Nathan's Insights

Official Name: Republic of Uzbekistan
Established: 840 (Kara-Khanid Khanate) / 31 August 1991 (Independence from USSR)
Population: 36 million (2022 estimate)
Religion: Muslim (96.1%)
Official Languages: Uzbek & Russian
Capital: Tashkent
Order of Visit: 76
First Visit: 21 May 2023
Last Visit: 29 May 2023
Duration: 9 Days
Highlights:
Tashkent – 1966 Earthquake monument, Hast Imam Square (Hazrati Imam), Tilla Sheikj Mosque, Chorsu Bazaar, Underground Metro, Memorial Square and the Eternal Flame.
Samarkand – Home made pilaf meal, Registan Square, Bibi Khanum Mosque, Siab Bazaar, Ulugbek Observatory, the tombs at Shakhi Zinda Necropolis, and examining Amir Temir Mausoleum.
Nurata – Holy Springs, Nurata Fortress Ruins of of Alexander the Great.
Kyzylkum Desert – Enjoying Aydar Lake, Beautiful Kyzylkum Desert sunset, Dancing under the stars, Yurt Desert experience, Peaceful Kyzylkum Desert sunrise, Exploring the Caravanserai Rabat-I-Malik (Navoiy Province).
Bukhara – Enjoying Master Puppet workshop performance, Exploring the historic Jewish centre and a labyrinth of laneways, Kalyan square, Madrasa Abdul Aziz Khan, The Samanid Mausoleum, visiting the Boloi Havz Mosque, Exploring the Ark of Bukhara (Fortress), Learning the history of the Kalyan Minaret, Exploring the Kalyan Mosque, viewing the Khoja Tabband Mosque.
Khiva – Sunset over the UNESCO historic city, Live music and dancing, Kalta Minor Minaret, Tash-Khovli Palace, Madrasah Qutlug Murad, Tash-Khauli Palace (including Harem complex), Juma Mosque, Islom-Hoja Minaret (tallest in Uzbekistan), and Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum.
Cities to be visited: Tashkent, Samarkand, Nurata, Kyzylkum Desert, Bukhara, Khiva
Published: 03 April 2023 | Updated: 14 July 2024

Location and Geography

Uzbekistanis a landlocked country in Central Asia and is bordered by other landlocked countries in Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest. Uzbekistan has an area of 448,978 square kilometres. It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 40th by population.

History and Culture

The first recorded settlers in what is now Uzbekistan were Eastern Iranian nomads, known as Scythians, who founded kingdoms around 8th–6th centuries BC. The area was then incorporated into the Iranian Achaemenid Empire and, after a period of Macedonian rule, was ruled by the Iranian Parthian Empire and later by the Sasanian Empire, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century.

After the Muslim conquest, cities such as Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara began to grow rich from the Silk Road, and became a centre of the Islamic Golden Age, with figures such as Muhammad al-Bukhari, Al-Tirmidhi, al Khwarizmi, al-Biruni, Avicenna, and Omar Khayyam.

The Mongol invasion in the 13th century, destroyed the local leadership which lead to a dominance by Turkic peoples of the area.

All of Central Asia was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the 19th century, with Tashkent becoming the political centre of Russian Turkestan. In 1924, national delimitation created the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a republic of the Soviet Union. Shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan on 31 August 1991.

Uzbekistan is a secular state, with a presidential constitutional government in place.  The Uzbek economy is in a gradual transition to the market economy.  In September 2017, the country’s currency became fully convertible at market rates. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton. With the gigantic power-generation facilities from the Soviet era and an ample supply of natural gas, Uzbekistan has become the largest electricity producer in Central Asia.

Uzbekistan is a member of the United Nations (UN) (since 2 March 1992), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), Partnership for Peace (PfP), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

What drew me to visit Uzbekistan?

To explore the beautiful blue mosques and carved minarets/towers, the Soviet-style buildings, and ancient towns stuck in a different time. To see the many different and beautiful crafts mosaics, floral ceramics, and geometric tiles. To experience the Silk Road history and how the USSR influenced the region.

What I experienced in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan was what I believed Central Asia would be like but even better.  There is a reason why Uzbekistan is the most visited country in this region and the one I stayed at the longest.

Starting in Tashkent I learnt about the 1966 earthquake which left 300,000 people homeless and saw people from across the USSR come here to rebuild changing this city and culture forever.  The beautiful Hast Imam Square and the Tilla Sheikj Mosque located there are architectural treasures.  The underground metro highlight Soviet belief in grand displays to uplift the population as they went to work.  The Memorial Square and the Eternal Flame helps us remember the 500,000 soldiers Uzbekistan lost in World War 2.

At Samarkand I was stunned by what I feel is the most photogenic location I’ve ever visited in Registan Square.  The displays at night had a major ‘wow’ factor highlighting the gorgeous structures that lifted my spirits.  A home cooked meal of pilaf (the national dish) was very enjoyable. 

During the day I got to explore Registan Square learning the history of this area and how this was centre for learning, Madrasas (schools), so great structures with fascinating and important history.  I also explore the Ulugbek Observatory learning of the importance of advanced science back in the 14th century, and the tombs at Shakhi Zinda Necropolis learning history.  I felt I could stay and enjoy Samarkand for weeks.

A short visit to Nurata allowed me to learn a little of Alexander the Great and his impact on this region.

Exploring and staying in the Kyzylkum Desert as another almost spiritual experience.  Walking into the water of Aydar Lake contrasted nicely with staying in a yurt in the desert sands.  Enjoying both a sunset and sunrise of the desert was a moving experience.  As a city person you can lose touched with nature, these desert experiences resulted in me feeling both at peace and in awe of nature.  Having a group campsite fire with singing and dancing was delightful way to spend an evening under the stars.

Exploring the Caravanserai Rabat-I-Malik gave me some understanding of the logistics of the Silk Road and how these caravans of travellers were supported in their long travels.

In Bukhara I found a city with deep history and culture.  Seeing a Master Puppet demonstration and inspecting the hand-crafted puppets I was impressed by the skills of these artists.  Kalyan square was another example of historic architecture and the rich history of this region.  Learning how the imposing Kalyan Minaret could not even be destroyed with missiles from the Red Army highlighted the care and endurance of these ancient structures.

My visit to Uzbekistan concluded in the UNESCO historic city of Khiva.  Staying in such an historic city and walking it streets during the day and the night was a great pinnacle of this nine days.   History surrounded me, the Tash-Khauli Palace showcased how rulers lived, Juma Mosque how people worshipped, the Islom-Hoja Minaret (Tallest in Uzbekistan) showed the brilliance of architects of the time.  Seeing the city at sunset and walking the city at time with its structures lite up I was in awe of what the peoples of this region had created.

Uzbekistan is such a beautiful country with deep history and inspiring architecture and landscapes.  I had no idea it would be such a treat.

Note: This visit is part of the Five Stans of Silk Road G Adventures tour that will see me visiting; Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan.