Uzbekistan– The Silk Route

Uzbekistan – The Silk Route

A cradle of culture and oriental mysticism for over two millennia, Uzbekistan is the home of a spectacular array of monuments and artifacts. The likes of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Timur (known in the West as Tamerlane), all vied for control over this beautiful land, which was an important part of the ancient Silk Route. Timur gathered in his capital – Samarkand – artists and scholars from the corners of his vast empire and set about building some of the world’s most magnificent and palatial masterpieces of architecture.A visit to Uzbekistan, indeed, will make for a spell binding experience that you won’t forget in a hurry!

Uzbekistan boasts of Central Asia’s top cities to visit; Samarkand, Tashkent, Bukhara and Khiva. The capital city, Tashkent, is Uzbekistan’s most cosmopolitan city and offers some of the best shopping in central Asia! Explore the city with a visit to the Independence Square and its vibrant Chorsu Bazaar, and later party a night or two away amidst its bustling night life scene. The food in Tashkent is simply scrumptious with a rich spread of kebabs, and, if you are feeling adventurous, you could try the local delicacy, Kazi, which is made of horse meat. Don’t miss the opera here! You could then drive up to the Chimgan Mountains and the Charvak Lake for a day. No other city evokes the magical images of the Silk Route and long caravans as Samarkand.

You can visit most of Samarkand’s high-profile attractions in two or three days. If you’re short on time, make sure to visit the Registan, Guri Amir, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Shah-i-Zinda. Coming to Bukhara, Central Asia’s holiest city, you will find that not much has changed in the last two centuries. Bukhara boasts of buildings that date back to a 1000 years or more with minarets and domes that are simply spectacular. It is one of the best places in Central Asia for a glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan. Walk along the streets of old Bukhara town and don’t miss the Ark, the Kalon Minaret and Mir Arab madarasa and the Ismail Samani mausoleum. You can even just chill at the ponds at Lab i Hauz, like Alexander the Great once did. As for Khiva, this is a city that once struck fear into the hearts of all but the boldest, evoking images of barbaric cruelty, slave caravans and torturous journeys. Thanks to a Soviet conservation programme in the 1970s and ’80s, the historic heart of Khiva is preserved in its entirety.

Visit the mosques and mausoleums in Uzbekistan’s most homogenous old town — the definitive highlight being the city walls – a crenelated structure 10 meters high encircling the entire city. All this and more, and the Uzbeks themselves — a good natured and hospitable people — make for an incredible visit. Come, get lost in an enchanting oriental fairytale, contemplate exquisite frescos and mosaics under the turquoise domes of some the world’s most mesmerising ancient mosques, and find yourself in the heart of the ancient Silk Route, tracing the trails of ancient caravans.