[Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan] - Georges de Meyendoff - Voyage d'Orenbourg a Boukhara, fait en 1820 - 1826

[Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan] - Georges de Meyendoff - Journey from Orenburg to Bukhara, made in 1820, across the steppes extending east of the Aral Sea and beyond the ancient Jaxartes - Paris, Librairie Orientale de Dodney-Dupre père et fils, 1826 - 508 pages - 20 x 13.5 cm

Georges de Meyendorff’s Journey from Orenbourg to Bukhara is a classic early-19th-century travel narrative describing his 1820 expedition from Orenbourg (in Russia) to Bukhara (in Central Asia).
It is one of the earliest detailed European accounts of the Kazakh steppes and the political, cultural, and economic life of Central Asia.

This work is considered an important historical source because it captures Central Asia before major Russian expansion later in the 19th century.
It blends travel writing, political reporting, and ethnography, making it valuable for historians, anthropologists, and anyone interested in the Silk Road world.

Meyendorff was part of a diplomatic mission sent by the Russian Empire to establish relations with the Emirate of Bukhara. His book documents:

Detailed descriptions of the vast Kazakh steppes east of the Aral Sea.
Encounters with nomadic Kazakh tribes, their customs, social structures, and daily life.
Observations on geography, climate, and natural resources
First-hand impressions of Bukhara, one of the great Silk Road cities.
Notes on its architecture, markets, religious institutions, and political atmosphere.
Interactions with local officials and the Emir’s court
Russia’s growing interest in Central Asia during the early 19th century
The strategic importance of Bukhara for trade and influence.
Challenges of diplomacy in a region with complex tribal and political dynamics.
Early European descriptions of Central Asian peoples
Notes on languages, clothing, food, and traditions.
Geographic and cartographic information valuable to later explorers.