Uzbekistan

Visited: August 2021

Duration of visit: 14 days

Capital city: Tashkent

Population: 33 million (2020)

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

• Visiting silk factory in Fergana Valley.
• Crazy shared taxi ride from Fergana to Tashkent and later decision to use trains for intercity transportation as much as possible.
• Samarkand – a Silk Road treasure with memorable Islamic architecture.
• Khiva – old town under complete renovation. Feeling like Marco Polo, watching from my guesthouse window to magic Kalta Minor Minaret.
• Ride on a bullet train at 220 kilometers per hour between Samarkand and Bukhara.
• Meat, meat and more meat in restaurants.
• Sharing a cabin with three Бабушки (babushka) on a night train to Tashkent.
• Capital city of Tashkent – mix of modern and Soviet architecture, Chorsu bazaar, mighty parks, city beat and thematic metro stations.

The relatively unknown Central Asian country of Uzbekistan, is probably most famous for its old cities that were the main commercial centers on the ancient Silk Road. Uzbekistanis have always been much less keen on Soviet integration and historically extremely influential within Central Asia. One of the greatest military leaders and tacticians in history, Amir Timur, set the unprecedented state marks for the region and further development of the Silk Road.

Uzbekistan is all about history, Islamic architecture, splendor of ancient cities along the Silk Road with well-preserved or renovated mosques, mausoleums, madrassas and well-known hospitality of its people.

I quickly got a seat in a shared taxi to Fergana after a slightly complicated process of Covid-19 testing at the border. Wide roads, little traffic and scarce police radar detectors enhanced the power of our driver. Even though it looked as a suicidal mission, I later realized that my first driver in Uzbekistan was actually one of the most moderate ones.

My new local friends from a taxi invited me for lunch, while waiting for a hostel manager to pick me up. We sat down in a recently opened, picturesque restaurant with a variety of dishes on 20+ pages of the menu, decorated with photos of delicious meals. However, beside some salads and two kinds of soups, all dishes contained meat.

During the whole trip in Uzbekistan I was having hard time finding decent meatless food and, many times, salad and fruits were the main diet of the day.

Yodgorlik Silk Factory in Margilon must have been a fascinating factory for silk products in the country, which is the world’s third-largest silk producer. The best times were gone and the output seems to have decreased, while pandemic and lack of interest reduced the work force during the last critical year.

I had a chance to observe traditional methods of silk production from steaming and unravelling the cocoons to the weaving of dazzling khanatlas (handwoven silk, cotton or mixed material fabrics) with traditional Uzbek design in black and white.

The next day, I moved forward to the city of Samarkand. Due to lack of direct connections, an illogical transit through Tashkent was chosen.

A young, self-confident driver offered me one of the most thrilling drives of my life: passing all cars in front of us, approaching slower vehicles at distance of few centimeters, peeling pumpkin seeds and managing the wheel with one hand, but still continuously checking messages and talking on the phone.

I immediately decided that I would use any opportunity to replace road transportation with the extensive and efficient railroad network in Uzbekistan.

No more crazy car competitions!

Afternoon ride on a train from Tashkent to Samarkand was an exceptionally enjoyable experience. The extreme summer heat and basic economy class berth filled me up with such pleasure and joy that I relaxed completely and took my regular afternoon nap.

Samarkand used to be one of the oldest and most important settlements on the Silk Road … and it still is!

As a key Silk Road city, it sat on the crossroads leading to China, India and Persia, bringing in trade and artisans, while always under pressure by ambitious rulers to conquer it. When, in 1370, the great leader Timur decided to make Samarkand the capital, over the next 35 years forged a new, almost-mythical city of Central Asia as it still stands today.

When I first approached the world’s oldest preserved madrassas in Registan Square, I couldn’t believe my eyes before illuminated, perfectly restored and renovated structures, standing there as a testament to the incredible craftsmanship of their builders.

The Registan (also called Sandy Place), paved with fired bricks and cobbles, was a public square, where people gathered to hear royal proclamations, to trade and socialize in its bazaars or to witness public executions. It is framed by three madrassas (Islamic schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture. The square was regarded as the hub of the Timurid Renaissance.

The Madrassas are flanked by high minarets, decorated with mosaic panels, adorn by geometrical stylized ornaments and covered with characteristic blue tiles of Samarkand. They were built between 15^th and 17^th centuries.

I returned to Registan various times to observe the scene under changing position of the sun throughout the day, as the vibrant colors of intricate tiles display a whole new perspective, giving this UNESCO World Heritage Sites additional charm.

The spectacular night illumination was only an introduction to in exploring these perfectly planned, designed, built and restored monuments of Islam architecture. The next two days, I optimized my energy on early morning and late evening walks around the city. Reminders of Esfahan (Iran) were constant; numerous mosques, madrassas, colorful bazaars and extremely friendly people.

I was happy to be able to communicate in Russian, after learning it through the previous two years.

At the same time, I was shocked of being one of the very, very few foreigners in such a privileged position to explore marvelous monuments almost by myself. Especially at dusk, I couldn’t see a single soul around me. I never got bored of seeing the same mosque or madrassa from a different angle or at different time of the day.

Not far from Registan Square stands one of the most important monuments of Samarkand – The Bibi-Khanym Mosque. In the 15^th century, it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world, considered a masterpiece of the Timurid Renaissance. By the mid-20^th century, only a grandiose ruin of it still survived, but major parts of the mosque were restored during the Soviet period.

After passing through the vast 35-meters high parade portal, I entered into the central courtyard. A monumental dome above a square base, which at 40 meters is even higher, rises on the opposite site of the courtyard.

The dome forms the largest cupola of the biggest mosque of its kind in Central Asia.

A local visitor from the capital asked me to take a photo of her family with the amazing background and we had a profound conversation about life in Uzbekistan.

For the grand finale, I visited the place dedicated to the great leader – Amir Timur – Mausoleum Gur-i Amir Complex. Speechless, grateful and humbled I purchased souvenirs from a local artist who had been going through tough times due to pandemic restrictions and lack of foreign visitors for more than a year and a half. I even rented a bicycle to explore the whole complex and surrounded areas.

It was suspiciously noticeable that the cars driving around were predominantly white, but when I observed that the great majority were Chevrolet brand, I knew something was peculiar about it.

Here is the explanation!

After declaring independence from the Soviet Union, the largest Daewoo factory in Central Asia, with co-investment of Uzbekistan government, was built. A few years later, GM took over Daewoo and Chevrolet was established as the main brand. 94% of new cars sold in Uzbekistan were Chevys, since import duties of other brands were twice as much as the value of a car itself.

People have to wait for more than a year to get a new car and actually pay bribes to get it in the first place.

As a joke, Uzbekistan is sometimes called Chevystan, in reference to the car company’s most monopolized market: People can buy any car, as long as it is Chevrolet and white.

More than 2,000 years old, the historic center of Bukhara has been listed on UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. It is one of the best examples of well-preserved Islamic cities of Central Asia that was created from 10^th to 17^th centuries, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact.

Bukhara attained its greatest importance in the late 16^th century, when the Shaybānids’ possessions included most of Central Asia as well as northern Persia and Afghanistan. The ancient Persian city served as a major center of Islamic culture for many centuries and became a major cultural center of the Caliphate.

The Emirate of Bukhara tragically ended in 1920, when the Soviet Bolshevik Army took over and the new policy came to town. Soon enough, Moscow realized about the importance of this old city, one of the main landmarks of the Silk Road. The renovation of mosques, madrassas, mausoleums, walls with ark citadel and domes, that started in the 1970s, transformed Bukhara to a town museum.

At times it was too kitschy for me, with so many stores and street vendors orientated to tourists that were absent this year. However, the city still retains much of its former aspect, with its mosques, madrassas, flat-roofed houses of sun-dried bricks, and remains of covered bazaars.

My last stop on the ancient Silk Road was the city of Khiva, also called the shining pearl on Silk Road. This time my guesthouse was located right in the center of the old town with a fantastic view to the main square and Kalta Minor Minaret – trademark of the old town of Khiva – Itchan Kala.

I was feeling like Marco Polo, travelling in the 13^th or 14^th century, surrounded by the old town, which retains more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses.

Those are mostly converted to guesthouses, hotels and restaurants, but strictly respecting architecture, design and mud colors, using original materials.

The most spectacular features of Ichan Kala are its crenellated brick walls and four gates, one at each side of the rectangular fortress. I can’t explain my feeling walking around in the early morning, when the city was waking up, and observing sunbeams falling on ancient buildings.

The sunset was not less impressive either. I met only four foreigners in two days, while exploring Khiva. A result of Covid-19 restrictions that temporally scared foreigners to visit Uzbekistan.

The distance between Khiva and Tashkent is almost 1,000 kilometers, but, thanks to a night train, it turned out to be a memorable experience. I got the last ticket in second class cabin with 4 berths.

As soon as I met my fellow travelers, I knew I was in good company. Three overweight ladies in late 50’s that I kindly called бабушки (grandmothers) were very formal and quiet at the beginning. As soon as they realized that my Russian was bearable, the conversation started.

They shared food, tea, pumpkin seeds and memories with me, while we commented lifestyle in Slovenia, Uzbekistan, old Soviet Union and wider. They were all singles (again) on their holiday to Tashkent. After the forth member of the group joined, they couldn’t stop laughing and showing off their gold teeth, the greatest wealth proudly displayed to curios admirers.

While I was blown away by Old Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Khiva, I didn’t have much expectation from the capital city of Tashkent.

So wrong I was!

I liked it more and more every hour I spent walking, cycling, riding a bus, taxi or metro.

It is well marked by a mix of Soviet-era and modern architecture. The City Congress Hall, Friendship of the Nations Palace, Hotel Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov Museum, The Senate of the Oliy Majlis, the White House and the State Museum of the History, are just some of the most representative buildings in perfect shape, located within a reasonable distance to walk or cycle among them.

Wide avenues with up to five lanes in the form of perfect rectangles, long blocks, imposing government buildings and water fountains are associating with luxury apartment buildings, extravagant hotels, aerodynamic designed sport hall and a central stadium. Perfectly maintained parks on every second block, with efficient irrigation system, offer a pleasant feeling and shelter in a natural environment.

It was Independence Day – celebrating 30 years of Uzbekistan as a proudly independent country; actually, an Independence week (rather than day) due to public holidays for consecutive 5 days.

The whole country is controlled 24 hours a day by many police forces: tourist police, transit police, religious police, informal police, etc.

As soon as I got used to it, I just ignored their presence. In the only place I was scared a little bit was at the metro stations during the process of taking photos. Until two years ago, it was absolutely prohibited to take any photos underground, due to security reasons.

Many stations served a double role as nuclear bunkers in the event of war. Nevertheless, it seemed that the old rule is widely forgotten. Beautifully decorated and thematic metro stations are definitely worth to take a photo.

Chorsu Bazar is a traditional marketplace situated in the heart of the historic district of Tashkent. Within its blue-domed structure and surrounding areas, a wide selection of products is available: from meat to fruits; carpets to souvenirs, vegetables and fruits, textiles to all kind of products at services you can imagine.

Stalls are systematically organized in sections under different domes covered with blue and green tiles. Chaos is organized, vendors are polite and the variety of products is the greatest in Uzbekistan.

An appropriate location to conclude the journey from the Silk Road to contemporary Uzbekistan, which has been strongly influenced by the authoritarian president Islam Karimov, whose legacy remain evident in the daily life of this Central Asian country.

Uzbekistan was one of the most pleasant surprises in my backpacking career. A mix of cultural experience, historic sites based on Silk Road, friendly people and excellent travelling facilities were combined with lack of tourist’ crowds that usually move around the most popular destinations. In a few words this could be a short sum up.

• People: very friendly.
• Highlights: Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva – amazing.
• Fruits and vegetables: delicious and organic.
• Food: meat, meat and meat.
• Many tourists: нет (0).
• Prices: incredibly cheap
• Covid-19: not existing. No masks. No restrictions.
• Crazy experience: riding intercity shared taxi.
• Tashkent: fantastic mix of socialist and modern architecture.
• Comfort: riding a bullet train at 220 kmph.
• Communication in Russian: хорошо (good).
• Communication in English: zero.
• Should you visit? Absolutely yes. Immediately.