless. Name the Chinese muslim minority that has influenced Kyrgyz and Kazakh cuisine and still lives in significant numbers in these countries, cooking up such dishes as Lagman and Ashlyanfu.

Many peoples' familiarity with the region comes from articles about the shrinking Aral Sea. However, locals are likely to be more familiar with a different lake in Kyrgyzstan, the second largest saline lake in the world by volume and a popular summer destination for tourists. Name the lake.

Near Issyk Kul is Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek. The city's airport is named for which semi-historical figure and epic hero, who appears in at least 10 city statues, multiple street names, and three university names?

A little to the west--with every day, Uzbekistan is getting more open and tourist friendly, thanks to rapid reforms by its new president (following the death of its dictator in 2016)--reforms which hopefully will stick. Name either the current president or the person he replaced.

Not that Uzbekistan isn't already an amazing place to visit! Tourists are often pleasantly surprised to find a high-speed rail line connecting the three cities that draw the most tourists--Tashkent, and which two ancient Silk Road depots? Name either.

Though these three are all large cities, most of Uzbekistan's population is concentrated in which valley, whose territory it shares with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan? Despite the name, it's not particularly known for black-eyed pea production.

If you drive south from this valley to Dushanbe, you might pass the unbelievably beautiful lake of Iskanderkul. As suggested by the name, which famous conqueror is said to have lost his horse to drowning in the lake's waters?

Dushanbe itself is home to a very particular type of structure--one of only five in the world, with others in London, Lisbon, Burnaby (near Vancouver), and Toronto. What is the name of the group that built the structure, who consider the Aga Khan their leader?

The southern border of Tajikistan is marked by the Amu Darya river, which continues into Turkmenistan. What was the name of the river in antiquity, referenced in the westernized name of the region and in Greek literature?