Image Source – Visitsamarkand
Uzbekistan is a blend of culture, history and breathtaking landscapes that attracts visitors from all over the world. This jewel in the heart of Central Asia offers an incredible journey through ancient cities, grandiose architectures and fascinating legends.
These 10 destinations blend must-see landmarks with offbeat places, making them essential stops for any traveller visiting Uzbekistan.
1. Samarkand – The Heart of the Silk Road
Samarkand, the oldest continuously inhabited city in Central Asia, boasts a population of 550,000, making it the third-largest city in Uzbekistan. The majority of its inhabitants identify as Ethnic Tajiks, speaking a dialect of Persian known as Tajik, which is also the primary language spoken in Tajikistan.
Samarkand prospered from its location on the Silk Road between China, Persia, and Europe, and once it was one of the largest cities in Central Asia. The city was conquered by both Alexander and Genghis Khan. Samarkand is known as the centre of Islamic scholarly studies and the birthplace of the Timurid renaissance.
The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient craft, from embroidery to gold work to silk weaving, copper engraving, ceramics, and woodwork. In 2001, UNESCO added Samarkand to its World Heritage City list.
Visitors to Samarkand should explore Registan Square, the Bibi Khanum and Gur-e-Amir Mausoleums, the Shah-i-Zinda complex, Afrosiab, and the Ulugh Beg Observatory for an enriching experience of its historical and cultural treasures.
2. Bukhara – The City of Mosques and Madrasas
Bukhara is the 7th largest city of Uzbekistan with a population of 280,000. Like Samarkand, here too the mother tongue of the majority is the Tajik dialect of Persian. Uzbek is the second language for most. Located on the Silk Road, the city has long served as a centre of trade, scholarship, culture and religion.
Bukhara is the birthplace of the scholar Imam Bukhari, widely regarded as the most important hadith scholar in the history of Sunni Islam. It is the best example of a mediaeval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact.
There are tons of sacred sites in Bukhara. Legend says that the Prophet performed a miracle in Bukhara. He struck the desert sand with his staff, and water spewed from the ground. This is the reason why Bukhara is an oasis.
The Abdulaziz Khan Madarsa is definitely one of the most spectacular places to visit, not just in Bukhara, but maybe in the whole of Uzbekistan. The tilework here in the arch dates back to the 17th century.
The other mosque to not miss is the Kalyan Mosque. It serves as the Friday Mosque and is the largest in Central Asia, apart from the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand. Also visit the Ark of Bukhara, the city’s oldest structure, and an absolute delight to visit in the early morning.
This rich intellectual heritage of Bukhara parallels the historical importance of places like Nalanda in India, which similarly flourished as a centre of learning in ancient times.
3. Khiva – A Living Museum
Archaeological findings put Khiva to be about 2,500 years old.
Its historic core, Itchan Kala, became the first site in Uzbekistan to be on the World Heritage List. The renowned astronomer, historian, and polymath Al-Biruni(973 to 1048 CE), is said to be born in Khiva.
By the 17th century, Khiva had developed into a prominent slave market. For many centuries, both Bukhara and Khiva were recognized as major centers of slave trade.
Khiva is divided into two main parts. The outer town, called Dichan Kala, was protected by a wall with 11 gates. The inner town, Itchan Kala, is surrounded by brick walls that were originally laid in the 10th century, with the current walls dating back to the late 17th century.
Itchan Kala has around 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses dating from the 18th or 19th centuries. Khiva is known for its carpet weaving industry. This city is not just famous for its breathtaking views and monuments but also as the birthplace of the scholar Al-Khwarizmi, often hailed as the father of algebra.
It was here that he developed algorithms that would travel across continents, influencing numerous cultures, including India’s own rich mathematical history.
4. Tashkent – The Vibrant Capital of Uzbekistan
Tashkent is the capital and the largest city of Uzbekistan. With 3 million people, it is one of the most populous cities of Central Asia. Tashkent is in the north-eastern part of Uzbekistan.
After Genghis Khan destroyed it in 1219, Tashkent was rebuilt and profited from the Silk Route. Much of Tashkent was again destroyed in the 1966 earthquake, but it was soon rebuilt as a model Soviet city.
It was the fourth largest city of the USSR, after Moscow, Leningrad, and Kyiv. Ethnic Uzbekis are the majority here.
Since 1991, the city has changed economically, culturally, and architecturally. New development has changed the city’s landscape. One of the largest Lenin statues has been replaced with a globe featuring a Uzbekistan map.
Not to be missed is Tashkent’s metro, which holds the distinction of being the oldest in Central Asia and has over 40 exquisitely adorned stations.
5. The Aral Sea – One of the planet’s worst environmental disasters
The Aral Sea was a saline lake, which lay between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to its south.
The name roughly translates to Sea of Islands, a reference to the large number of islands that once dotted its waters.
It was once the third largest lake in the world, but it began shrinking in the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects.
A typical Aral Sea tour involves two days. On day one, you can depart from Nukus, about 200 km away, and drive on a paved road to Muynak, where you visit the local museum and the ship graveyard.
From there, you continue on a dirt road to the shores of the Aral Sea. The journey includes climbing up the Ustyurt Plateau and then descending to a yurt camp. On day two, travellers can walk along the seashore, swim if they wish, and then return via Sudochie Lake, passing through the abandoned fishing village of Urga.
6. The Fergana Valley – A Cradle of Culture and Agriculture
Spanning Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, the Fergana Valley is ethnically diverse, even though relations between the three countries are tense.
Located in an arid region, the Fergana Valley owes its fertility to the rivers Naryn, and the Kara Darya. The valley’s history stretches back over 2,300 years, when Alexander founded Alexandria Eschate at its southwestern end.
Adding to its rich history, the Fergana Valley is the birthplace of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
Fergana is known for its cotton cultivation, along with a diverse array of grains, fruits, and vegetables. It is also known for its stock breeding, leather work, and the mining industry.
The Fergana Valley is a great day tour for learning more about Uzbekistan‘s famous handicrafts from the masters themselves. You can do the tour from Tashkent.
7. Nukus – Guardians of Art
Nukus is the sixth largest city of Uzbekistan, with a population of a little over 300,000. The Amu Darya River passes west of the city.
The city is best known for its world-class Nukus Museum of Art – known for its collection of modern Russian and Uzbek art from 1918 to 1935. Stalin tried his best to remove all the non-Soviet art from this period and sent most of the artists to the Gulag camps.
The Qaur Qala Fortress, with its breathtaking hilltop site, Muynak & the Aral Sea, renowned for its ship cemetery, Karakalpak Homestay – providing insights into traditional Karakalpak culture, and the bustling Mizda Khan Necropolis are among the most visited tourist destinations in Nukus.
The nearest airport is the Nokis International Airport.
8. Termez – On the Edge of Empires
Termez is a small city in southern Uzbekistan. Historically it is the site of Alexander the Great’s city – Alexandria on the Oxus. It was also a centre of early Buddhism, a site of Muslim pilgrimage, and a base for the Soviet military operations in Afghanistan.
It is one of Central Asia’s oldest towns. It is also the location of the oldest mosque in Uzbekistan. During the 7th century Termez played host to the Buddhist monk and traveller, Xuanzang!
The Termez Archaeological Museum is one of the largest and best museums of Uzbekistan. Much of the collection focuses on Thermes’ Buddhist history, in particular the Greco-Bactrian and the Kushan eras.
The Kara Tepe is a rock cut Buddhist temple complex founded in the 2nd century AD on the hills outside Termez.
9. The Zarafshan Valley – Trails of Gold
The Zarafshan Range is spread across both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and it’s part of the famous Pamir-Alay mountains. ‘Zarafshan’ in Persian possibly refers to the gold which is found in the Zarafshan river basin and which has brought great prosperity to this region from ancient times.
In 330 BC, the troops of Alexander the Great reached the Zarafshan Valley. The name of Lake Iskandar-Kul clearly originates from Alexander – Iskandar. The closest towns to the Zarafshan Range are Panjakent and Samarkand. The Fann Mountains and to a lesser extent the Matcha Mountains are quite popular among mountaineers and hikers.
Once in Zarafshan, you can visit Sarazm ( though it’s in Tajikistan). It’s the oldest settlement in all of Central Asia, now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Then there are the seven pearls of the Shing – a string of seven lakes, each with its particular colour and flora, with the backdrop of an impressive mountain scenery. The lowest of the lakes is a one-and-a-half drive from Panjakent. The other places to visit are Easter Pompey, a trip to ancient Sogdiana, and the tour from Magian to the Seven Lakes.
10. Shahrisabz – Birthplace of a Conqueror
Shahrisabz, or the Green City, is in southern Uzbekistan, approximately 80 km south of Samarkand.
It was once a major city of Central Asia, known primarily today as the birthplace of the 14th century Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur.
During the reign of Timur, Shahrisabz became one of the most prosperous and beautiful cities in the world. Timur ordered the construction of many impressive monuments, such as the Ak-Saray Palace, the Dorus- Saodat Complex, and the Kok-Gumbaz Mosque.
The historic centre of Shahrisabz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although in 2016 it was put in the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, due to the destruction of a large part of its historic centre.
The main industries in Shakhrisabz’s economy include agriculture, cotton processing, and handicrafts such as needlework and carpet weaving.
With three of the world’s oldest and most celebrated cities – Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, Uzbekistan will capture your heart and mind on your first visit.
So do make sure you connect with Unhotel Global, either for our small women and seniors group travel, or for customised vacays in this beautiful Central Asian city.
