Uzbekistan is a country with rich culture and history, located in Central Asia. It borders with Kyrgyzstan in the east; with Kazakhstan in the north, north-east and north-west; with Turkmenistan in the south and southwest, with Afghanistan in the south and with Tajikistan in the southeast.
Ancient cities with blue domes and minarets, oriental hospitality, centuries-old traditions and delicious cuisine attract people from all over the world to this amazing country, which was growing along the Great Silk Road.
To make your trip unforgettable, the Travel Land agency has compiled a list of places definitely need to visit in Uzbekistan:
Tashkent and its main attractions
Arriving in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, you should definitely visit the 375-meter-high TV tower, which is the tallest building in all of Central Asia. You can visit the observation deck and enjoy the view of the city.
One of the main attractions of the city is Amir Temur Square, built in the late 19th century. Once it was a small park and in 1994 a monument to Amir Temur was erected here.
Traveling through Uzbekistan, you should certainly visit the local Chorsu Bazaar, located in the old city and known since the Middle Ages. The bazaar attracts visitors with fresh fragrant fruits, oriental sweets, ceramic products, clay products, handmade souvenirs, books, gifts, scarves from national fabrics and much more.
Samarkand – Uzbekistan’s second largest city
Samarkand was one of the most important Silk Road cities. This ancient city is a real paradise for history lovers, as it has preserved a huge number of cultural and historical monuments, some of which are known all over the world.
Registan Square is a miracle of Central Asia, one of the main attractions not only of Samarkand, but of the whole of Uzbekistan. The square has existed for more than 6 centuries. The ensemble of three madrasas is one of the brightest examples of Islamic architecture. In 2001, this ensemble, along with other ancient historical buildings of Samarkand, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Bibi-Khanym Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia. This architectural monument of 1399-1404 was built by order of Amir Temur and named after the wife of the commander. It means “elder princess”.
Bukhara – Pearl of the East
Bukhara is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, which has preserved unique architectural monuments of all historical eras, starting from the 9th century. One of the routes of the Great Silk Road passed through the city, connecting the countries of the Mediterranean with the Far East. The age of the city exceeds 2500 years. The historic center of the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The architectural complex Poi-Kalyan is the main symbol of sacred Bukhara. From its top, Muslims of the city were called to prayer. It was erected by Karakhanid Arslankhan. The new minaret was built entirely of burnt bricks. Its height is 46.5 m, and its entire fundamental part goes to a depth of 10 m. The diameter at the base reaches 9 m. The ensemble includes 4 elements: the Kalyan mosque and the Miri-Arab madrasah facing each other, between them the Kalyan minaret, and the madrasah Amir-Alimkhan, which is south of Miri-Arab.
The Ark Citadel is the oldest archaeological site in Bukhara. The construction was carried out in the 10th century, but the earliest surviving buildings inside the walls date back to the 17th century.
Khiva – the pearl of the Khorezm oasis
Khiva located in the Khorezm region in the north-west of Uzbekistan is one of the ancient cities of Central Asia. Khiva was founded about 2500 years ago and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The ancient complex of Ichan-Kala is situated inside Khiva, was the first in Central Asia to be fully included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Ichan-Kala occupies an area of about 30 hectares and includes more than 400 traditional-style residential buildings and about 60 architectural monuments. In 1969, the inner city of Ichan-Kala received the title of historical and architectural reserve.
Kunya Ark or the old fortress is a citadel located in the inner city of Khiva, Ichan-Kala that served as one of the residences of the khans of Khorezm. The construction of the citadel began in 1686-1688. At the end of the 18th century, Kunya-Ark became a “city within a city” and was separated from Ichan-Kala by a high wall. The Kunya-Ark complex was restored in the early 19th century.
The Kyzylkum desert, which means red sands, is located on the territory of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and partly Turkmenistan. This huge territory of 300 thousand square kilometers is bounded from the east and from the west by the great Central Asian rivers Syr Darya and Amu Darya. The Kyzylkums occupy most of the Navoi region.
