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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