Bukhara
In Sanskrit word, Bukhara signifies "monastery" and this city was once a large commercial center on the Great Silk Road.
Samarkand
Samarqand, city in east-central Uzbekistan that is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia and the second largest city in Uzbekistan after Tashkent . For thousand's of years Samarkand prospered being located on one of the major trade routes to China.
Khiva
Khiva is a jewel of the Orient, a man made wondering city! The Khoresm Khanate where Khiva was situated, was a very famous and powerful state in the 4th century BC.
Shakhrisabz
Timur’s hometown Shakhrisabz is a small town south of Samarkand. By the time of birth of Timur on 9 April 1336 at the village of Hoja Ilghar, 13 km to the south from Kesh (former name of Shakhrisabz), Kesh was ruled by the Barlas clan, Mongols of the Chaghatai khanate, turkicised by their long stay in the fertile Kashkadarya valley.
Tashkent
Tashkent, with a multi-ethnic population of 2.3 million, is the largest city in Central Asia and the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Ferghana Valley
Fergana valley is situated in the east of Uzbekistan and surrounded from all sides by mountain rainges:Chatkal,Kuramis,Fergana,Alay and Turkestan ranges.Through the valley,flows the river Sirdarya with its numerous tributaries.It is well-known,that 5-6 thousand years ago agriculture was already advanced here:pomegranates,ginger,grapes,walnuts and cotton were introduced by the Chinise in only 2nd c.B.C.On the boundary of centuries through the Fergana valley the main transit road from China to Europe(“The Great Silk Road”)passed.Fergana valley was famous for its “celestial horses” as the Chinese called them.According to Chinese chronicles in 2nd c. B.C.,in this area one could count more than 70 cities in Fergana valley,the largest of them covering an area up to 40 hectars.
Nowadays,most vehicles take the high road from Tashkent to Fergana through the southern slopes of the Chatkal range.South from the capital(Tashkent) the road skirts the depressed mining towns of Almalik and Angren to climb above a beautiful reservoir and into the cleaner air of the Akhangaran river valley.And recently tunnels,which shorten the journey but deny views of the snow-capped Chatkal from the 2.268m(7.450 feet) Kamchik Pass.
HIGHLIGHTS:
KOKAND is a city with more than 200.000 inhabitants and is considered to be the gates to Fergana valley.In 19th c. Kokand was the center of one of 3 Kingdoms in our coutry(“Kokand Khanate”).So,the city is famous for its Kudayarkhan`sPalace(19th c.),Norbuta-Biy Madrassah and Modarikhan Mausoleum where is buried one of the famous and talented poetess Nodirabegim.
MARGILAN is a small city near to modern Fergana.The city was already well known in 10th c. by its silk industry.Today the only factory (“Yodgorlik”) in the whole of Central Asia which produces silk fabric by hand is situated here.Here visitors can acquaint themselves with the manufacturing processes of silk,starting from unreeling cocoons till their painting.
ANDIJAN is the motherland of Babur,descendant of Timurids,fouder of the Great Empire of Mongols in India(16th c.).In the city there is a museum named after Babur.
RISHTAN, a small village situated 50 km from Fergana,is famous for its unique potters and porcelains.Visitors can acquire this wonderful traditional Uzbek pottery right at the private workshops.
Photo Gallery
Tashkent. Hasti Imam square.