Tashkent, the vibrant heart of Central Asia
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country is increasingly on the radar of adventure travelers. Not surprising because this country is home to a wealth of history from the famous Silk Road in which modern-day Uzbekistan plays an important role. With historic cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, this country is attracting more and more travelers. However, the capital Tashkent is regularly skipped, wrongly. The city would be an ugly city. Read all about why we think Tashkent is really worth it! Because where can you find Soviet influences with an Asian touch? Here in Tashkent!
Tashkent has several unique highlights that make a visit to this city more than worth it! Combine this with the better facilities in this city compared to the rest of this region and start or end your Central Asian trip here in style! And all for incredibly low prices, because Tashkent, like the rest of Uzbekistan, is a very affordable destination.
Discover the best sights of Tashkent:
Dive into Tashkent's unique metro!
During the Soviet Union, Tashkent was the 4th largest city in the Soviet Union. In the second half of the 20th century, the Soviets built what they are good at: building subways. Cities like Moscow, Kiev, and Minsk are known for their cathedral metro stations. Built as a palace for the people. Tashkent is no exception in this either! Take the Blue Line and get off at various stations for the unique architecture. Kosmonavtlar Station, for example, is known for its astronaut theme. Metro stations Gavur Golum and Alisher Navoi are again known for that typical Soviet. With metro stations like Ozbekistan again with hints to Uzbek culture! Get out and feel free to take photos. Fortunately, the photo ban is already a few years behind us.
Explore the city center from Amir Temur Square!
From the central square of Tashkent, Amir Temur Square. You can easily explore many of the highlights of Tashkent on foot, the Uzbek national hero! The central square is dominated by the enormous statue of Amir Temur. As an important character in the history of Uzbekistan, you will find tributes to this Amir everywhere in the country. No wonder the square is named after him. Even more striking is the enormous brutalist building, the “Hotel Uzbekistan”. This example of brutalist Soviet architecture can be seen here like no other.
Walk from Amir Temur Square towards the Taras Shevchenko Monument and enter the lively streets with many restaurants and a lot of street life. This part is where we saw a lot of the hipper population. The Taras Shevchenko Monument is a beautiful example of a Soviet Mosaic.
However, before you do this, walk in the other direction, via the palace of Nicholas Constantinovich to the parks behind it. To go via the Second World War monument to the earthquake monument called the “Monument of Courage”. You will pass interesting mosaics from the Soviet era as well as contemporary Uzbek monuments. A mix of various influences from history.
Visit the lively Chorsu Bazaar!
When you are here, you are immediately immersed in the culture of Central Asia! Feel free to get lost here, the central market hall with the round dome is impressive enough. But the many markets around this bazaar are also fantastic! Marvel at all the impressions, smells, sounds and situations and enjoy what makes this region so unique! Here you experience the influences of the Silk Road in modern-day Central Asia. The Middle East, China and Slavic Russia come together here!
See authentic Uzbekistan in the surprisingly new Hazrati Imom Mosque.
You can walk here from the Chorsu bazaar, if you have just arrived in Uzbekistan this is a great way to get a taste of what awaits you on your trip. This complex is partly original, partly brand new and partly will even be built in 2024. See the characteristic blue mosques here and be sure to visit the Barakhan Madrasah for the nice art studios that are located here in this former Koran school.
Tashkent, it is a wonderful start or end point to your trip through Uzbekistan. Don't miss this city! It is worth taking a break from your trip and staying here for at least 1 full day. We stayed in the Ateco Hotel suites, which was a wonderfully comfortable hotel within walking distance of the metro.
Further practical tips:
- Book a Yandex taxi in the city or from the airport, it is easy via the app and saves you having to negotiate in Russian.
- Metro doesn't cost a thing, a ride for €0.20. You can only buy a single ticket at a time.
- Travel easily from the train station to other destinations. The metro takes you directly to the main station. From here you can easily travel to other destinations in Uzbekistan. Or even further to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan. Book your train tickets as early as possible. Tickets sell out quickly. Book via https://railway.uz/en/
- Go out for a nice meal here, elsewhere in Central Asia there may be little choice other than Plov, for example, which can really be too much after 12 days 🙂
- Finally, feel free to read more about Uzbekistan on our Oezbekistan pagina!
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