
UZBEKISTAN
Location - Central Asia; Capital - Tashkent; Population - 32 million; Currency - Som MORE UZBEKISTAN
An overnight flight to Tashkent with Uzbekistan Airways (flight was fine but zero legspace!) was the start of just over three weeks in Central Asia. And I'd certainly recommend a visit to this country, which has recently relaxed its entry requirements and improved its frosty and bureacratic reputation among foreign visitors - September 2018.
There used to be a huge black market for the Som, but it vanished in 2017 after the official rate was placed above the black market rate
The Tashkent metro stations are pretty fancy, this one being Kosmonavtlar (aka Cosmonaut). Photography was banned until 2018, possibly because the network can double as a nuclear shelter - Tashkent
Among others there's a mural of Yuri Gagarin at Kosmonavtlar, the first man to travel to outer space - Tashkent
But not everything's futuristic in Tashkent
Walking through the water park with the TV Tower behind - Tashkent
A 10 minute walk from Bodomzor station is the Minor Mosque, built in 2014 - Tashkent
Uzbek women leaving the Minor Mosque - Tashkent
Follow the river south from the mosque and you'll come across Cafe Olympia, which has a great setting in a park, settled among the trees - Tashkent
Near the cafe is the Monument of Courage - Tashkent
The Crying Mother Monument is dedicated to the 400,000 Uzbek soldiers who died in World War II - Tashkent
Next to the monument are several prayer wheels, usually associated with Buddhism - Tashkent
First ruler of the Timurid dynasty Amir Timur, aka Tamerlane, stands outside the Soviet relic that is Hotel Uzbekistan - Tashkent
The 'souvenirs of Uzbekistan' fair was taking place, featuring food stalls, weaving, rugs and lots of clothes & accessories - Tashkent
Former president Islam Karimov took Uzbekistan to independence in 1991. He was known to the outside world for his poor human rights record, plus his supporting of a US airbase in Karshi until their forced withdrawal following the Andijan massacre. The statue stands outside the Aqsaroy Presidential Palace, his workplace until he died in 2016 - Tashkent
On Khast Imom Square are the Hazroti Imom Friday Mosque, the Barak Khan Medressa and Abu Bakr Kaffal Shoshi Mausoleum. I'd say if you're going to Samarkand & Bukhara and you're short of time in Tashkent, skip the mosques and madrasahs in the capital (you'll see plenty of them!) - Tashkent
A different take on McDonald's - Tashkent
The streets leading to Chorsu Bazaar are lined with traders - Tashkent
Chorsu Bazaar was the best market I visited in Cerntral Asia, bustling and with plenty of atmosphere - Tashkent
I thought these were semi-precious stones but it's sugar - Tashkent
It's mainly food but there's a smattering of clothing and souvenirs on sale - Tashkent
You''ll see these signs all over Central Asia - Tashkent
The Uzbek flag flies in front of Istiklol Palace - Tashkent
Another Soviet relic on the edge of Navoi Park is the Olly Majlis, the country's parliament - Tashkent
A short walk from the train station is Assumption Cathedral, an Orthodox church - Tashkent
The 250km/hr Afrosiyob is a fast and comfortable way around the country, linking Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. There's also a new trainline to Khiva soon to be opened - Tashkent
Breakfast tables in my slightly quirky hostel in Samarkand
The big draw in Uzbekistan and all of Central Asia is the Registan - Samarkand
The Registan comprises three madrasahs (the Arabic word for school): Ulugbek (left), Tilla-Kari (centre) and Sher Dor (right) - Samarkand
The 15th century Ulugbek Madrasah is the oldest of the three - Samarkand
The 17th century Sher Dor Madrasah is also called the Lion Madrasah after the lions (or tigers?) depicted on the entrance - Samarkand
The amazing blue and turquoise tilework adorning the Registan - Samarkand
A lovely photo of Uzbek women from the Fergana Valley on holiday in Samarkand
Walk through Tilla-Kari Madrasah to a courtyard edged with this mosque - Samarkand
Inside the mosque, which also has a small museum - Samarkand
Blue and gold are the colours of choice in this part of the world, this being the mosque ceiling - Samarkand
Peer down from the top of Ulugbek Madrasah's minaret - Samarkand
Past Tilla-Kari Madrasah on the horizon is the huge Bibi-Khanym Mosque - Samarkand
Lining the madrasahs are the dormitory rooms - Samarkand
Most of the rooms have been converted to souvenir shops - Samarkand
..though a couple have made a stab of replicating a 19th century student's dormitory - Samarkand
Arabic script mixes with azure mosaics - Samarkand
When the Registan lights up at night it looks stunning - Samarkand
I gather the evening entry is a relatively new introduction - it's a separate entry fee and opens an hour or two after the site closes for the day - Samarkand
A view of Sher Dor Madrasah from Ulugbek Madrasah - Samarkand
The ornate dormitory rooms - Samarkand
Only a few souvenir shops were open in the evening, though I guess that depends on the number of visitors - Samarkand
The evening ticket is different from the Sound & Light Show, which is held on special occasions (or presumably when a tour group pays for it!) - Samarkand - Samarkand
The Tilla-Kari Madrasah - Samarkand
In the centre of a roundabout is a statue of Amir Timur, who was born near Shakhrisabz, an hour's drive south of Samarkand
The entrance to Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum - Samarkand
The mausoleum is the resting place of Amir Timur, aka Tamerlane, who conquered much of Central Asia and the Middle East towards India at the end of the 14th century - Samarkand
Blue and golden mosaics adorn the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum - Samarkand
A mural on the side Registon ko'chasi building - Samarkand
A popular restaurant with tourists, on the main road close to the Registan - Samarkand
A newly married couple pose for photos beneath a statue of former president Islam Karimov - Samarkand
Gumbaz Synagogue serves the 200+ Jews living in Samarkand
You'll come across plenty of melons in Uzbekistan - Samarkand
The small domed building in the centre of the Hazrat-Hizr Mosque complex houses the tomb of former president Islam Karimov - Samarkand
Hazrat-Hizr Mosque was restored in the 1990s - Samarkand
A great view of Bibi-Khanym Mosque from Hazrat-Hizr Mosque - Samarkand
More lovely tilework, this time of Bibi-Khanym Mosque - Samarkand
A cool place to relax for a drink is the Samarkand Art House, set beneath Bibi-Khanym Mosque - Samarkand
But even better are taking off your footwear and sitting or lying on a tapchan, a Central Asian table-cum-bed - Samarkand
Ulugbek was a 15th century Timurid leader more noted for his work as an astronomer - Samarkand
The remaining section of Ulugbek's observatory, which would have been used to see the stars back in the 15th century - Samarkand
The Afrosiab Museum houses a 7th century fresco from the Sogdian kingdom - Samarkand
Shah-e-Zinda is a must-see series of mausoleums spanning several centuries - Samarkand
There's as many pilgrims here as foreign tourists which makes it a busy place - Samarkand
I wasn't expecting it to be particularly impressive but it's a highlight of a visit to Samarkand if you're an admirer of azure tilework
Uzbek bread is a speciality, with different designs depending on which part of the country you're in. But with me being a Coeliac I didn't touch it with a bargepole - Samarkand
I'm sure the stall-holder called these rectangular blocks halva, but it was a blend of milk and sugar more like fudge. Whatever it was it tasted good! - Samarkand
I guess someone forked out for the Sound and Light show - Samarkand
A potted history of civilizations is projected on to Tilla-Kari Madrasah. Tickets are limited but there's plenty of space outside the ticketed roped-off area. I say plenty of space but it gets mighty busy with locals wanting a peak!- Samarkand
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LINKS
www.advantour.com - A Central Asian tour operator but website has a wealth of information
https://caravanistan.com - Main resource for all things Central Asian - extremely useful
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