Travel
1. Architecture
You will discover Uzbekistan’s glorious past by visiting cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Samarkand is 2750 years old, which makes it one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and it is the former center of the Silk road in central Asia. The Bibi-Khanym mosque, Shahi-Zinda, the Mausoleum of Gur-E-Amir (Amir Timur); these are all is a key places in the history of Islamic architecture (It is said that the Timur’s mausoleum was the major influence of the architect of the Taj Mahal in India) and probably the most awesome wonders of Central Asia.
I also visited Khiva, a small town that concentrates silk road heritages; and Tashkent, the capital, in which there is not much to visit except museums. Tashkent lacks the charm and poetry of the three other cities.
Most of Uzbekistan’s territory is deserts, mostly because of the overuse of natural resources (the Aral sea has been used to grow cotton), but also because of the continental climate. In winter, temperatures can go down to -40°C in regions like the Karakapakstan; in summer, they can go up to 60°C in the south. I went there during the summer, and on 21 days of travelling, I had 21 days of bright sun!
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Travel
Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Visit Uzbekistan
When you read the title of this article, you probably thought: “Uzbekistan…?”. Don’t worry, that is exactly what I thought when I was looking for a destination for my summer holidays. I did not know a thing about Uzbekistan. But there is a lot to know about this wonderful country.
Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is at a unique crossroad of people and cultures. A crossroads of civilizations, as a former centre of great empires: from Alexandre Le Grand to the age of the Tsars, through Gengis Khan and Tamerlan. Crossroads of lifestyles, between nomadic tribes and some of the oldest cities in the world. Crossroads of religions, with Buddhist, Christian and Muslim influences. Cultural crossroads, as Uzbekistan used to be at the center of the mythical silk road, linking China to Europe before the development of the big sea routes.
Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is at a unique crossroad of people and cultures. A crossroads of civilizations, as a former centre of great empires: from Alexandre Le Grand to the age of the Tsars, through Gengis Khan and Tamerlan. Crossroads of lifestyles, between nomadic tribes and some of the oldest cities in the world. Crossroads of religions, with Buddhist, Christian and Muslim influences. Cultural crossroads, as Uzbekistan used to be at the center of the mythical silk road, linking China to Europe before the development of the big sea routes.
1. Architecture
Almost 20 years after the independence, Uzbekistan now takes fully advantage of its historic assets. The three legendary cities of Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva attract every thousands of travelers every year. Uzbekistan has an incredible potential in terms of tourism that is not fully exploited, because the country has huge economic problems, due to the consequences of 70 years of communism.
You will discover Uzbekistan’s glorious past by visiting cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Samarkand is 2750 years old, which makes it one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and it is the former center of the Silk road in central Asia. The Bibi-Khanym mosque, Shahi-Zinda, the Mausoleum of Gur-E-Amir (Amir Timur); these are all is a key places in the history of Islamic architecture (It is said that the Timur’s mausoleum was the major influence of the architect of the Taj Mahal in India) and probably the most awesome wonders of Central Asia.
Bukhara is an amazing city: there are more than 150 buildings protected by the Unesco! I would say it is a concentrated version of Samarkand. Exceptional pieces are the Kalan minaret, the Turkish bath (the oldest in the world, still in use!) and the Ismail Samani mausoleum. When I visited, I brought back a carpet (Bukhara carpets are famous all over the world).
I also visited Khiva, a small town that concentrates silk road heritages; and Tashkent, the capital, in which there is not much to visit except museums. Tashkent lacks the charm and poetry of the three other cities.
2. People
Uzbek people are absolutely adorable, despite being extremely poor (for 99% of them), they are always happy and nice with tourists. It is refreshing to see those people that don’t have much money always smiling: Uzbeks are the 4rd happiest people in the world. Unlike other developing countries, people selling touristic products are not aggressive at all and are always very happy to talk with you.
3. Location & Weather
Most of Uzbekistan’s territory is deserts, mostly because of the overuse of natural resources (the Aral sea has been used to grow cotton), but also because of the continental climate. In winter, temperatures can go down to -40°C in regions like the Karakapakstan; in summer, they can go up to 60°C in the south. I went there during the summer, and on 21 days of travelling, I had 21 days of bright sun!
4. Accommodation
There are many hotels and bed and breakfasts in Uzbekistan, and as hospitality is a very important value for Uzbeks, the service in the hotels is always perfect. I would advise you, however, to try bed and breakfasts, they are quite cheap, the service is awesome and it will makes your stay more authentic. And you can save money to pay for two or three nights in an nice hotel in Tashkent!
The only point for which I would not recommend staying in Uzbekistan is the food, that is very good but quite repetitive if you stay there for longer than a week.
Uzbekistan is one of the few amazing destinations in the world that is not crowded with tourists and western influence, so enjoy it while it is like this!
Photos via Flickr Creative Commons by dalbera, travelourplanet.com, Stefan Munder, Gusjer & dalbera
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