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(Getty)


EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN

WITH EASIER ACCESS AND A DEARTH OF TOURISTS, THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO
EXPLORE THIS CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRY

Clare Vooght
Thursday 24 May 2018 12:50
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Sandwiched between and landlocked by a bunch of other ’Stans (including
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan), Uzbekistan and much of this part of Central Asia
has been overlooked for years – but the country is home to an incredible number
of photogenic mosques, mausoleums and madrasas in every shade of blue.


RECOMMENDED

 * Uzbekistan: Where your travel money will take you far

Its centuries-long history under Persian rule and as a key stop on the Silk Road
left a rich cultural and architectural legacy, made all the more fascinating by
the country’s time as an enclave of the Soviet Union.





Uzbekistan is opening up to tourists, with three flights a week from London
Heathrow and an easier visa process – it formally involved letters of
introduction, interviews and exorbitant costs. Here’s why you should visit this
relatively unknown destination now.


SAMARKAND’S MAUSOLEUMS INSPIRED THE TAJ MAHAL

Persian rulers were building Uzbekistan’s 14th-century mausoleums – such as
Gur-e-Amir, devoted to the leader Amir Timur – in eye-popping cobalts, cyans and
sapphires before they even conceived of building India’s now famous
counterparts.

Gur-e-Amir was the precursor to the Taj Mahal (Getty/iStock)
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“Amir Timur was an ancestor of the founder of the Indian Mughal empire, Babur,
and he conquered Delhi – so the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum in Samarkand is a prototype
of the Taj Mahal,” says Aijan Lasser, from Kalpak Travel, which operates tours
in the country.

Some of its walls date back to the 14th century, but most of it has been
painstakingly reconstructed after earthquake damage. Inside, the walls shine
with gold leaf and signature shades of blue, making oscillating circular
patterns. There’s Sagrada Familia canopy-esque coving under arches above and
off-white marble with geometric black marble patterns below, while the original
200kg gold chandelier has long been looted by invaders.


THERE ARE PATTERNED TILES TO RIVAL LISBON

Beautiful, detailed ceramic tiles are everywhere in Uzbekistan. Mosaic squares
and geometric or floral majolica patterns in shades of blue from cobalt to cyan
line the walls of many of the country’s great monuments.



Some of the best are in the Shah-i Zinda necropolis in the northeastern part of
Samarkand. It began with one religious monument more than 1,000 years ago and
over the centuries developed into a series of palatial tombs for royalty and
nobles, plus a shrine to medieval Islamic art at its finest.


THERE ARE HARDLY ANY TOURISTS

There’s nothing like getting a decent shot of a monument with no one else in it.
On our visit, we were lucky enough to find the most famous historical site in
Samarkand, Registan Square, practically empty.

Registan Square is beautifully photogenic
(Getty/iStock)

Also from Timur’s dynasty, Registan Square was the heart of the medieval city
and its commercial centre – all bulbous turquoise domes and striking mosaics. In
its heyday, it would have been filled with bazaars, selling all the textiles and
fabrics you’d expect of a Silk Road hub.



Having been restored by the Soviets, Registan is utterly photogenic and arguably
one of Central Asia’s most impressive sights.


THE WATERMELONS ARE SWEETER

Fresh fruit and veg are staples here – visit towards the end of summer, when
they’re being harvested. The country’s known for its super-sweet, fresh
watermelons, and achichuk salad, consisting of thin, long-sliced tomato, red
onion and cucumber. This is served with plov, the national dish – rice cooked in
a huge pot and tarted up with veg, quail eggs and slices of meat (beef, lamb or
horse). It’s best eaten canteen-style, where you’ll pay about $2 (£1.50) for a
big, heaped plate, with beer usually costing around $1.

Hearty meat grills are big here too, alongside tear-and-share bread and samsa, a
teardrop-shaped street food that’s a cross between a samosa and a Cornish pasty,
filled with anything from beef to lamb to potato. The best bit? You won’t find
any chain restaurants or coffee shops.


ITS SUBWAY RIVALS ST PETERSBURG’S

The seventh metro system to be built in the USSR, Tashkent’s subway is one of
the most ornate in the world. Each station takes inspiration from its name, and
as such they are vastly different, ranging from chandelier-lit spaces with
baroque flourishes to traditional Islamic designs or stark, post-Soviet,
post-modern mashups.

Detailed ceramic tiles are everywhere in Uzbekistan (Getty/iStock)
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

At Independence Square, gold, cylindrical art deco-style light fittings are
works of art in themselves. Taking photos underground is banned, but it’s still
entirely worth the ticket price for a look even if you’re not going anywhere in
particular.


THE SOVIET-STYLE ARCHITECTURE IN TASHKENT

Much of Tashkent was damaged by an earthquake in the 1960s and rebuilt while
under Russian rule, so it’s a mix of stark Soviet buildings, classical Russian
architecture and restored, photogenic blue-tiled 12th-century mosques.



Imperial Russian architects planned Amir Timur Square and its surroundings in
the 1870s – it’s all big boulevards and stark, flat surfaces. It’s now flanked
by the blocky, geometric concrete and oh so Soviet Hotel Uzbekistan, a “10-star”
property that was hugely popular with visitors in its 1970s heyday.

For more Russian architecture head to Independence Square (previously Lenin
Square until 1991), with its clear lines and big white-marble columns supporting
a huge silver globe and three dancing storks (the national animal). Look closely
for incorporated elements of Islamic tile design here too.


FOR THE VODKA

The Uzbeks quaff vodka like the Russians – straight up, with a straight face.
“Vodka is the most important legacy of the Soviet Union in all ex-Soviet
states,” says Anna Martusevich, who left her hometown in Siberia to help launch
the Hyatt in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent – currently the country’s leading
hotel.



“Don’t have vodka with juice, that’s not good for you. Instead have it neat, ice
cold from the freezer with a hot snack.” Na Zdorovie!

Uzbekistan is known for its achichuk salad (Getty/iStock)
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)


TO SEE EPIC STARRY SKIES IN THE DESERT

Head out of the cities and you’ll find massive sandy expanses and mountainous
landscapes. From our reclining benches round the fire in the Aidar Yurt Camp in
the Nurata Mountains – and with the help of a stargazing app – we made out the
Northern Cross plus all the usual suspects, such as the Plough and Orion. Saturn
and Jupiter were highly visible, too.

You’ll also find clean, lakeside beaches nearby, petroglyphs from fortress ruins
dating back to Alexander the Great’s time, plus opportunities for a camel ride.


TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Kalpak Travel’s eight-day Classic Uzbekistan tour includes the highlights of
Tashkent, Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. Regular scheduled departures take place
in spring and autumn, and itineraries for independent travellers are also
available. From €1,390 (£1,216) per person, full-board, including all
accommodation, internal transfers, tour guides and entry to all activities in
the itinerary. Excludes international flights.


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UzbekistanUzbekistan travel10 things to do


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1/5EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN


EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN

With easier access and a dearth of tourists, there’s never been a better time to
explore this central Asian country




EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN

Gur-e-Amir was the precursor to the Taj Mahal (Getty/iStock)

Getty Images/iStockphoto


EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN

Registan Square is beautifully photogenic

Getty/iStock




EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN

Detailed ceramic tiles are everywhere in Uzbekistan (Getty/iStock)

Getty Images/iStockphoto


EIGHT REASONS TO GO TO UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan is known for its achichuk salad (Getty/iStock)

Getty Images/iStockphoto




















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