UZBEKISTAN Узбекистан Uzbekistan 186 © Lonelyplanetpublications Pitable – Yet Another Prime Attraction Inthisoddly Endearingcountry

UZBEKISTAN Узбекистан Uzbekistan 186 © LonelyPlanetPublications pitable – yet another prime attraction inthisoddly endearingcountry. pitable –yetanotherprimeattraction is nosainteither. Despite itall,theUzbekpeople remain good-spirited andgenuinelyhos- currentTimur, andStalin.The leader,IslamKarimov, country’slong-serving Khan Nasrullah unsung naturalattractions. andanimpressive fortresses which includedazzlingbazaars,ancientdesert arrayoflargely notwithstanding).Alas,theysometimesovershadow effort thecountry’sotherattractions, architecture thatblendswiththesand. caravansand the region, serpentinedesert dervishes, conjuringupimagesofknife-twirling Khiva. The epitomise namespractically Bukhara, would ownthetop-three entries:Samarkand, run the territory we now call Uzbekistan sincetimeimmemorial. run theterritory wenowcallUzbekistan few badapplesover theyears. Tyrants enamoured bythecountry’sphysicalbountyhave fascinating historyofthecountry.Butasstudentsthatknow,it’salsosprunga home toaspellbindingarsenalofarchitecture alldeeplyinfusedwiththeraw, andartefacts, The region’sas Uzbekistan. cradleofculture formore thantwomillennia,itistheproud No countryinCentral Asia seemstohave itsogood,yetatthesametimehave itsobad, All of that is enough to eclipse the bad memories evoked by names such as Jenghiz Khan, bynamessuchasJenghizKhan, All ofthatisenoughtoeclipsethebadmemoriesevoked Seen inperson,theBigThree donotdisappoint(theoccasionaloverzealous restorative Concentrating onthegood,ifthere wasaHallofFame

FAST FACTS

(Thank you) (Thank Population Phrases €1 =1628S Money Karakalpak Languages Borat’s neighbour TimurSamarkand, (Tamerlane), being Famous For Country Code Capital Area 447,400 sqkm Uzbeksum;US$1=1238S; Tashkent

Salom aleikum 25.2million Uzbek, Russian,Tajik, Plov, % tastypomegranates, 998 (Hello); Rakhmat

for Central Asian cities,Uzbekistan

ITINERARIES HIGHLIGHTS lonelyplanet.com

ceramics inRishton( p221 ), Three days Three ( Bukhara p246 ). ( p232 underthesunin ) andeverything and cottoncoverlets) Uzbekistan Crafty (p259). Museum greatest artcollectioninNukus’Savitsky Asia’s TheatreBallet (p207)andCentral at Tashkent’s AlisherNavoi Opera& Gems Quirky Cultural ing history. medressas, awesomeB&Bsandfascinat- holy cityboastingstunning15th-century Bukhara only). the Urgut bazaar(SundayandThursday or ing adetouronthewaytoShakhrisabz leum. Ondaythree exittoTajikistan, tak- Shah-i-Zinda andGuriAmirMauso- ture: Mosque, BibiKhanym theRegistan, the fourpearlsof Timurid-era architec- Samarkand thenextmorningtoexplore inabodaciousB&B,thenzipto yourself Pamperstunning medressa ensembles. gape atthe47mKalon Minaret andthe around Lyabi-Hauz, tourtheArk,and overland Wander fromTurkmenistan. fromTashkenta domesticflight or architecture withayurtstay take atime-outfrom Around Bukhara, ancient ruinedfortresses of ElliqQala. HeadMuseum. viathe southtoKhiva greatest artcollection in theSavitsky Asia’s appreciating Central a half-day Two weeks markand andvicinity,history buffs Aidarkul. After three dayscovering Sa- or two. Tashkent catch anoperaandamuseum place anextraday.Onyourlast day in andSamarkand, givingeach Bukhara The nextdaytravel byshared to taxi around thewalledoldcity,Ichon-Qala. city’ of Spendadaywandering Khiva. a shortshared-taxi ridetothe‘museum One week Khiva than-life Timurid architectural gems. leadsaformidablecastofRegistan larger- Samarkand frozen intimeamidthedesert. ( p252 ) Thelastindependent khanate 26) xustl preserved Exquisitely (p236) FlytoUrgench fromwhere it’s FlywesttoNukusandspend Start in Bukhara, eitherwith inBukhara, Start 23) h breathtaking The (p223) UZBEKISTAN ••Highlights Silk inMargilon ( p220 ), Carmen foradollar Carmen

in Shakhrisabz suzani

near Lake (silk is fromDecember toFebruary. Summer isfromJunetoAugust, andwinter to the beginningof(September November). (mid-March totheendof May) andautumn mate Charts, p446 . to thefirst of week February; alsotheCli- see worst of winter lasts40daysfromChristmas days frommid-Julytotheendof August.The June. MostrainfallsinMarch andApril. age annualmaximumtemperature is40°Cin temperatures hit32°Corhigher. Theaver- temperatures belowfreezing. withsnowand short, isunstable although frostsandrains;winter, autumn haslight is long,hotanddry;springmildrainy; Large areas of Uzbekistan are Summer desert. CLIMATE &WHENTOGO

Fergana Valley instead of Termiz. loverstown. Bazaar shouldconsiderthe ortwoonthegood foodandanight Tashkent hopping, forsomemuseum cal oasisof Termiz before flyingbackto should headsouthtothearchaeologi- trekking, Ugam-Ch including hiking,raftingorskiingin exploring Uzbekistan’s naturalwonders: gana Valley more anddevote timeto You canhitbothTermiz andtheFer- inamonthatmoreseen relaxed pace. One month From JunetoAugustaverage afternoon In this chapter, the high season isspring In thischapter, season thehigh The summerfurnaceof 35°Cdayslasts40 rata Mountains. rata AidarkulandtheNu- tourism nearLake

MUCH? HOW 1LofpetrolUS$0.50 Shashlyk US$0.30-0.50 Domesticbeer(store) US$0.50 Domesticbeer(bar)US$0.75-1 1Lofbottledwater US$0.40 UzbekskullcapUS$2-4 Internet perhourUS$0.50-0.80 phonecalltotheUS/UK One-minute 100kmbusrideUS$1 Snickers bar US$0.40 US$1.05/0.95 atkal hiking Alltheabove canbe sights National Park, andcamel and community-based

187 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Узбекистан Uzbekistan 186 © LonelyPlanetPublications pitable – yet another prime attraction inthisoddly endearingcountry. pitable –yetanotherprimeattraction is nosainteither. Despite itall,theUzbekpeople remain good-spirited andgenuinelyhos- currentTimur, andStalin.The leader,IslamKarimov, country’slong-serving Khan Nasrullah unsung naturalattractions. andanimpressive fortresses which includedazzlingbazaars,ancientdesert arrayoflargely notwithstanding).Alas,theysometimesovershadow effort thecountry’sotherattractions, architecture thatblendswiththesand. caravansand the region, serpentinedesert dervishes, conjuringupimagesofknife-twirling Khiva. The epitomise namespractically Bukhara, would ownthetop-three entries:Samarkand, run the territory we now call Uzbekistan sincetimeimmemorial. run theterritory wenowcallUzbekistan few badapplesover theyears. Tyrants enamoured bythecountry’sphysicalbountyhave fascinating historyofthecountry.Butasstudentsthatknow,it’salsosprunga home toaspellbindingarsenalofarchitecture alldeeplyinfusedwiththeraw, andartefacts, The region’sas Uzbekistan. cradleofculture formore thantwomillennia,itistheproud No countryinCentral Asia seemstohave itsogood,yetatthesametimehave itsobad, All of that is enough to eclipse the bad memories evoked by names such as Jenghiz Khan, bynamessuchasJenghizKhan, All ofthatisenoughtoeclipsethebadmemoriesevoked Seen inperson,theBigThree donotdisappoint(theoccasionaloverzealous restorative Concentrating onthegood,ifthere wasaHallofFame

FAST FACTS

Salom aleikum 25.2million Uzbek, Russian,Tajik, Plov, % tastypomegranates, 998 (Hello); Rakhmat

for Central Asian cities,Uzbekistan

ITINERARIES HIGHLIGHTS lonelyplanet.com

only). the Urgut bazaar(SundayandThursday or ing adetouronthewaytoShakhrisabz leum. Ondaythree exittoTajikistan, tak- Shah-i-Zinda andGuriAmirMauso- ture: Mosque, BibiKhanym theRegistan, the fourpearlsof Timurid-era architec- Samarkand thenextmorningtoexplore inabodaciousB&B,thenzipto yourself Pamperstunning medressa ensembles. gape atthe47mKalon Minaret andthe around Lyabi-Hauz, tourtheArk,and overland Wander fromTurkmenistan. fromTashkenta domesticflight or days Three ( Bukhara p246 ). ( p232 underthesunin ) andeverything and cottoncoverlets) ceramics inRishton( p221 ), Uzbekistan Crafty Gems Quirky Cultural ing history. medressas, awesomeB&Bsandfascinat- holy cityboastingstunning15th-century Bukhara markand andvicinity,history buffs Aidarkul. After three dayscovering Sa- architecture withayurtstay take atime-outfrom Around Bukhara, ancient ruinedfortresses of ElliqQala. HeadMuseum. viathe southtoKhiva greatest artcollection in theSavitsky Asia’s appreciating Central a half-day Two weeks (p259). Museum greatest artcollectioninNukus’Savitsky Asia’s TheatreBallet (p207)andCentral at Tashkent’s AlisherNavoi Opera& One week or two. Tashkent catch anoperaandamuseum place anextraday.Onyourlast day in andSamarkand, givingeach Bukhara The nextdaytravel byshared to taxi around thewalledoldcity,Ichon-Qala. city’ of Spendadaywandering Khiva. a shortshared-taxi ridetothe‘museum frozen intimeamidthedesert. Khiva than-life Timurid architectural gems. leadsaformidablecastofRegistan larger- Samarkand ( p252 ) Thelastindependent khanate 26) xustl preserved Exquisitely (p236) FlytoUrgench fromwhere it’s FlywesttoNukusandspend Start in Bukhara, eitherwith inBukhara, Start 23) h breathtaking The (p223) UZBEKISTAN ••Highlights Silk inMargilon ( p220 ), Carmen foradollar Carmen

in Shakhrisabz suzani

187 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 188 ὅὅὅ 0 200 km UZBEKISTAN 0 120 miles UZBEKISTAN To Beyneu (45km); ὅὅὅ Atyrau (400km); Lake Moscow (2000km) South Shu River Balkash 103m Aral ὅὅὅ M36 Sea Kyzylorda

Kubla-Ustyurt To Almaty K A Z A K H S T A N (110km) K A R A K A L P A K S T A N M32 ὅὅὅMoynaq 52m Syr - Darya Sudochie ὅὅὅLake Turkistan

Kungrad (Qongirat) Taraz BISHKEK ὅὅὅὅὅ Kyzylkum desert Sarykamish Talas Lake M39 A361 Nukus 273m ὅὅHojeli 4319m Konye- R180 Shymkent K Y R G Y Z S T A N Urgench Mangit Uchquduk Ugam-Chatkal S TA I N National Park U N M41 Chimgan M O Dashogus Beruni L A Uchkurgan Urgench Turtkul Zarafshan TASHKENT T K 607m A 3303m Khiva Lake Baimurat H Jalal-Abad CAngren Namangan A379 Aidarkul Khanabad A373 Andijon Kyzylkum Dostyk/Dustlyk K H O R E Z M Margilon desert Oq Tog (White Peak) Gulistan Kokand A380 (2169m) A373 Osh Yangiqishloq M39 Fergana Nurata Khavast Khojand Paikent Nuratau-Kyzylkum A376 Gijduvan Sarmysh Biosphere Jizzakh Shakhimardan Gorge Reserve Zaamin M34 Navoi M37 Hoja Ismail National Park A372 T U R K M E N I S T A N Bukhara Tudakul Penjikent Qarakol Lake Samarkand C H I N A Urgut A377 Alat A378 Hissar ains Nature Mount A380 Shakhrisabz Fan Turkmenabat Reserve T A J I K I S T A N Amu 4425m Qarshi Langar - Darya ὈGuzor Hissar ὈDUSHANBE M39 Mountains ASHGABAT Denau lonelyplanet.com Boysun M41 Darya M41 - Khorog Mary

Surkhan I R A N M37 Termiz To Mazar-e Sharif A F G H A N I S T A N (10km) the Samaniddynastyin9th and 10th century butfoundtheregion too big andrest- Asiawritten inthe8th alphabettoCentral (see p53 Islamanda ). TheArabsbrought theexistencein maintaining of theSilkRoad onasignificant role taking ways, eventually to life here and abandoned their wandering Kök (Blue)Turks.Theysoongrew attached western branch of theempire of theso-called century ADcametheWestern Turks–the (see p37 ). ried Roxana, thedaughter of alocalchieftain mar-Sogdians intheirhomelandmountains, (Samarkand) andthen,having conquered the menid empire. He stoppednearMarakanda the Great entered CyrustheGreat’s Achae- Sogdiana. Inthe4thcenturyBC Alexander Khorezm and sian states,includingBactria, The region waspartof somevery oldPer- Ancient Empires people of thisregion apart. permanence andproprietorshipthe stillsets topresent day.Anattitudeof century BC) tle fromthetimeof theAchaemenids (6th andcommunalitythathaschangeduse lit- thannomadic,withpatterns ofsettled land different fromtherest Asia of Central –more hasalwaysbeen Darya andtheirtributaries The landalongtheupperAmu-Darya, Syr- HISTORY lonelyplanet.com dominated Central Asiadominated from present-day Central For some timethe Turkic Khorezmshahs Ghaznavids moved intothesouthernregions. mercial renaissance. Inthe11thcentury the centre of an intellectual, religious andcom- becamethe Bukhara, centuries. Itscapital, less togovern. Out of thenorthernsteppes inthe6th A return tothePersian foldcamewith ing 37. Termiz–Tashkent flightcrashedin2004,kill- a generallycleantrackrecord, althougha Airwayshashave beenmined.Uzbekistan oftheUzbek–Kyrgyz border,and parts note thatmuchoftheUzbek–Tajik border, to foreigners withoutspecialpermits. Also heavily patrolledandgenerallyoff-limits treme cautioninallborderareas, whichare is theoverzealous police. Proceedwithex- As inmanypolicestates, themaindanger TRAVELLING SAFELY INUZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ••History mixing with sedentary Turkictribesandmixing withsedentary longer wanted Russianprotection, andafter no in1717,the khan to marching on Khiva Asia. Butbythetime theRussiansgotaround stirring thefirst Russianinterest inCentral marauding Turkmen andKazakh tribes), inreturnbecome hisvassal forhelpagainst made anoffer toPeter theGreat of Russia (to of In theearly18thcenturykhan Khiva The RussiansArrive andKokand. Bukhara Khiva, by three weak, feuding Uzbek city-states – 19th centurytheentire region wasdominated cousins, theAstrakhanids. of Bythestart the unravelled undertheShaybanids’ distant as theSilkRoadfell theempire intodisuse, from 1538untilhisdeathin1598.After this, est architecture, was Abdullah II,whoruled responsiblekhans, forsomeof fin- Bukhara’s Uzbeks, asithassince. Syr-Darya (Jaxartes River) belonged tothe from theAmu-Darya(Oxus River) tothe Transoxiana (‘thelandbeyondtheOxus’) Timur’s empire. Bytheearly1500s,allof and thundered downupontheremnants of Uzbeks ralliedunderMohammed Shaybani birth totheproto-Kazakhs; see p42 ), the Following aninternal schism (which gave the Syr-Darya inthemid-15thcentury. adopting theTurkiclanguage; theyreached themselves after him. tribeshadbeguntoname14th centurythese ( Uzbek, ruled1313–40).Bytheendof the they swappedpaganismforIslam)was Özbeg tribes (andprobably theoneunderwhom greatest of MongolShaybani khan these andadjacentpartsofzakhstan Russia. The inheritedKhan, whatistodaynorthernKa- Shibaqan (Shayban), agrandsonof Jenghiz the timeGoldenHordewasfounded, Little isknownof earlyUzbek history.At The Uzbeks at Samarkand. arts whofashionedaglittering Islamiccapital lane), theruthlesswarriorandpatronof the ofwith therise Timur (alsoknownasTamer- 13th century. ravagedoases by Jenghiz intheearly Khan reign wascutshortandtheregion’s elegant Konye-Urgench buttheir inTurkmenistan, The greatest (and last)of theShaybanid The Uzbeks begantomove southeast, Central AsiaCentral againbecametruly‘central’

189 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 188 ὅὅὅ 0 200 km UZBEKISTAN 0 120 miles UZBEKISTAN To Beyneu (45km); ὅὅὅ Atyrau (400km); Lake Moscow (2000km) South Shu River Balkash 103m Aral ὅὅὅ M36 Sea Kyzylorda

Kubla-Ustyurt To Almaty K A Z A K H S T A N (110km) K A R A K A L P A K S T A N M32 ὅὅὅMoynaq 52m Syr - Darya Sudochie ὅὅὅLake Turkistan

189 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Abbott madeittoStPetersburg. Incredibly, expeditionsagainstKhiva. military the slaves inreturn foranendtoRussian Abbottsend withanoffer tothetsar torelease winter onthesteppes.astating He agreed to had already turnedback,inthefaceof adev- forcoming. sians’ excuse behalf, thusnullifyingtheRus- on thekhan’s offeringguise) tonegotiate theslaves’ release (having travelled fromHerat dis- inAfghan Jamesficer, Captain Abbott, arrived inKhiva from Orenburg. In January 1840,aBritish of- ovsky’s out 5200menand10,000camelsset slaves were thepretext Per- onwhich General Russian Khiva’s although taken Afghanistan, Asia whichinto Central byBritain, hadjust 1839, wasreally abidtopre-empt expansion across theKazakhstruggling steppes. was assassinated andthearmyrecalled while Fortunately forallbutthe slaves, thetsar India, withorders tofree theslaves enroute. a madcapmission todrive theBritishoutof Tsarthe insane Paul on 22,000Cossacks sent few andtravellers. Russiansettlers In1801 forfurtherRussianvisitstofree a an excuse 4000-strong forceslaughtered. a showof hehadalmosttheentire hospitality 190 proclaimed theAutonomous Soviet Socialist of sacking Kokandin 1918,theBolsheviks in1917andtheinfamous sian Revolution matter. Followingtheoutbreak of the Rus- ‘Uzbek’ and‘Uzbekistan’ isvery much aSoviet Turks orPersians. Theconnectionbetween Asians identifiedthemselves ethnicallyas Even into the20thcentury,mostCentral Soviet Daze stantin Kaufman. Kon- in 1873,andKokand1875toGeneral in1868,Khiva SamarkandandBukhara aev, Tashkent Mikhail in1865toGeneral Cherny- later, townsfell thekhanates’ like – dominoes propaganda coups. with furyover oneof theGreat Game’sboldest Russian gratitudewasdoubtlesslymingled Sea. Russian outpost,ontheeastern Caspian giveeven them anarmedescorttothenearest erally release allRussian slaves and inKhiva tounilat- lowing Juneandconvincedthekhan Richmond Shakespear reached thefol- Khiva The nextattempt, byTsar Nicholas Iin The slave was market andKhiva inBukhara In search ofIn search newsof Abbott, Lieutenant Unknown to the khan, theRussianforce Unknown tothekhan, When theRussiansfinallyrallied25years ZEITN • itr UZBEKISTAN ••History (agriculture) andthemassive shifttocot- ofcollectivisation the republic’s mainstay viet rulewere theforcedandoften bloody 1963, thenlosingsomein1971. fromKazakhstan in1956and and Jizzakh) Tashkentname forthedrylandscapebetween parts of theHungrySteppe (theRussiannick- Karakalpakstan fromRussia in1936,taking Tajikistancow, hivingoff in1929,acquiring composition over theyears asitsuited Mos- Socialist Republic(SSR)changed shapeand tity andaliterary language. TheUzbek Soviet iden- suddenly hada‘homeland’,anofficial redrawn onethnicgrounds,andtheUzbeks ‘People’s Republics’. were khanates Bukhara forciblyreplaced with returned twoyears and later andtheKhiva basmachi out bycounter-revolutionary troopsand Republic of Turkestan. Temporarily forced direct presidential elections, which Karimov Karimov. most of itsideology,andof course itsleader, predecessor’s propertyand control apparatus, of Uzbekistan (PDPU), inheritingallof its invented asthePeople’s itself DemocraticParty independent. Soonafterward theCPUz re- August 1991,Karimov declared Uzbekistan president. (CPUz),bekistan tothenewpost of executive first of secretary theCommunistParty of Uz- dominated bodyelected Islam Karimov, the Communist Party. Theresulting communist- the Uzbek Supreme Soviet (legislature) bythe contesting theelectioninFebruary 1990for Despite popularsupport,itwasbarred from ofand theeffects thecottonmonoculture. that includedUzbek language asanofficial by Tashkent intellectuals in1989over issues ular movement, Birlik(Unity),wasformed Uzbekistan’s firstnoncommunistpop- serious Independence took place. trickle downhere; few significantreforms and meant thatbythe1980s Asiantraditional Central respect forauthority purges.decimated byStalin’s Thisandthe much of therepublic’s politicalleadership was ton cultivation.TheUzbek intelligentsia and In December 1991,Uzbekistan held itsfirst For ruralUzbeks, themainimpactsof So- Then inOctober1924thewholemapwas Following theabortive coupinMoscow perestroika (Muslimguerrillafighters), they (restructuring) wouldhardly glasnost lonelyplanet.com (openness) ing in. flow- US$500 millionin2002alone–start backandwatched the USaidmoney–sat NATO then inthewarAfghanistan, foruse president totheUSand openedupbases gaveStates Karimov areprieve. TheUzbek spread. ontheUnited Butthe9/11attacks and international condemnationwaswide- theelectionafarce deemed Foreign observers January 2000,garnering92%of thevotes. declared illegal. Valley, wasforcedunderground andErkwas charges. TheIRP,withsupportintheFergana extremists were arrested ontrumped-up of opponents.Hundreds of alleged Islamic parlance –thatextended toabroadspectrum – Islamic fundamentalists Tashkent. This ledtoacrackdownonradical hit bombattacks ofwhen aseries devastating monoculture continued. cotton andthe devastating economy stagnated imprisonment of itall,the activists.Through control of themedia,policeharassmentand independence. shrivelled Dissent thanksto as hewas,underadifferent before title,even – gardeners’ togoldproductionquotas salaries firmly incharge of frommunicipal everything consolidate hisgriponpower. He remained The years Karimov after independencesaw Onward toAndijon would remain farfrom‘democratic’. would remain almosttoafault.Butit secular dential republic’. UnderKarimov, Uzbekistan clared Uzbekistan democraticpresi- ‘asecular, forbiddentotake part. been all otherpartieswithareligious platform,had Partyand theIslamicRenaissance (IRP),and this day).Thereal oppositiongroups,Birlik soon driven intoexile(where heremains to (Will orFreedom), whogot 12%andwas the small,figurehead oppositionpartyErk namedMohammed Solih,runningfor a poet won with86%of thevote. Hisonlyrivalwas lonelyplanet.com only modest international criticism. drewelection in 2004,thisoneparliamentary, wanted tosilencea‘terrorist’. Anotherrigged Karimov thislicence tobrandanyonehe used campaign against the gave himalicencetoratchet uphisbrutal with theUSin‘WaronTerror’ effectively A newthreat emerged inFebruary 1999 A newconstitutionunveiled in1992de- As anaddedbonusfor Karimov, solidarity Karimov wonathirdconsecutive term in UZBEKISTAN ••Current Events wahabis wahabis . Onceagain inthelocal of becomingchillier. in thewake of Andijon, were showing signs improvedsia, which hadnot,coincidentally, Just astellingly, Tashkent’s relations with Rus- about a totalk least starting would belifted bylate 2007.TheUSwasat but there were strongsignsthatthesanctions inlateThe EUextended 2006 itssanctions late 2007or2008isnotoutof the question. into Uzbekistan. impossible foraforeign journalist to get avisa Tashkent inOctober 2005.Itremains nextto outoferating inthecountry,washarassed the lastWestern newsorganisations stillop- among which hadbeen TheBBC, onslaught. ternational immunetothe journalists been and independentjournalists.Norhave in- down againstoppositionpoliticalactivists Watch hascalledan‘unprecedented’ crack- tolaunchijon events whatHumanRights or similartechnicalities. to leave inthefaceof registration problems Institute andInternews have forced allbeen such theOpenSociety asFreedom House, The USPeace Corpsandhigh-profile NGOs most US-funded NGOs outof thecountry. Andijon, Karimov’s response tokick hasbeen Indignant inthefaceof Western criticismover CURRENT EVENTS the Westwasover. post-9/11 thawinUzbekistan’s relations with The the EUhitcountrywithsanctions. tigation, theUSwithdrew mostof itsaidand to allowanindependentinternational inves- was swiftincoming.After Uzbekistan refused ensuing melee. ians were killedbygovernment troopsinthe and somewhere 200and1000civil- between main square. Theauthoritiesoverreacted, largely peacefuldemonstrationinAndjion’s were beingheld,touching amassive off but of theiralliesstormedtheprisonwhere they local extremist Islamicmovement. Agroup jailed forbeingmembers of Akramiya,a two dozenpowerfullocalbusinessmen were as itwaslater dubbed,wastouched when off the United The States. Andijon Massacre, ished Uzbekistan’s cosyrelationship with rocked demol- thecountryandinstantly intheeasternwhen events cityof Andijon Yet athawinrelations withtheWestby International condemnationof Andijon Such wasthesituationon13May 2005 Domestically, Karimov theAnd- hasused rapprochement 191

. UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN proclaimed theAutonomous Soviet Socialist of sacking Kokandin 1918,theBolsheviks in1917andtheinfamous sian Revolution matter. Followingtheoutbreak of the Rus- ‘Uzbek’ and‘Uzbekistan’ isvery much aSoviet Turks orPersians. Theconnectionbetween Asians identifiedthemselves ethnicallyas Even into the20thcentury,mostCentral Soviet Daze stantin Kaufman. Kon- in 1873,andKokand1875toGeneral in1868,Khiva SamarkandandBukhara aev, Tashkent Mikhail in1865toGeneral Cherny- later, townsfell thekhanates’ like – dominoes propaganda coups. with furyover oneof theGreat Game’sboldest Russian gratitudewasdoubtlesslymingled Sea. Russian outpost,ontheeastern Caspian giveeven them anarmedescorttothenearest erally release allRussian slaves and inKhiva tounilat- lowing Juneandconvincedthekhan Richmond Shakespear reached thefol- Khiva Abbott madeittoStPetersburg. Incredibly, expeditionsagainstKhiva. military the slaves inreturn foranendtoRussian Abbottsend withanoffer tothetsar torelease winter onthesteppes.astating He agreed to had already turnedback,inthefaceof adev- forcoming. sians’ excuse behalf, thusnullifyingtheRus- on thekhan’s offeringguise) tonegotiate theslaves’ release (having travelled fromHerat dis- inAfghan Jamesficer, Captain Abbott, arrived inKhiva from Orenburg. In January 1840,aBritish of- ovsky’s out 5200menand10,000camelsset slaves were thepretext Per- onwhich General Russian Khiva’s although taken Afghanistan, Asia whichinto Central byBritain, hadjust 1839, wasreally abidtopre-empt expansion across theKazakhstruggling steppes. was assassinated andthearmyrecalled while Fortunately forallbutthe slaves, thetsar India, withorders tofree theslaves enroute. a madcapmission todrive theBritishoutof Tsarthe insane Paul on 22,000Cossacks sent few andtravellers. Russiansettlers In1801 forfurtherRussianvisitstofree a an excuse 4000-strong forceslaughtered. a showof hehadalmosttheentire hospitality 190 In search ofIn search newsof Abbott, Lieutenant The nextattempt, byTsar Nicholas Iin The slave was market andKhiva inBukhara When theRussiansfinallyrallied25years theRussianforce Unknown tothekhan, ZEITN • itr UZBEKISTAN ••History direct presidential elections, which Karimov Karimov. most of itsideology,andof course itsleader, predecessor’s propertyand control apparatus, of Uzbekistan (PDPU), inheritingallof its invented asthePeople’s itself DemocraticParty independent. Soonafterward theCPUz re- August 1991,Karimov declared Uzbekistan president. (CPUz),bekistan tothenewpost of executive first of secretary theCommunistParty of Uz- dominated bodyelected Islam Karimov, the Communist Party. Theresulting communist- the Uzbek Supreme Soviet (legislature) bythe contesting theelectioninFebruary 1990for Despite popularsupport,itwasbarred from ofand theeffects thecottonmonoculture. that includedUzbek language asanofficial by Tashkent intellectuals in1989over issues ular movement, Birlik(Unity),wasformed Uzbekistan’s firstnoncommunistpop- serious Independence took place. trickle downhere; few significantreforms and meant thatbythe1980s Asiantraditional Central respect forauthority purges.decimated byStalin’s Thisandthe much of therepublic’s politicalleadership was ton cultivation.TheUzbek intelligentsia and (agriculture) andthemassive shifttocot- ofcollectivisation the republic’s mainstay viet rulewere theforcedandoften bloody 1963, thenlosingsomein1971. fromKazakhstan in1956and and Jizzakh) Tashkentname forthedrylandscapebetween parts of theHungrySteppe (theRussiannick- Karakalpakstan fromRussia in1936,taking Tajikistancow, hivingoff in1929,acquiring composition over theyears asitsuited Mos- Socialist Republic(SSR)changed shapeand tity andaliterary language. TheUzbek Soviet iden- suddenly hada‘homeland’,anofficial redrawn onethnicgrounds,andtheUzbeks ‘People’s Republics’. were khanates Bukhara forciblyreplaced with returned twoyears and later andtheKhiva basmachi out bycounter-revolutionary troopsand Republic of Turkestan. Temporarily forced In December 1991,Uzbekistan held itsfirst Following theabortive coupinMoscow For ruralUzbeks, themainimpactsof So- Then inOctober1924thewholemapwas perestroika (Muslimguerrillafighters), they (restructuring) wouldhardly glasnost lonelyplanet.com (openness) ing in. flow- US$500 millionin2002alone–start backandwatched the USaidmoney–sat NATO then inthewarAfghanistan, foruse president totheUSand openedupbases gaveStates Karimov areprieve. TheUzbek spread. ontheUnited Butthe9/11attacks and international condemnationwaswide- theelectionafarce deemed Foreign observers January 2000,garnering92%of thevotes. declared illegal. Valley, wasforcedunderground andErkwas charges. TheIRP,withsupportintheFergana extremists were arrested ontrumped-up of opponents.Hundreds of alleged Islamic parlance –thatextended toabroadspectrum – Islamic fundamentalists Tashkent. This ledtoacrackdownonradical hit bombattacks ofwhen aseries devastating monoculture continued. cotton andthe devastating economy stagnated imprisonment of itall,the activists.Through control of themedia,policeharassmentand independence. shrivelled Dissent thanksto as hewas,underadifferent before title,even – gardeners’ togoldproductionquotas salaries firmly incharge of frommunicipal everything consolidate hisgriponpower. He remained The years Karimov after independencesaw Onward toAndijon would remain farfrom‘democratic’. would remain almosttoafault.Butit secular dential republic’. UnderKarimov, Uzbekistan clared Uzbekistan democraticpresi- ‘asecular, forbiddentotake part. been all otherpartieswithareligious platform,had Partyand theIslamicRenaissance (IRP),and this day).Thereal oppositiongroups,Birlik soon driven intoexile(where heremains to (Will orFreedom), whogot 12%andwas the small,figurehead oppositionpartyErk namedMohammed Solih,runningfor a poet won with86%of thevote. Hisonlyrivalwas lonelyplanet.com only modest international criticism. drewelection in 2004,thisoneparliamentary, wanted tosilencea‘terrorist’. Anotherrigged Karimov thislicence tobrandanyonehe used campaign against the gave himalicencetoratchet uphisbrutal with theUSin‘WaronTerror’ effectively A newthreat emerged inFebruary 1999 A newconstitutionunveiled in1992de- As anaddedbonusfor Karimov, solidarity Karimov wonathirdconsecutive term in UZBEKISTAN ••Current Events wahabis wahabis . Onceagain inthelocal of becomingchillier. in thewake of Andijon, were showing signs improvedsia, which hadnot,coincidentally, Just astellingly, Tashkent’s relations with Rus- about a totalk least starting would belifted bylate 2007.TheUSwasat but there were strongsignsthatthesanctions inlateThe EUextended 2006 itssanctions late 2007or2008isnotoutof the question. into Uzbekistan. impossible foraforeign journalist to get avisa Tashkent inOctober 2005.Itremains nextto outoferating inthecountry,washarassed the lastWestern newsorganisations stillop- among which hadbeen TheBBC, onslaught. ternational immunetothe journalists been and independentjournalists.Norhave in- down againstoppositionpoliticalactivists Watch hascalledan‘unprecedented’ crack- tolaunchijon events whatHumanRights or similartechnicalities. to leave inthefaceof registration problems Institute andInternews have forced allbeen such theOpenSociety asFreedom House, The USPeace Corpsandhigh-profile NGOs most US-funded NGOs outof thecountry. Andijon, Karimov’s response tokick hasbeen Indignant inthefaceof Western criticismover CURRENT EVENTS the Westwasover. post-9/11 thawinUzbekistan’s relations with The the EUhitcountrywithsanctions. tigation, theUSwithdrew mostof itsaidand to allowanindependentinternational inves- was swiftincoming.After Uzbekistan refused ensuing melee. ians were killedbygovernment troopsinthe and somewhere 200and1000civil- between main square. Theauthoritiesoverreacted, largely peacefuldemonstrationinAndjion’s were beingheld,touching amassive off but of theiralliesstormedtheprisonwhere they local extremist Islamicmovement. Agroup jailed forbeingmembers of Akramiya,a two dozenpowerfullocalbusinessmen were as itwaslater dubbed,wastouched when off the United The States. Andijon Massacre, ished Uzbekistan’s cosyrelationship with rocked demol- thecountryandinstantly intheeasternwhen events cityof Andijon Yet athawinrelations withtheWestby International condemnationof Andijon Such wasthesituationon13May 2005 Domestically, Karimov theAnd- hasused rapprochement 191

. UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ernments’ maindemand–anindependent improprieties. Uzbek of courtagainstaccusations financial NGOs successfullydefended themselves inan of May 2005.Alsoinlate 2006,twoWestern bore atleastsomeresponsibility fortheevents thatthegovernmentan admission,somesay, he fired thegovernor of Andijonprovince – to make concessionsof hisown.Inlate 2006 192 neighbours attend one another’sweddings, work of urban(mahallas) districts tied totheland. themselves goodtraders, hosts and hospitable the SilkRoadstilllinger asUzbeks consider tempts tomodifytheirculture. Traditionsof nomadic neighbours tofend Soviet off at- the Uzbeks inabetter position thantheir of peopleleft tradition assettled Centuries PEOPLE indefinitely. tional amendment,andwillremain inpower arigged referendumthrough oraconstitu- all likelihood, Karimov willextend histerm by somethingasfeeble astheconstitution.In tobedisempowered dent willallowhimself presidents totwoterms, few thepresi- believe 2007. WhiletheconstitutionlimitsUzbek president isscheduled to endinDecember want theirbreak-up tolastforever. But neitherKarimov northeWest,itappears, probe of Andijon?Thatremains tobeseen. Meanwhile, Karimov’s term as second Will Karimov Western finallymeet gov- Karimov, finallywilling forhispart,seemed The focalpointof society isstillthenet- 4. Alwayshave yourdocumentsready in 3. Negotiate foreverything, butespecially in2. The winter lowseasoniswonderful 1. Private carsforintercity tripsare much TIPS SURVIVAL UZBEK ZEITN • epe UZBEKISTAN ••People almost alwaysgetstoppedbypolice. the Uzbekmetro,oneplaceyouwill discounts. regional variety,allofwhichgive steep Tashkent versions andthegrubby hotelsat state-owned –bothfancy the placetoyourself. –cool,dryandyou’llhaveUzbekistan through yourhotel. stand foryourdestination,ratherthan cheaper ifhired attheshared-taxi , where their husbands. to tive familiesare expected tobesubservient old habitsdiehardandwomeninconserva- forexample,but codes continuetoliberalise, tudes. There are somesignsof change –dress propaganda couldentirely atti- defeat sexist into themainstream of society, noamountof theSovietsthough didmuch tobring women their Kyrgyz andKazakh neighbours. Al- astheirWestern counterparts,rights oreven in thehome,womenare notgiven thesame citizensintheworkplaceand second-class forequality.Consideredwomen struggle and informants. by employing fashion, Karimov structures hasusurpedthese ferred bythecommunity.Insinister, Soviet literally authorityiscon- ‘white beard’),whose ters froman issought celebrations andfunerals.Adviceonallmat- in Samarkand. ( in Bukhara p237 smallerone ) andaneven There isstillaminisculeJewish population Koreansnotably and Russians inTashkent. make upatinyportion of thepopulation, most 15 years of age. Anumberof minoritygroups halfthepopulation isunder families. Over ofsudden disappearance subsidiesforlarge of Slavs emigratingeach year andwiththe at2.5%peryear)withtenshigh of thousands it’sstill fallen sinceindependence(although rest inruralfarmingtownsandvillages. Around 40%of Uzbeks live incities,withthe dle asaresult ( disaster of theAralSea p77 ). itspopulation dwin- Khorezmians, hasseen hometoKazakhs,pakstan, Karakalpaks and populatedsparsely thelandbecomes. Karakal- Qarshi. Thefurtherwestyoutravel themore and ties surroundingit,includingBukhara Tajik-speaking, asare manyof thecommuni- city, is population. Samarkand,thesecond est concentrationof people,athirdof the Fergana Valley ishometoUzbekistan’s larg- Tashkent isUzbekistan’s biggest cityandthe Population to pre-Islamic Zoroastrianism. immolation, aculturaltraitthatdates back are occasionalreports of suicidebyself- rarelyhowever, leadstodivorce,andthere the handsof thehusband’smother. Abuse, homes, yetoverall controlliesin household The nationalpopulationgrowthrate has Domestic violenceoccurs in 40%of Uzbek While Uzbek mentoiltomake endsmeet, aksakals aksakal asdistrictcustodians lonelyplanet.com (revered elder,

and literary figures are that dividedinto those ofof communistdoctrine. liberalisminasea Theatrekhom ( p207 aspuddles ) bothsurvived life-stories toldinsideTashkent’s notoriousIl- awayinNukus( 1930s, stashed p258 ), andthe Igor Savitsky’s collectionof lostartfromthe progressive artwere stillallowedtodevelop: in theyears tofollow,twomajor centres of creation of theUzbek Butsomehow, SSR. followingtheSoviettle box forpreservation ing over centuries–were placedinaneatlit- Traditional art,musicandarchitecture –evolv- ARTS outofharassed thecountry. failed togainafoothold,manyhaving been ligions, Western Christianmissionaries have bygovernmentassed agents. andhar- practising Muslimsbeingobserved Attendance atmosqueshasfallenforfear of thegovernmentto praise intheirsermons. to prayer),andmullahs have pressured been longer permitted tobroadcasttheazan(call inTashkent,bomb attacks mosquesare no ranking numbertwo. Inthewake of the1999 withBukhara base, Islamic conservative The Fergana Valley thegreatest maintains Around 5%of thepopulationare Christian. onlyaround5%to15%arethough practising. (nearly allare theHanafi Sunnivariety),al- Around 85%of Uzbeks claimtobeMuslim RELIGION lonelyplanet.com Nowadays, Uzbekistan’s art,music,film Although UzbeksAlthough are tolerantof otherre- on thebook. the ‘WaronTerror’. At thetime of research Winterbottom Michael wasdirecting amovie based damning isMurray’s accountofhisowngovernment’s todiscredit himinthecontext of efforts Equally administration, pennedbyamaverickKarimov formerBritish ambassadortoUzbekistan. and finephotography. Road cities,plusthemainhistoricalsites intheneighbouringrepublics, withliterary excerpts elegant Odysseyguidethatoffers coverage Silk detailedhistoricalandpractical ofUzbekistan’s assignment toinvestigate thedisappearingAralSea. Itis quick-witted andinsightful. written byanex–Peace lessonaboutUzbekistan travelogue-cum–history Corps volunteer onan Chasing theSea:LostAmongGhostsofEmpire inCentral Asia, READING RECOMMENDED Uzbek life in1990. as culturalrobberybytheSoviets. asaninteresting Itserves chronicleandreference pointof as hetravels throughit,butissorely disappointed atevery turn,duelargely towhathesees transitioned toindependenceintheearly1990s. Glazebrook mixes inthehistoryofUzbekistan Murder inSamarkand, Journey toKhiva, Uzbekistan –theGoldenRoadtoSamarkand, UZBEKISTAN ••Religion byPhilip Glazebrook, isarelentlessly downbeatreview asit ofUzbekistan byCraigMurray,isadamningaccount ofatrocitiescommitted bythe byCalum Macleodand BradleyMayhew,isan underground. 1994 andtheFergana School hassincegone ernment ordered in thepublicationclosed Zuizda Vastaka lished intheearly1990sliterary magazine artists andwriters workswere whose pub- Fergana School, madeupof adozen orso creativity. their creators are leftwithlittleoutletfor but withscantmeansof private finance, than nationalism,aren’t officiallybanned, offering aphilosophyandexpression deeper perestroika for. Grizzledrockers Bolalardate backtothe girl bandSitoraisanotheronetolookout American.Theever-changingvaguely Latin urged dedicationtothe ed ascandal-filled career withballadsthat fromMargilon,parliamentarian resurrect- greatness.bekistan’s YulduzUsmanova, a building. rior muralsfilledwithscenesof epicnation art, withitsmockTimurid domeandinte- one of thebestexamplesof state-supported central budget. ership –are welcomedandfinancedbythe that glorifytheyoungnationanditslead- that are not.Patriotic odesandart–those are approved bythegovernment andthose leader). Dado’s Many otherformsof art,particularlythose The most notable ‘dissident group’istheThe mostnotable Local popandrapstars alsosingtoUz- The AmirTimur inTashkent Museum is -era. by Tom Bissell, is a sort of byTomBissell,isasort

(Star of Thegov- (Star theEast). classical Uzbek popsounds yurtbashi (national

193 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN neighbours attend one another’sweddings, work of urban(mahallas) districts tied totheland. themselves goodtraders, hosts and hospitable the SilkRoadstilllinger asUzbeks consider tempts tomodifytheirculture. Traditionsof nomadic neighbours tofend Soviet off at- the Uzbeks inabetter position thantheir of peopleleft tradition assettled Centuries PEOPLE indefinitely. tional amendment,andwillremain inpower arigged referendumthrough oraconstitu- all likelihood, Karimov willextend histerm by somethingasfeeble astheconstitution.In tobedisempowered dent willallowhimself presidents totwoterms, few thepresi- believe 2007. WhiletheconstitutionlimitsUzbek president isscheduled to endinDecember want theirbreak-up tolastforever. But neitherKarimov northeWest,itappears, probe of Andijon?Thatremains tobeseen. ernments’ maindemand–anindependent improprieties. Uzbek of courtagainstaccusations financial NGOs successfullydefended themselves inan of May 2005.Alsoinlate 2006,twoWestern bore atleastsomeresponsibility fortheevents thatthegovernmentan admission,somesay, he fired thegovernor of Andijonprovince – to make concessionsof hisown.Inlate 2006 192 Meanwhile, Karimov’s term as second Will Karimov Western finallymeet gov- Karimov, finallywilling forhispart,seemed The focalpointof society isstillthenet- 4. Alwayshave yourdocumentsready in 3. Negotiate foreverything, butespecially in2. The winter lowseasoniswonderful 1. Private carsforintercity tripsare much TIPS SURVIVAL UZBEK ZEITN • epe UZBEKISTAN ••People almost alwaysgetstoppedbypolice. the Uzbekmetro,oneplaceyouwill discounts. regional variety,allofwhichgive steep Tashkent versions andthegrubby hotelsat state-owned –bothfancy the placetoyourself. –cool,dryandyou’llhaveUzbekistan through yourhotel. stand foryourdestination,ratherthan cheaper ifhired attheshared-taxi , where in Samarkand. ( in Bukhara p237 smallerone ) andaneven There isstillaminisculeJewish population Koreansnotably and Russians inTashkent. make upatinyportion of thepopulation, most 15 years of age. Anumberof minoritygroups halfthepopulation isunder families. Over ofsudden disappearance subsidiesforlarge of Slavs emigratingeach year andwiththe at2.5%peryear)withtenshigh of thousands it’sstill fallen sinceindependence(although rest inruralfarmingtownsandvillages. Around 40%of Uzbeks live incities,withthe dle asaresult ( disaster of theAralSea p77 ). itspopulation dwin- Khorezmians, hasseen hometoKazakhs,pakstan, Karakalpaks and populatedsparsely thelandbecomes. Karakal- Qarshi. Thefurtherwestyoutravel themore and ties surroundingit,includingBukhara Tajik-speaking, asare manyof thecommuni- city, is population. Samarkand,thesecond est concentrationof people,athirdof the Fergana Valley ishometoUzbekistan’s larg- Tashkent isUzbekistan’s biggest cityandthe Population to pre-Islamic Zoroastrianism. immolation, aculturaltraitthatdates back are occasionalreports of suicidebyself- rarelyhowever, leadstodivorce,andthere the handsof thehusband’smother. Abuse, homes, yetoverall controlliesin household their husbands. to tive familiesare expected tobesubservient old habitsdiehardandwomeninconserva- forexample,but codes continuetoliberalise, tudes. There are somesignsof change –dress propaganda couldentirely atti- defeat sexist into themainstream of society, noamountof theSovietsthough didmuch tobring women their Kyrgyz andKazakh neighbours. Al- astheirWestern counterparts,rights oreven in thehome,womenare notgiven thesame citizensintheworkplaceand second-class forequality.Consideredwomen struggle and informants. by employing fashion, Karimov structures hasusurpedthese ferred bythecommunity.Insinister, Soviet literally authorityiscon- ‘white beard’),whose ters froman issought celebrations andfunerals.Adviceonallmat- The nationalpopulationgrowthrate has Domestic violenceoccurs in 40%of Uzbek While Uzbek mentoiltomake endsmeet, aksakals aksakal asdistrictcustodians lonelyplanet.com (revered elder,

and literary figures are that dividedinto those ofof communistdoctrine. liberalisminasea Theatrekhom ( p207 aspuddles ) bothsurvived life-stories toldinsideTashkent’s notoriousIl- awayinNukus( 1930s, stashed p258 ), andthe Igor Savitsky’s collectionof lostartfromthe progressive artwere stillallowedtodevelop: in theyears tofollow,twomajor centres of creation of theUzbek Butsomehow, SSR. followingtheSoviettle box forpreservation ing over centuries–were placedinaneatlit- Traditional art,musicandarchitecture –evolv- ARTS outofharassed thecountry. failed togainafoothold,manyhaving been ligions, Western Christianmissionaries have bygovernmentassed agents. andhar- practising Muslimsbeingobserved Attendance atmosqueshasfallenforfear of thegovernmentto praise intheirsermons. to prayer),andmullahs have pressured been longer permitted tobroadcasttheazan(call inTashkent,bomb attacks mosquesare no ranking numbertwo. Inthewake of the1999 withBukhara base, Islamic conservative The Fergana Valley thegreatest maintains Around 5%of thepopulationare Christian. onlyaround5%to15%arethough practising. (nearly allare theHanafi Sunnivariety),al- Around 85%of Uzbeks claimtobeMuslim RELIGION lonelyplanet.com Nowadays, Uzbekistan’s art,music,film Although UzbeksAlthough are tolerantof otherre- on thebook. the ‘WaronTerror’. At thetime of research Winterbottom Michael wasdirecting amovie based damning isMurray’s accountofhisowngovernment’s todiscredit himinthecontext of efforts Equally administration, pennedbyamaverickKarimov formerBritish ambassadortoUzbekistan. and finephotography. Road cities,plusthemainhistoricalsites intheneighbouringrepublics, withliterary excerpts elegant Odysseyguidethatoffers coverage Silk detailedhistoricalandpractical ofUzbekistan’s Uzbek life in1990. as culturalrobberybytheSoviets. asaninteresting Itserves chronicleandreference pointof as hetravels throughit,butissorely disappointed atevery turn,duelargely towhathesees transitioned toindependenceintheearly1990s. Glazebrook mixes inthehistoryofUzbekistan assignment toinvestigate thedisappearingAralSea. Itis quick-witted andinsightful. written byanex–Peace lessonaboutUzbekistan travelogue-cum–history Corps volunteer onan Chasing theSea:LostAmongGhostsofEmpire inCentral Asia, READING RECOMMENDED Murder inSamarkand, Uzbekistan –theGoldenRoadtoSamarkand, Journey toKhiva, UZBEKISTAN ••Religion byPhilip Glazebrook, isarelentlessly downbeatreview asit ofUzbekistan byCraigMurray,isadamningaccount ofatrocitiescommitted bythe byCalum Macleodand BradleyMayhew,isan underground. 1994 andtheFergana School hassincegone ernment ordered in thepublicationclosed Zuizda Vastaka lished intheearly1990sliterary magazine artists andwriters workswere whose pub- Fergana School, madeupof adozen orso creativity. their creators are leftwithlittleoutletfor but withscantmeansof private finance, than nationalism,aren’t officiallybanned, offering aphilosophyandexpression deeper perestroika for. Grizzledrockers Bolalardate backtothe girl bandSitoraisanotheronetolookout American.Theever-changingvaguely Latin leader). Dado’s urged dedicationtothe ed ascandal-filled career withballadsthat fromMargilon,parliamentarian resurrect- greatness.bekistan’s YulduzUsmanova, a building. rior muralsfilledwithscenesof epicnation art, withitsmockTimurid domeandinte- one of thebestexamplesof state-supported central budget. ership –are welcomedandfinancedbythe that glorifytheyoungnationanditslead- that are not.Patriotic odesandart–those are approved bythegovernment andthose Many otherformsof art,particularlythose The most notable ‘dissident group’istheThe mostnotable Local popandrapstars alsosingtoUz- The AmirTimur inTashkent Museum is -era. by Tom Bissell, is a sort of byTomBissell,isasort

(Star of Thegov- (Star theEast). classical Uzbek popsounds yurtbashi (national

193 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN east of thatontheTajik border. andanunnamed4643m peak Khojapiryokh peaks–4425m anditshighest Severtsov, ests includesthecountry’slargest glacier, This remote region of pineand juniper for- Kashkadarya region dueeastof Shakhrisabz. (750sqkm),located inthe Reserve the Hissar and venomous snakes. you’d expecttofind–monitors, scorpions the gazelle,variousraptors andothercritters ishometo land isfarfromdead;thedesert Despite itsbleakness,this (Red Sands)desert. Plateau ( p261 ) andthevast,barren Kyzylkum are vastplainsof orsteppe: theUstyurt desert ers, theAmu-DaryaandSyr-Darya. are mountains thelife-givingfrom these riv- theelusiveeven snowleopard.Flowingdown goatand mountain for thebear,lynx,bustard, ested terrain makes habitat upanimportant the Pamir Alay.Thisisolated, rockyandfor- and amassof ranges inthesoutheast flowinto Mountains range, andSamarkand’sZarafshon runintothewestern TianMountains Shan –Tashkent’smountains ChatkalandPskem ern fringes tiltupwardsinaknotof rugged topographic andgeographic shifts.Itseast- Uzbekistan ecosystems, and spansseveral ENVIRONMENT 194 (meat roasted on skewers over hotcoals)are ing of riceandfried vegetables, andshashlyk Plov FOOD &DRINK island issafe tovisit. in todestroythetoxic elements,andtodaythe States government contractors were brought migrate southwardtothemainland.United sula, sparkingfears would thatcontamination weapons. In2002theislandbecame apenin- which theSoviets totest onceused chemical nia Ostrov (Rebirth Island,or‘Voz Island’), there’s theissueof notorious Vozrozhde- In additiontotheexistingtragedy of theAral, ( disaster in comparisontotheAralSea p77 ). prevent andpoaching. illegallogging park system, nothave which does thefundsto tion lawsandthedeterioration of itsnational Uzbekistan’s lacklustre protec- environmental Much, ifnotall,of thisterritory isthreatened by Issues Environmental serves) The faltering of the reserves, however, pales however, The faltering of thereserves, To thewestof thewell-watered mountains There are some15 ( p204 Asian), aCentral pilafconsist- TASHKENT

in Uzbekistan, thelargest of which is zapovednik (nature re- called clude vendor before theyreach themarket. cooked inashandtheshellsare cracked bythe leaves, peppers andquinces). tomatoes, are fondof filling.Uzbeksusually withameatandpotato dimlama own juices;themeatlessversion is vegetables slowlyinalittlefatandtheir braised meat andmungbeangruels. treat.light giant bagel withoutthehole. shashlyk plate. Samarkand’s Kokand’s specialitymakes itaparticularlyfine its Russian name, variation of Everythe nationalstaples. region hasitsown more days. afewfind themselves wishingthey couldstay Tashkent, and manyvisa-foraging travellers all thatbad.Many expatstrulylove living in denly you’re thinking,hey,maybeit’s not charmer. underitsskin and sud- Butpeel to get somewhere Tashkent else, isnoinstant policestate. a supposed pretty goodconsidering you’really seems in the moodinoutskirts–a thatactu- The behaviour of thecentre, of dictates course, new centre of theformerly centreless capital. (Independence Sq).Thisismeanttobethe hulk of white maydoni gloryonMustaqillik nearbyinafreshlyhis puppetSenate built cauldrons fortheirdailyrepast of part of townhundreds gather amidsteaming towardsacracklingbazaar.houses Inathird amazeofcoats) cartnutsthrough mud-walled wearing long,open-fronted Soviet-built avenues. Acrosstown,oldmen Russian-speaking cabbiesscream downbroad centric kindof place. Inonepartof thecity Gritty Tashkent, Asia’s hub,isanec- Central % TASHKENT chapter formore information( p82 ). Asia theCentral Food&Drink jam handy.See ifyouhavecan besweetened somesugaror In themiddleof itallrooststhepresident, Apricot pitsare alocalfavourite; they’re Buglama kovoq Besides green tea, nonalcoholic drinksin- Besides Like most placesthattravellers mainly use (3) 71/pop2.1millionelev478m katyk, bosma . Hunon dulma ( athinyogurtthatcomesplainbut Moshkichiri non ) is meat, potatoes, onionsand ) ismeat,potatoes, bread, commonlyknownby or lepyoshka; (steamed pumpkin) isa stuffed cabbagestuffed andgrape

ТАШКЕНТ honum and the raised rimof theraised isanoodleroll, non chapan lonelyplanet.com moshhurda Dimlama resembles a plov sabzavotli (quilted . (also are

despite beingoutnumbered 15toone. They him toit,againsttheorders of and thetsar Grigorevich beat Mikhail Chernyayev General paring tosnatch itaway,theRussiansunder 1809. In1865,astheEmirof waspre- Bukhara late 15thand16thcenturies. more prosperousundertheShaybanids inthe Mongols andthenunderTimur andgrew itslowlyrecoveredtury, although underthe stubbed outTashkent intheearly13thcen- in Turkic)aboutthe11thcentury. the nameToshkent (Tashkent, ‘Cityof Stone’ was amajor caravan crossroads.Itwasgiven BythetimeArabstookitinAD751 BC. ApricotTrees)sand inthe2ndor1stcentury of asthesettlement Ming-Uruk(Thou- been Tashkent’s have earliestincarnationmight HISTORY Chatkal NationalPark. and skiinginremarkably accessibleUgam- within a1½-hourdrive, great hiking,rafting space, aclutch of interesting and, museums There’s(or atleastBaku). alsoplentyof green nightlife intheMuslimworldeastof Beirut idly improving restaurant sceneandthebest populace enjoyingreal, live culture, arap- people’s attention. There’s acosmopolitan Hyde, Muslim-and-Soviet oddness thatgets lonelyplanet.com tsarists’ (andlatertsarists’ theSoviets’) main centre Asian Tashkent khanates. also becamethe the imperialnet around theotherCentral KaufmanKonstantin wastograduallywiden remains today). long wallwith11gates (of which notatrace bya25km- found aproudtown,enclosed The Khorezmshahs andJenghiz Khan And it’snotjustTashkent’s Jekyl-and- The newly installed GovernorThe newlyinstalled General The khan ofThe khan Kokandannexed Tashkent in English subtitles( p207 ). Ilkhom TheatreIlkhom Town’s alleys( p200 ). Khast Imom Central Asian Plov Centre Uzbekistan History Museum ofthePeople of Chorsu Bazaar TASHKENT MUST-SEES ( p201). to sampletheCentralAsianambrosia( p204 ). goods emporium ( goods emporium p200 ). Thegreat repository ofUzbekhistory AnancientQuranlieshiddeninOld TASHKENT ••History Haggletillyoudropinthisvast Progressive theatre with Worlds’ bestplace metro. of AmirTimur maydoni,at Sobir Rahimov isabout 14kmsouthwest public busstation 6km southof AmirTimur maydoni;andthe south of AmirTimur maydoni;theairportis the west. point, withBroadway( p200 ) leadingoff to Amir Timur reference maydoniisauseful building. anew thankstoitshuge newSenate maydoni, whichprominence hasattained ‘centre’. TheSoviet centre wasMustaqillik publictransport. walks andit’sbesttouse a vastplain.Covering itonfootrequires long grown outof allproportionsandsprawlsover Timur maydoni(Publicsq).Thecityhassince avenues radiatingfromwhatisnowAmir around the sian) Tashkent, of theformeratangle alleys old(Uzbek)canal separated andnew(Rus- the1966earthquake,Before theAnkhor ORIENTATION responsible. it willprobably beknownwhowas never by thegovernment toIslamic extremists, but more than120.Theblastswere attributed 1999 whensixcarbombskilled16andinjured sinceFebruary high hasbeen metro stations, of May 1969. Russians intheso-calledPakhtakor Incident over instreet Uzbeks brawlsbetween and vite localresentment themtostay, boiled (mainlyRussian) volunteersto these andin- would give 20%of thenewly built apartments Soviet Uniontohelpwithreconstruction. urban planners whocamefromaroundthe ofthe battalions ‘fraternal peoples’andeager rial, p202 ). Soviet historiansmademuch of Memo- theEarthquake people homeless(see vast areaslevelled of thetownandleft 300,000 on 25April1966,whenamassive earthquake to Tashkent. wasrestoredSamarkand. In1930,thisstatus the newUzbek AutonomousSSRbecame ofWhen thiswasfurthersplit,thecapital AutonomousSSR,declaredstan in1918. Great Game( p45 ). knownasthe imperial rivalrywithBritain for espionage inAsia, duringtheprotracted Uzbeks perhaps stillconsiderChorsu their inthecity,particularly Security But whenMoscowlater announcedit Tashkent’s Physically, Tashkent waschanged forever Tashkent of becamethecapital theTurke- Chorsu Bazaar vokzal (train station) is2.5km (train station) , thelatter withshady

195 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN (meat roasted on skewers over hotcoals)are ing of riceandfried vegetables, andshashlyk Plov FOOD &DRINK island issafe tovisit. in todestroythetoxic elements,andtodaythe States government contractors were brought migrate southwardtothemainland.United sula, sparkingfears would thatcontamination weapons. In2002theislandbecame apenin- which theSoviets totest onceused chemical nia Ostrov (Rebirth Island,or‘Voz Island’), there’s theissueof notorious Vozrozhde- In additiontotheexistingtragedy of theAral, ( disaster in comparisontotheAralSea p77 ). prevent andpoaching. illegallogging park system, nothave which does thefundsto tion lawsandthedeterioration of itsnational Uzbekistan’s lacklustre protec- environmental Much, ifnotall,of thisterritory isthreatened by Issues Environmental east of thatontheTajik border. andanunnamed4643m peak Khojapiryokh peaks–4425m anditshighest Severtsov, ests includesthecountry’slargest glacier, This remote region of pineand juniper for- Kashkadarya region dueeastof Shakhrisabz. (750sqkm),located inthe Reserve the Hissar serves) and venomous snakes. you’d expecttofind–monitors, scorpions the gazelle,variousraptors andothercritters ishometo land isfarfromdead;thedesert Despite itsbleakness,this (Red Sands)desert. Plateau ( p261 ) andthevast,barren Kyzylkum are vastplainsof orsteppe: theUstyurt desert ers, theAmu-DaryaandSyr-Darya. are mountains thelife-givingfrom these riv- theelusiveeven snowleopard.Flowingdown goatand mountain for thebear,lynx,bustard, ested terrain makes habitat upanimportant the Pamir Alay.Thisisolated, rockyandfor- and amassof ranges inthesoutheast flowinto Mountains range, andSamarkand’sZarafshon runintothewestern TianMountains Shan –Tashkent’smountains ChatkalandPskem ern fringes tiltupwardsinaknotof rugged topographic andgeographic shifts.Itseast- Uzbekistan ecosystems, and spansseveral ENVIRONMENT 194 The faltering of the reserves, however, pales however, The faltering of thereserves, To thewestof thewell-watered mountains There are some15 ( p204 Asian), aCentral pilafconsist- TASHKENT

in Uzbekistan, thelargest of which is zapovednik (nature re- more days. afewfind themselves wishingthey couldstay Tashkent, and manyvisa-foraging travellers all thatbad.Many expatstrulylove living in denly you’re thinking,hey,maybeit’s not charmer. underitsskin and sud- Butpeel to get somewhere Tashkent else, isnoinstant policestate. a supposed pretty goodconsidering you’really seems in the moodinoutskirts–a thatactu- The behaviour of thecentre, of dictates course, new centre of theformerly centreless capital. (Independence Sq).Thisismeanttobethe hulk of white maydoni gloryonMustaqillik nearbyinafreshlyhis puppetSenate built cauldrons fortheirdailyrepast of part of townhundreds gather amidsteaming towardsacracklingbazaar.houses Inathird amazeofcoats) cartnutsthrough mud-walled wearing long,open-fronted Soviet-built avenues. Acrosstown,oldmen Russian-speaking cabbiesscream downbroad centric kindof place. Inonepartof thecity Gritty Tashkent, Asia’s hub,isanec- Central % TASHKENT chapter formore information( p82 ). Asia theCentral Food&Drink jam handy.See ifyouhavecan besweetened somesugaror clude vendor before theyreach themarket. cooked inashandtheshellsare cracked bythe leaves, peppers andquinces). tomatoes, are fondof filling.Uzbeksusually withameatandpotato dimlama own juices;themeatlessversion is vegetables slowlyinalittlefatandtheir braised called meat andmungbeangruels. treat.light giant bagel withoutthehole. shashlyk plate. Samarkand’s Kokand’s specialitymakes itaparticularlyfine its Russian name, variation of Everythe nationalstaples. region hasitsown In themiddleof itallrooststhepresident, Apricot pitsare alocalfavourite; they’re Buglama kovoq Like most placesthattravellers mainly use green tea, nonalcoholic drinksin- Besides (3) 71/pop2.1millionelev478m katyk, bosma . Hunon dulma ( athinyogurtthatcomesplainbut Moshkichiri non ) is meat, potatoes, onionsand ) ismeat,potatoes, bread, commonlyknownby or lepyoshka; (steamed pumpkin) isa stuffed cabbagestuffed andgrape

ТАШКЕНТ honum and the raised rimof theraised isanoodleroll, non chapan lonelyplanet.com moshhurda Dimlama resembles a plov sabzavotli (quilted . (also are

despite beingoutnumbered 15toone. They him toit,againsttheorders of and thetsar Grigorevich beat Mikhail Chernyayev General paring tosnatch itaway,theRussiansunder 1809. In1865,astheEmirof waspre- Bukhara late 15thand16thcenturies. more prosperousundertheShaybanids inthe Mongols andthenunderTimur andgrew itslowlyrecoveredtury, although underthe stubbed outTashkent intheearly13thcen- in Turkic)aboutthe11thcentury. the nameToshkent (Tashkent, ‘Cityof Stone’ was amajor caravan crossroads.Itwasgiven BythetimeArabstookitinAD751 BC. ApricotTrees)sand inthe2ndor1stcentury of asthesettlement Ming-Uruk(Thou- been Tashkent’s have earliestincarnationmight HISTORY Chatkal NationalPark. and skiinginremarkably accessibleUgam- within a1½-hourdrive, great hiking,rafting space, aclutch of interesting and, museums There’s(or atleastBaku). alsoplentyof green nightlife intheMuslimworldeastof Beirut idly improving restaurant sceneandthebest populace enjoyingreal, live culture, arap- people’s attention. There’s acosmopolitan Hyde, Muslim-and-Soviet oddness thatgets lonelyplanet.com tsarists’ (andlatertsarists’ theSoviets’) main centre Asian Tashkent khanates. also becamethe the imperialnet around theotherCentral KaufmanKonstantin wastograduallywiden remains today). long wallwith11gates (of which notatrace bya25km- found aproudtown,enclosed The Khorezmshahs andJenghiz Khan And it’snotjustTashkent’s Jekyl-and- The newly installed GovernorThe newlyinstalled General The khan ofThe khan Kokandannexed Tashkent in English subtitles( p207 ). TheatreIlkhom Town’s alleys( p200 ). Khast Imom Central Asian Plov Centre ( p201). Uzbekistan History Museum ofthePeople of Chorsu Bazaar TASHKENT MUST-SEES to sampletheCentralAsianambrosia( p204 ). goods emporium ( goods emporium p200 ). Thegreat repository ofUzbekhistory AnancientQuranlieshiddeninOld TASHKENT ••History Haggletillyoudropinthisvast Progressive theatre with Worlds’ bestplace metro. of AmirTimur maydoni,at Sobir Rahimov isabout 14kmsouthwest public busstation 6km southof AmirTimur maydoni;andthe south of AmirTimur maydoni;theairportis the west. point, withBroadway( p200 ) leadingoff to Amir Timur reference maydoniisauseful building. anew thankstoitshuge newSenate maydoni, whichprominence hasattained ‘centre’. TheSoviet centre wasMustaqillik publictransport. walks andit’sbesttouse a vastplain.Covering itonfootrequires long grown outof allproportionsandsprawlsover Timur maydoni(Publicsq).Thecityhassince avenues radiatingfromwhatisnowAmir around the sian) Tashkent, of theformeratangle alleys old(Uzbek)canal separated andnew(Rus- the1966earthquake,Before theAnkhor ORIENTATION responsible. it willprobably beknownwhowas never by thegovernment toIslamic extremists, but more than120.Theblastswere attributed 1999 whensixcarbombskilled16andinjured sinceFebruary high hasbeen metro stations, of May 1969. Russians intheso-calledPakhtakor Incident over instreet Uzbeks brawlsbetween and vite localresentment themtostay, boiled (mainlyRussian) volunteersto these andin- would give 20%of thenewly built apartments Soviet Uniontohelpwithreconstruction. urban planners whocamefromaroundthe ofthe battalions ‘fraternal peoples’andeager rial, p202 ). Soviet historiansmademuch of Memo- theEarthquake people homeless(see vast areaslevelled of thetownandleft 300,000 on 25April1966,whenamassive earthquake to Tashkent. wasrestoredSamarkand. In1930,thisstatus the newUzbek AutonomousSSRbecame ofWhen thiswasfurthersplit,thecapital AutonomousSSR,declaredstan in1918. Great Game( p45 ). knownasthe imperial rivalrywithBritain for espionage inAsia, duringtheprotracted Uzbeks perhaps stillconsiderChorsu their inthecity,particularly Security But whenMoscowlater announcedit Tashkent’s Physically, Tashkent waschanged forever Tashkent of becamethecapital theTurke- Chorsu Bazaar vokzal (train station) is2.5km (train station) , thelatter withshady

195 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN

196 Studio (2km) Ceramics To Rakhimov's Usmon Forobi 4 6 1 3 2 5 TASHKENT 71

(2.5km) Travel To Asia Khojaev Beruni (400m) To Chigatay Samarkand (289km) Ippodrom Bazaar(9km); Stand &PublicBusStation(6km); To SobirRahimovMetroBus

Halqlar Dustligi (Druzhba Narodov) TASHKENT 8 Chinese Embassy...... OfficeInternet...... Central Telephone&Telegraph British Council...... Bekk-TNT...... Azerbaijani Embassy...... Asaka Bank...... Arostr Tourism...... American ChamberofCommerce.. Alp JamolBank...... Afghan Embassy...... Advantour...... ABN AmroBank...... INFORMATION Chilonzor

Darvoza Chorsu

Asadulla Khojaev Asadulla Hotel

Ὀ Ὀ Sagban Navoi A 27 (Druzhba Narodov)

(Komsomol) Muqimiy Halqlar Dustligi Yoshlik Chorsu 124 48 110 119 52

Navoi Ankhor (or Bozsu) 108 Zarqaynar Circus Navoi Park maydoni (1.5km); Pakistan Khadra To KhastImom Embassy (3km) 38 54 Furqat ὈὈ ὈὈ

Bayna Imilal Furqat 12 11 10 3 2 1 Ghafur 9 8 7 6 5 416 (Ploshchad DruzhbaNaradov) Canal 64 Gulom Halqlar Dustligimaydoni E2 D6 E1 D3 E4 B2 D4 D5 A5 D6 C4 D4 63 107 72 To IsraeliEmbassy Sharshara (1.5km) Almazar Uzbekistan

(50m); Café

Japanese Embassy...... Italian Embassy...... Israeli Embassy...... L'AsieCentrale(IFEAC)...... Institut FrancaisD'EtudesSur Indonesian Embassy...... Indian Embassy...... Goethe Institut...... (see10) German Embassy...... French Embassy...... Elena Tour...... (see92) DHL...... Dawoo Internet...... Coscom...... B Bobur 102 Gulom Uzbekistan Gofur

Turob Tula 11 Bobur

Alisher Babur

Navoi Abdulla Park

ὈὈ ὈὈ

mo (Pakhtakorskaya)

avtlar

Bobur Abai

Bratisiava Yusuf Khos Khodjib (Pedagogicheskaya) Pakhtakor Navoi 106 51 Abay 57 83 67

Tarobi Usmon Nosir (Shota Yunus Rajabiy

To Airport(3km)

Vokhidova Qodiri 70

66 Khurshid Abdulla Qahhor Abdulla Mirakilov 22 21 113 111

103

59 Beshchinar 55 Konstitutsiya Kosmonavtov)

Kosmonavtlar

15 14 13 23 22 21 20 19 18 17

96 M

20 (Prospekt inglar maydoni Gargarin C 53

50 E3 E3 C5 E4 C5 C6 C4 E4 G2 D2 E4 Glinka Rustaveli) Rakatboshi Pakhtakor Ὀ 101

UK Embassy...... Turkmen Embassy...... Turkish Embassy...... Tajik Embassy...... Stud.net.cafe...... Skynet...... Russian Embassy...... Prime TimeInternet...... OVIR...... National BankofUzbekistan...... Mustaqillik Library...... Main PostOffice...... Kyrgyz Embassy...... Knizhny Mir...... (see123) Kazakh Embassy...... Okilov Ankhor 90 76

79 Canal Yusupov Ivleva 6 Usmon 88 120 Paradlar Alleyasi58 13

86 Mustaqillik Mirobod (Kunaev) Mirobod Sharaf maydoni Mustaqillik 36 Katta 126 Maydoni 69 5 10

89 Rashidova

2 Abdurakhimov (Sofiyskaya) Abdurakhimov 118

Mirobod 104

Navoi

Katta Chinor Yakka 80

Afrosiab Turkeston Sayilgoh (Broadway) Sayilgoh

Chimkent 95

Uzbekistan Palace Nukus (Kunaev) Mirobod 46 42 122 121 Sapyorlar 56 maydoni 114 97 lonelyplanet.com 40 Mirobod 43 91 98 (Poltoratskaya) Buyuk Turon 17 31

Rashidova D

117

Oybek

Abdulla Qodiriy Abdulla Suleymanova

9 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24

Matbuotchilar 115 Shevchenko Ataturk

(Aybek)

Bukhara

Oybek 4 Istiqlol E4 D6 E4 C6 B5 C5 D6 D5 B3 E4 A2 E3 E2 D5 Clock Tower Chekhova 44 77 105 Sheraton 7

100 Khurshid Hotel 41 24 Movarounnakhr 125 39

lonelyplanet.com Oy (Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii, Khorezm Shevchenko 75 maydoni

Chekhova Hiyoboni/Yunus Rajabiy Nosirov

Timur b Amir

Shakhrisabz 62 68

Uzbekistan Markaziy Hiyoboni) 109 ek

82 Amir Timur 93 Hotel 1

Amir Timur

M 49 73

ovarounnakhr 99

65 61 Akhunbabayev (Kuybysheva) Akhunbabayev

Shakh Minor Qayumova 116

Musakhanov A

Azimova Ergashev (Sofiyskaya) Ergashev

15 Tolstoy Tashkent

Le Grande Murtazayev

16 r Gulomova i sabz E

Niyazbek 78

Yunus ObadSportClub(700m);USEmbassy(2km); Plaza Malyasova (Main orNorth) 3 35 74 123 Train Station

87 Gulomova Tashkent 94

To AquaPark(100m);TVTower(400m); (Zhukovskogo) (Gogol) Chimgan (80km);Shymkent(125km) TASHKENT 12

Tezykovka Bazaar(8km); (Khamza) Uzbekistan Ovozi

Qoylok Bazaar(6km); (Gogol) 19 Yunusabadsky Bazaar(2km); To Gasthaus(50m); Tashkent Lakeside

Golf Club(11km); 37 Fergana (246km)

Angren (86km); 84

Shastri Medical Clinic(2km); Tashkent (Zhukovskogo) Pushkin 92

International School (2.5km)

23 Abdurashidov Azimova Samatova

To TashkentInternational Salar 25 45 Olimjon Makhatmi Khamid

Gandhi

Canal 112 Qayumova F Yulduz BowlingAlley...... Wedding Palace...... Uz Bowling...... Timur Statue...... Tashkent Land...... Sports ClubNBU...... Mausoleum...... Shaykh HovandiTahur Senate...... Seattle PeacePark...... Romanov Palace...... Qaldirgochbiy Mausoleum...... Peoples' FriendshipPalace...... Pakhtakor Stadium...... Oliy Majlis...... Navoi LiteraryMuseum...... Museum ofAppliedArts...... Makler (HouseMarket)...... Kulkedash Medressa...... Juma (Friday)Mosque...... Uzbekistan...... History MuseumofthePeople German ProtestantChurch...... Fine ArtsMuseumofUzbekistan.. Earthquake Memorial...... Crying MotherMonument...... Sobor)...... Assumption Cathedral(Uspensky Art GalleryofUzbekistan...... Amir TimurMuseum...... Alister NavoiMonument...... Hotel Hadra...... Gulnara Guesthouse...... Grand OrzuHotel...... Grand MirHotel...... Dedeman SilkRoad...... B+B AliTour...... Yunus KhanMausoleum...... SLEEPING 96 SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Inconnel Business Centre To IranianEmbassy(400m); 85

Tezykovka Bazaar(7km); Oqqurgan 60 Asia Raft(600m);Alis Dance Bar(600m); Tashkent Lakeside Golf Club(7km) Georgian Embassy

Taxi Stand(1km); Parkent To Chimgan 2118 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 18 (2km) GH 3D4 B2 A2 C6 D5 E3 C4 C2 E2 B4 B3 E3 E1 F2 C2 C3 C6 D3 C2 B4 C3 A4 C3 UzbekMilliyAkademikDrama C4 E4 A2 A2 D3 E3 D4 D2 D3 D5 D3 D3 B4 office...... Uzbekistan Airwaysbooking Turkish Airlines...... Transaero...... Lufthansa...... (see 73) Iran Air...... Asiana Airlines...... AK Kyrgyzstan...... Aeroflot...... Turkuaz Hypermart...... TsUM DepartmentStore...... Ozbegim Supermarket...... Oloy (Alaysky)Bazaar...... Mirobod (Gospitalny)Bazaar..... Mir Supermarket...... Korzinka.uz Supermarket...... Korzinka.uz Supermarket...... Human House...... Chorsu Bazaar...... Ardus Supermarket...... Abulkasim Medressa...... Theatre...... Tashkent StateConservatory..... SMI...... Premier CinemaHall...... Panorama...... Muqimi MusicalTheatre...... Ilkhom Theatre...... Diplomat-S...... Baccara...... Theatre...... Ye OldeChelseaArms...... Tri Bochki...... Studio Café...... Sky Club...... (see15) Ché...... (see 82) Tandoori...... Sunduk...... stands...... Streetside cafésandshashlyk Mir FoodCourt...... (see114) Manas ArtCafé...... Il Perfecto...... Han KukKwan...... Efendi...... Dervish...... Darkhan...... Central AsianPlovCentre...... Caravan...... Bistro...... Al Delfeen...... Tashkent Palace...... Sam BuhHotel...... Radisson...... Poytaht...... Orzu Hotel...... Markaziy Hotel...... Komnata Otdikha...... InterContinental...... Alisher NavoiOpera&Ballet Academic RussianDramaTheatre.. TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING EATING 0 0 126 125 124 123 122 121 120 119 117 116 115 114 113 112 111 110 109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 0.5 miles D5 D3 A4 E4 D5 D5 C2 A2 E3 E5 E1 D5 E3 D5 D3 C4 E4 C5 A2 E3 A4 B2 C3 D5 D5 C3 B4 C3 D3 E2 D4 D4 C6 D2 E4 E5 E4 D5 C5 D5 C4 E4 C6 F3 E1 C6 E4 E2 D4 C6 E1 D4 C5 1 km

197

4 6 1 3 2 5 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN

196 Studio (2km) Ceramics To Rakhimov's Usmon Forobi 4 6 1 3 2 5 TASHKENT 71

(2.5km) Travel To Asia Khojaev Beruni (400m) To Chigatay Samarkand (289km) Ippodrom Bazaar(9km); Stand &PublicBusStation(6km); To SobirRahimovMetroBus

Darvoza Chorsu

Asadulla Khojaev Asadulla Hotel

Ὀ Ὀ Sagban Navoi A 27 (Druzhba Narodov)

(Komsomol) Muqimiy Halqlar Dustligi Yoshlik Chorsu 124 48 110 119 52

Navoi Ankhor (or Bozsu) 108 Zarqaynar Circus Navoi Park maydoni (1.5km); Pakistan Khadra To KhastImom Embassy (3km) 38 54 Furqat ὈὈ ὈὈ

Bayna Imilal Furqat 12 11 10

Ghafur 9 8 7 6 5 4163 2 1 (Ploshchad DruzhbaNaradov) Canal 64 Gulom Halqlar Dustligimaydoni E2 D6 E1 D3 E4 B2 D4 D5 A5 D6 C4 D4 63 107 72 To IsraeliEmbassy Sharshara (1.5km) Almazar Uzbekistan

(50m); Café

Turob Tula 11 Bobur

Alisher Babur

Navoi Abdulla Park

ὈὈ ὈὈ

mo (Pakhtakorskaya)

avtlar

Bobur Abai

Bratisiava Yusuf Khos Khodjib (Pedagogicheskaya) Pakhtakor Navoi 106 51 Abay 57 83 67

Tarobi Usmon Nosir (Shota Yunus Rajabiy

To Airport(3km)

Vokhidova Qodiri 70

66 Khurshid Abdulla Qahhor Abdulla Mirakilov 22 21 113 111

103

59 Beshchinar 55 Konstitutsiya Kosmonavtov)

Kosmonavtlar

23 22 21 20 19 18 17 15 14 13

96 M

20 (Prospekt inglar maydoni Gargarin C 53

50 E3 E3 C5 E4 C5 C6 C4 E4 G2 D2 E4 Glinka Rustaveli) Rakatboshi Pakhtakor Ὀ 101

79 Canal Yusupov Ivleva 6 Usmon 88 120 Paradlar Alleyasi58 13

86 Mustaqillik Mirobod (Kunaev) Mirobod Sharaf maydoni Mustaqillik 36 Katta 126 Maydoni 69 5 10

89 Rashidova

2 Abdurakhimov (Sofiyskaya) Abdurakhimov 118

Mirobod 104

Navoi

Katta Chinor Yakka 80

Afrosiab Turkeston Sayilgoh (Broadway) Sayilgoh

Chimkent 95

Uzbekistan Palace Nukus (Kunaev) Mirobod 46 42 122 121 Sapyorlar 56 maydoni 114 97 lonelyplanet.com 40 Mirobod 43 91 98 (Poltoratskaya) Buyuk Turon 17 31

Rashidova D

117

Oybek

Abdulla Qodiriy Abdulla Suleymanova

9 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24

Matbuotchilar 115 Shevchenko Ataturk

(Aybek)

Bukhara

Oybek 4 Istiqlol E4 D6 E4 C6 B5 C5 D6 D5 B3 E4 A2 E3 E2 D5 Clock Tower Chekhova 44 77 105 Sheraton 7

100 Khurshid Hotel 41 24 Movarounnakhr 125 39

lonelyplanet.com Oy (Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii, Khorezm Shevchenko 75 maydoni

Chekhova Hiyoboni/Yunus Rajabiy Nosirov

Timur b Amir

Shakhrisabz 62 68

Uzbekistan Markaziy Hiyoboni) 109 ek

82 Amir Timur 93 Hotel 1

Amir Timur

M 49 73

ovarounnakhr 99

65 61 Akhunbabayev (Kuybysheva) Akhunbabayev

Shakh Minor Qayumova 116

Musakhanov A

Azimova Ergashev (Sofiyskaya) Ergashev

15 Tolstoy Tashkent

Le Grande Murtazayev

16 r Gulomova i sabz E

Niyazbek 78

Yunus ObadSportClub(700m);USEmbassy(2km); Plaza Malyasova (Main orNorth) 3 35 74 123 Train Station

87 Gulomova Tashkent 94

To AquaPark(100m);TVTower(400m); (Zhukovskogo) (Gogol) Chimgan (80km);Shymkent(125km) TASHKENT 12

Tezykovka Bazaar(8km); (Khamza) Uzbekistan Ovozi

Qoylok Bazaar(6km); (Gogol) 19 Yunusabadsky Bazaar(2km); To Gasthaus(50m); Tashkent Lakeside

Golf Club(11km); 37 Fergana (246km)

Angren (86km); 84

Shastri Medical Clinic(2km); Tashkent (Zhukovskogo) Pushkin 92

International School (2.5km)

23 Abdurashidov Azimova Samatova

To TashkentInternational Salar 25 45 Olimjon Makhatmi Khamid

Gandhi

Tezykovka Bazaar(7km); Oqqurgan 60 Asia Raft(600m);Alis Dance Bar(600m); Tashkent Lakeside Golf Club(7km) Georgian Embassy

Taxi Stand(1km); Parkent To Chimgan 2118 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 18 (2km) GH 3D4 B2 A2 C6 D5 E3 C4 C2 E2 B4 B3 E3 E1 F2 C2 C3 C6 D3 C2 B4 C3 A4 C3 UzbekMilliyAkademikDrama C4 E4 A2 A2 D3 E3 D4 D2 D3 D5 D3 D3 B4 office...... Uzbekistan Airwaysbooking Turkish Airlines...... Transaero...... Lufthansa...... (see 73) Iran Air...... Asiana Airlines...... AK Kyrgyzstan...... Aeroflot...... Turkuaz Hypermart...... TsUM DepartmentStore...... Ozbegim Supermarket...... Oloy (Alaysky)Bazaar...... Mirobod (Gospitalny)Bazaar..... Mir Supermarket...... Korzinka.uz Supermarket...... Korzinka.uz Supermarket...... Human House...... Chorsu Bazaar...... Ardus Supermarket...... Abulkasim Medressa...... Theatre...... Tashkent StateConservatory..... SMI...... Premier CinemaHall...... Panorama...... Muqimi MusicalTheatre...... Ilkhom Theatre...... Diplomat-S...... Baccara...... Theatre...... Ye OldeChelseaArms...... Tri Bochki...... Studio Café...... Sky Club...... (see15) Ché...... (see 82) Tandoori...... Sunduk...... stands...... Streetside cafésandshashlyk Mir FoodCourt...... (see114) Manas ArtCafé...... Il Perfecto...... Han KukKwan...... Efendi...... Dervish...... Darkhan...... Central AsianPlovCentre...... Caravan...... Bistro...... Al Delfeen...... Tashkent Palace...... Sam BuhHotel...... Radisson...... Poytaht...... Orzu Hotel...... Markaziy Hotel...... Komnata Otdikha...... InterContinental...... Alisher NavoiOpera&Ballet Academic RussianDramaTheatre.. TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING EATING 0 0 126 125 124 123 122 121 120 119 117 116 115 114 113 112 111 110 109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 99 98 97 75 74 73 0.5 miles D5 D3 A4 E4 D5 D5 C2 A2 E3 E5 E1 D5 E3 D5 D3 C4 E4 C5 A2 E3 A4 B2 C3 D5 D5 C3 B4 C3 D3 E2 D4 D4 C6 D2 E4 E5 E4 D5 C5 D5 C4 E4 C6 F3 E1 C6 E4 E2 D4 C6 E1 D4 C5 1 km

197

4 6 1 3 2 5 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN smattering ofEnglish-languageclassics. smattering Mon-Sat) HasTashkent’s alongwitha bestmapselection and checkthemout. them forfree orpurchaseasix-monthmembership(8000S) a wealthofEnglish-languagebooksandvideos;browse 11; Mirobod /uzbekistan; ChamberofCommerce American Cultural Centres Mir Knizhny ment store. line thesidewalkjustsouthof TsUM depart- English titleortwointhestreet that stalls oldRussianbooksandfindan can browse (Intercon;the InterContinental p204 ). You Uzbekistan; isprobablyat thebestbookstand Uzbek. Somefour-star booksabout hotels sell more thanschool textbooks inRussian or political philosophies,bookshopshave little Other thanslimpaperbacksof Karimov’s Bookshops INFORMATION major provincial cities. able mapsof Tashkent, Uzbekistan andmost area. service- Mostbookshopsandhotels sell Tashkent’s suburbs,includingtheChimgan mapofand hotels. Theflipsidehasadetailed at KnizhnyMir( below ) andotherbookshops lent publishestheexcel- andCartography Geodesy Resources, forLand Committee The State Maps 198 no gamers and/orkeep late hours. lenge. allhave These fastconnections, few or but findingadecent connectioncanbeachal- Internet cafés inTashkent are adime adozen Internet Access Police Fire service doctor English-speaking Ambulance ( alsoMedicalSee Services right ). Emergency (IFEAC; Centrale Institut FrancaisD’EtudesSurL’Asie exhibits. cultural andorganisesGerman periodicals German 11)Hasfullcomplementof Mirobod /taschkent; Goethe Institut Council British Good collection ofbooksinFrench. Good collection Afrosiab 2) Tashkent City Plan AHET • nomto TASHKENT ••Information % ( % 139 47 03; www.ifeac.org; Rakatboshi 18A) 139 4703;www.ifeac.org; Rakatboshi 02) ( ( % (Book World; Azimova 1; (Book World;Azimova % ( % ( 03) 01) % 140 0660;www.britishcouncil.org 152 7023;www.goethe.de h ( 10am-7pm Mon-Sat)Has % (1:32,000), available 185 6093; ( % h 140 0877; 9am-7pm h 24hr)

fast connection and hot dogs sold in kiosk outfront. andhotdogssoldinkiosk fast connection library coulduseallthehelpitcanget. in2006,sothe outofUzbekistan Free Exchange,waskicked or 24,000Speryear. Itssponsor,US-basedNGOCentralAsian is500Spervisit at4pmmostdays. Membership hour starts and DVDs. Moviesare showntwicedailyandconversation librarywithEnglish-languageliterature, textbooks orientated opposite HotelChorsu; h webcams andSkype. Very civilized,gamerlessKorean-owned placewith Msailk Library Mustaqillik Libraries Stud.net.café Skynet Time Prime Dawoo TelephoneCentral &Telegraph Office helpful in directing visitors tolocaldoctors. Hotel receptionless than sanitary. desks are ficult tofindsocall fordirections. hours are possibleforan additionalfee. It’s dif- callsandappointmentsafter US$55/110. House from8amto5pmis short/long consultation call a speak perfect of English. Incase anemergency, ern andWestern-trained doctors, allof whom facilitiesandisrunbyprofessionaldental West- 38) 42; Sarikulskaya Clinic Medical Tashkent International embassy, The which canassistinevacuation. of In thecase amedicalemergency your contact Medical Services Airways. other publicationsdistributed onUzbekistan York Times, behind TsUM often copiesof sell the for awhile. subscribing toifyou’re goingtobeintown .tashkent-events.info/html/newsletter.html) club andgrubnews.Thesite’s games andgatherings,allthelatest pub, listings, informationonvariousexpatriate The useful Media hr 600S; other telecom services available. other telecomservices teeming withstudentlife. it hasqualityequipment,Skypeandacafédownstairs h Local hospitals areLocal hospitals alotcheaper butare often Black market vendors hanging around 24hr) Convenient for the Orzu Hotel. 24hr) ConvenientfortheOrzu 9am-11.30pm) AcrossfromthePedagogic University, TIMC mobilephone (Cnr UsmonNosir&Konstitutsiya;perhr800S; (Amir Timur 4;perhr1000S; h 9am-6pm) Great connection andaplethoraof 9am-6pm) Great connection (Mirobod12; perhr1000S; (Mirobod12; www.tashkent-events.info

(Yusuf Khos Khodjib 72;perhr800S; Khodjib Khos (Yusuf Economist, has state-of-the-art medical and medicaland hasstate-of-the-art (Tashkent English Library; Navoi 48, EnglishLibrary;Navoi48, (Tashkent h noon-6pm Mon-Fri) Astudent- noon-6pm Mon-Fri)

( %

Der Spiegel 185 6093,8481) h lonelyplanet.com h newsletter newsletter

8.30am-10pm) (TIMC; (TIMC; 24hr) Lightning 24hr) Lightning (Navoi 28;per has events hasevents is worth andany % 191 01 191 01 (www New . A . A (3.5%) and MasterCard (4%). (3.5%) andMasterCard travellers cheques,andgivescashadvancesagainstVisa h andVisacards. Maestro against MasterCard, Asaka ATMs are and attheInterContinental holders at–get this–0%commission. Other crisp US$50andUS$100billstoMasterCard Travel Agencies 35; Navoi28; TelephoneCentral &Telegraph Office Telephone in Tashkent. of &Registration (OVIR)the Office Visas See p264 forinformationonregistering with Registration TNT Grande Plazahotel. Acheaper optionis 7; Shakhrisabz The Post National BankofUzbekistan Alp JamolBank ABN Amro Uzbekdispense sum. most four-star hotels. Whenworking,these reliable are ATMs theVisa-card located in Grand Mirhotels. More prevalent butless Bank exceptionof ofwith thenotable those TsUM driver). andotherpoints(ask anytaxi work thebazaars andcanalsobefoundat Black market moneychangers (see p263 ) still Tashkent Palace hotels for24-hourservice. Markaziy, and InterContinental, Poytaht Exchange facilitiesare everywhere. Trythe Money lonelyplanet.com bekistan they are essential for visa support. theyare forvisa bekistan essential skiing. And unlessyouhave friendsinUz- activities such astrekking, raftingandheli- qualified guidesforoutdoor ets andsecuring excursions, prearranging domesticairtick- agencies are forplanninghassle-free useful Uzbekistan. them, travel Still,ifyoucan afford have it’seasytogoitalonein youbelieve, Contrary towhatthegovernment would of theabove. usuallyusingone offer express mailservices, delivery. travellers chequesandgivescashadvancesagainstVisa. DHL The ATMs intownare often cashless, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri) Chargesa2%fee forcashing 8am-4pm Mon-Fri)

( % (Nukus 67) (Nukus main postoffice ( % 152 17-87;Oybek20) (Nosirov 77)Charges4%forcashadvances 120 66 00; Uzbekistan 2) 120 6600;Uzbekistan h h , which issue unlimited wadsof 8am-11pm). (Ataturk21)Charges4%tochange 8am-6pm) TASHKENT ••Dangers&Annoyances

(pochta bulimi; has unreliable general . Allfour-star hotels (NBU;Gulomova95; has an office in Le inLe hasanoffice % ( % 133 4202; 144 65 Asaka Asaka Bekk- topographical maps. (see otheroutdooractivities certain p101 ). Alsosells and travellers, butmaintainsstrangleholdonheli-skiing Chilonzor 97)Hasoutgrownitsusefulnessforindividual plus homestays and self-contained apartments inTashkent.plus homestaysandself-containedapartments individual travellers. Airat arrangesobligation-free visas and personableAiratYuldashev, Arostrisagoodchoicefor [email protected]; Afrosiab13-45)Operatedbytheattentive standard tours. See also standard tours. See p101 . Club( Tashkent Hiking p202 ). Italsorunsthefullgamutof excursionsofthe who alsoleadsthetwice-per-month Karpov, agencyheadBoris know thelocalmountainslike 63,AptNo1)[email protected]; Azimova people your spots andhoneinon thembycar. At than its parts. Ifyou’re shortontime, pick that’s bestappreciated foritswholerather Modern Tashkent isabig,sprawling city SIGHTS attendant whowillaskforaUS$5tip. reach anddelivered daylight onacartbyan be taken offbefore Yourbags might ousel. they similar annoyanceoccurs attheluggage car- in English andfillthemoutonyourown.A Avoid thisbyaskingfortwocustoms forms (usually US$5)forthisunofficial service. gesture, travellers have asked been formoney afriendlyenough declaration form;although man offering tohelpyoufilloutyourcustoms beapproachedport, youmight atcustomsby a Upon arrivalatTashkent International Air- Scams ing withpolice. ( Crooked Officials See p448 ) fortipsondeal- this stilloccurs, particularlyatmetrostations. of shakingdowntravellers forbribes, although President Karimov hascurbedthepolicehabit ried about Uzbekistan’s international image, totravellersa nuisance inrecent years. Wor- The DANGERS &ANNOYANCES Stantours Tour Elena Travel Asia Tourism Arostr Advantour English. Theywere relocating atresearch time. knowledgeable husband-and-wife ownersspeakperfect tours forbothgroupsandindividuals. Thepersonableand reliable outfitlocatedintheRovshanHotelcancustomise 116)The [email protected]; Mirobod Katta Central AsianvisasinTashkent. it isnonethelessthebestsourceofadviceonprocuring militsia (www.stantours.com) Based in Kazakhstan, (www.stantours.com) BasedinKazakhstan, ( ( ( % % % (police)have becomemuch lessof ( 120 0050;www.advantour.com, 132 0299;www.elenatour.uz; 173 5107;www.asia-travel.uz; % 137 1764;www.arostrtour.com;

199 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN smattering ofEnglish-languageclassics. smattering Mon-Sat) HasTashkent’s alongwitha bestmapselection and checkthemout. them forfree orpurchaseasix-monthmembership(8000S) a wealthofEnglish-languagebooksandvideos;browse 11; Mirobod /uzbekistan; no gamers and/orkeep late hours. lenge. allhave These fastconnections, few or but findingadecent connectioncanbeachal- Internet cafés inTashkent are adime adozen Internet Access Police Fire service doctor English-speaking Ambulance ( alsoMedicalSee Services right ). Emergency ofbooksinFrench. Good collection (IFEAC; Centrale Institut FrancaisD’EtudesSurL’Asie exhibits. cultural andorganisesGerman periodicals German 11)Hasfullcomplementof Mirobod /taschkent; Goethe Institut Council British ChamberofCommerce American Cultural Centres Mir Knizhny ment store. line thesidewalkjustsouthof TsUM depart- English titleortwointhestreet that stalls oldRussianbooksandfindan can browse (Intercon;the InterContinental p204 ). You Uzbekistan; isprobablyat thebestbookstand Uzbek. Somefour-star booksabout hotels sell more thanschool textbooks inRussian or political philosophies,bookshopshave little Other thanslimpaperbacksof Karimov’s Bookshops INFORMATION major provincial cities. able mapsof Tashkent, Uzbekistan andmost area. service- Mostbookshopsandhotels sell Tashkent’s suburbs,includingtheChimgan mapofand hotels. Theflipsidehasadetailed at KnizhnyMir( below ) andotherbookshops lent publishestheexcel- andCartography Geodesy Resources, forLand Committee The State Maps 198 Afrosiab 2) Tashkent City Plan AHET • nomto TASHKENT ••Information % ( % 139 47 03; www.ifeac.org; Rakatboshi 18A) 139 4703;www.ifeac.org; Rakatboshi 02) ( ( % (Book World; Azimova 1; (Book World;Azimova % ( % ( 03) 01) % 140 0660;www.britishcouncil.org 152 7023;www.goethe.de h ( 10am-7pm Mon-Sat)Has % (1:32,000), available 185 6093; ( % h 140 0877; 9am-7pm h 24hr)

fast connection and hot dogs sold in kiosk outfront. andhotdogssoldinkiosk fast connection library coulduseallthehelpitcanget. in2006,sothe outofUzbekistan Free Exchange,waskicked or 24,000Speryear. Itssponsor,US-basedNGOCentralAsian is500Spervisit at4pmmostdays. Membership hour starts and DVDs. Moviesare showntwicedailyandconversation librarywithEnglish-languageliterature, textbooks orientated opposite HotelChorsu; h webcams andSkype. Very civilized,gamerlessKorean-owned placewith helpful in directing visitors tolocaldoctors. Hotel receptionless than sanitary. desks are ficult tofindsocall fordirections. hours are possibleforan additionalfee. It’s dif- callsandappointmentsafter US$55/110. House from8amto5pmis short/long consultation call a speak perfect of English. Incase anemergency, ern andWestern-trained doctors, allof whom facilitiesandisrunbyprofessionaldental West- 38) 42; Sarikulskaya Clinic Medical Tashkent International embassy, The which canassistinevacuation. of In thecase amedicalemergency your contact Medical Services Airways. other publicationsdistributed onUzbekistan York Times, behind TsUM often copiesof sell the for awhile. subscribing toifyou’re goingtobeintown .tashkent-events.info/html/newsletter.html) club andgrubnews.Thesite’s games andgatherings,allthelatest pub, listings, informationonvariousexpatriate The useful Media Library Mustaqillik Libraries Stud.net.café Skynet Time Prime Dawoo available. other telecomservices hr 600S; TelephoneCentral &Telegraph Office teeming withstudentlife. it hasqualityequipment,Skypeandacafédownstairs h Local hospitals areLocal hospitals alotcheaper butare often Black market vendors hanging around 24hr) Convenient for the Orzu Hotel. 24hr) ConvenientfortheOrzu 9am-11.30pm) AcrossfromthePedagogic University, TIMC mobilephone (Cnr UsmonNosir&Konstitutsiya;perhr800S; (Amir Timur 4;perhr1000S; h 9am-6pm) Great connection andaplethoraof 9am-6pm) Great connection (Mirobod12; perhr1000S; (Mirobod12; www.tashkent-events.info

( %

Der Spiegel 185 6093,8481) h lonelyplanet.com h newsletter newsletter

199 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN These few handsomereligiousThese buildingsdate and dotted withmosquesandoldmedressas. streets islinedwithlowmud-brick houses and theChorsu Hotel. Amazeof narrowdirt sian: The OldTown(Uzbek: Old Town best wandering. themselves. OldTownmakessights forthe life thatare often more rewarding thanthe offoot –you’llcatch randomglimpses city few more dayscover asmuch asyoucanon andafew IfyouhaveBazaar museums. a minimum check Imom,Chorsu outKhast 200 knives here. ful sitting mattresses), skull caps, Souvenir hunters willfind and whatever fruitsare tomatoes inseason. granates, melons,persimmons, huge mutant stock; and–of –scores course of the pome- interminable rowsof freshly slaughtered live- dedicated tocandy,dairyproductsandbread; Volkswagen-sized of sacks grain;entire sheds arranged coloured inbrightly mountains; it’s edible,here. There are acres of spices Old Town’ssouthernedge. Ifitgrowsand slice of citylife spillingintothestreets off topped byagiantgreen dome,isadelightful Tashkent’s mostfamousfarmers market, CHORSU BAZAAR &AROUND courtyards. tional homesconcealcool,peacefulgarden discover thattheblankouter wallsof tradi- invited intosomeone’shome,where you’ll of thefun.Wanderingaroundyou’lloften be you couldeasilyget losttoo,butthat’spart from the15thand16thcenturies. Taxi drivers get losteasilyhere. Onfoot, of Karimov’s heavyhand. of Karimov’s pedestrian avenue. acomeback,butfornowitremains Itcouldyetmake yetanothersymbol down thestreet stallsandevicted thevendors. orderly policestate. Acoupleofdayslater several dozen Broadway. Notsurprisingly,thehaphazardnature ofthestreet rananathematohisvisionofan time whilewaitingforvisastocomethrough. travellers andkill on thetackyside,itwasnonethelessagreat placetogrababeer,peoplewatch,meetother andcraftgallerieswere vendors,the rowsofSoviet souvenir kitsch andopen-airarts hawkers For yearsSayilgoh,otherwiseknownasBroadway,wasthecentre oftouristlife inTashkent. While LIGHTS GODOWNONBROADWAY AHET • ihs TASHKENT ••Sights stary gorod As ofthiswriting,Broadwaycontinuestolanguishinitsnewguiseworld’smostboring But thatallchangedabruptlyinSeptember 2006after President tookastrolldown Karimov ) starts besideChorsu ) starts Bazaar eski shakhar, eski kurpacha chapan (colour- Rus- and The mosque was a sheet-metal workshopand The mosquewasasheet-metal once aplaceof execution forunfaithfulwives. Chorsu Bazaar. The15th-centurymosquewas pal (admission 1000S) scholar of theShaybanid period. Enter Shoshi mausoleum ofAbuBakrKaffal Nearby isthelittle16th-century Bukhara). left openinSoviet times(theotherwas in It wasoneof Asia twomedressas inCentral medressa academywithabout200students. IslamicInstitute al-Bukhari bishop. Northwestof here isthe theIslamicequivalentofroughly anarch- Board of Uzbekistan, grandmuftiis whose Medressa khon the spartan 3000 rare manuscripts.Thelibraryisnextto 20,000additionalbooksand also contains impressive Themuseum sight. andimportant Turkestan’s Muslims.ItisTashkent’s most in1924asanactofLenin goodwilltowards in 1868before bringreturned toTashkent by Timur, thentaken toMoscowbytheRussians toSamarkandby deerskin tomewasbrought tobetheworld’soldest.Thisenormous said 7th-century Osman Quran(UthmanQuran), admission 1200S; LibraryMuseum Mubarek nar. Here you’llfindthenewlyrestored located 2kmnorthof theCircus,onZarqay- The official religious centre of therepublic is KHAST IMOM front overflows withworshippers. and onwarmFridaymorningstheplazain times. Bothwere renovated inthemid-’90s, the medressa astorage spaceduringSoviet The grand16th-century Across thestreet isthe16th-century Juma (Friday) mosque Juma (Friday) militsia Telyashayakh Mosque (police)unceremoniously broke h sitsbesideTashkent’s princi- , which houses theMuslim, which houses 9am-4pm) ( % on ahilloverlooking , which houses the , which houses , atwo-yearpost- 160 0302;Zarqaynar114; Kulkedash medressa medressa Kulkedash lonelyplanet.com . , anIslamic Imam Ismail Moyie Bara- stop foranyonelookingaprimeronthe from Abdulla Qodiri.Twosmallermausole- Uzbekistan Uzbekistan damaged nationaloriginality.’ elimination of politicalpluralismandgreatly of nationalisation coercive state, theeconomy, mation leadtothecreation of thetotalitarian the Soviet ‘Socialisttransfor- Union,hesays: one of Karimov’s more ironicquotes. About Karimov. whatis surely Aplacardcontains tury. The3rdfloor,naturally,isdedicated to the Russiansaroundturnof the20thcen- suppressedand elsewhere by beingbrutally newspaper clippingsof revolts inAndijon emirates, andthere are someforeboding the Russianconquestsof and thekhanates 2nd floorEnglish placardswalkyouthrough cavated atFayoz-Tepe nearTermiz. Onthe a smallBuddhafromKushan temple ex- roastrian andBuddhistartefacts, including the present. The1stfloor hasancientZo- history of Turkestan fromancienttimesto tour inEnglish2000S, ( The Museums &Galleries wooden doors andattractive tilework. the latter isamosquewithbeautifullycarved the twin-domed Navoi –thepointy-roofed sible viaasmallsidestreet runningnorthfrom ums are eastof theuniversity grounds,acces- rid-style idle, butyoucancheck outitsattractive Timu- Babur. sitslocked Themausoleumitself and grandfatherof emperorKhan, theMughal Islamic University, bears thenameof Yunus The biggest, onthegroundsof theTashkent areseum three 15th-centurymausoleums. Across Navoi fromtheNavoi Literary Mu- Yunus KhanMausoleum five smallerones. thebacktoviewhislargethrough tomband lonelyplanet.com Nineteenth- and 20th-century Central AsianNineteenth- and20th-century Central Russian and Europeanartists hangingabout. few c-19thcentury paintingsof second-tier of eastAsian andsouth Asian a artandeven to contemporary works.There are displays of pre-Russian Turkestan, to Soviet realism, from 7th-centuryBuddhistrelics, totheart 1500yearsyou through of artinUzbekistan, 3000S; % The fourfloors of the 139 17 79; Sharaf Rashidova 30; admission3000S,guided 139 1779;SharafRashidova History Museum of the People of Uzbekistan ofthePeople ofUzbekistan Museum History h 10am-5pm Wed-Sun,10am-2pmMon) pishtak

( % 136 74 36; Movarounnakhr 16;admission 136 7436;Movarounnakhr TASHKENT ••Sights h Shaykh Hovandi Tahur Hovandi Shaykh (entrance portal) 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Fine Arts Museum of Museum Fine Arts Qaldirgochbiy Qaldirgochbiy . is amust- Access is . Nextto walk and

and cult-making.Muralsshow Timur com- boshi 15;admission1200S,guide2000S; It currently functions asagiant rubberstamp Friendship Palace isthe guardedbuildingsouthwestofThe tightly the crooked chunk concrete. of Khrushchev-era equally appalling with 4200seats. Looming insideisanenormousconcert hall froma1950sfilmset. moon-landing station Palace Peoples’ Friendship ties, themosteye-catching of which isthe of hideousconcrete spectacularly monstrosi- chitects hadafielddayhere, erecting apod appreciators of Uzbek eccentricity.Soviet ar- is ahaven forjoggers, Sundaystrollers, and ing southwardfromHalqlar Dustligi metro, Downtown Tashkent’s largest park,sprawl- Navoi Park in the15thand16thcenturies. and oldminiatures thatofferof aglimpse life has replica manuscripts,Persian calligraphy, admission 3000S; the AsianAlisher Navoi literati, andotherCentral 2000S; ( campaigns. military bloody, skull-stacking labourers, yetconspicuouslyoverlooking his missioning publicprojects andpraisinghis 5pm Tue-Sun) ( buyers.trap impulse Uzbekistan, andthere’s apriceygiftshopto to boneuptheregional decorative stylesof here, withEnglishdescriptions,are afineway Samarkand. Theceramicandtextile displays older architectural and lurkinginBukhara asagoodsneakpreview of the less serves ofthe height theSoviet period,butnonethe- wood.Itwasbuiltinthe1930s,at and carved fullofcupies anexquisite house bright hangings called (ghanch) somebrilliantoldplasternotably carvings impressive onUzbek section appliedart– masters are wellrepresented, andthere’s an ists initscircular,Guggenheim-like interior. hibits of Uzbekistan’s topcontemporary art- % % The recently opened The richly decorated Southeast of theFriendshipPalace isthe The Besides memorabiliaof 15th-centurypoet Besides 133 5674;BuyukTuron 2;admission400S,guidedtour 133 6228;AmirTimur 1;admission3000S; Navoi Literary Museum Navoi Literary h Museum of Applied Arts ofAppliedArts Museum 11am-5pm Tue-Sat) andthesilk-on-cottonembroidered isamustforaficionadosof kitsch h suzani 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, Wedding Palace . Oliy Majlis , Art Gallery of Uzbekistan ofUzbekistan Gallery Art rolls out rotating ex- rolls outrotating

which appears like a

( Amir Timur Museum % ( % 144 1268;Navoi69; h (parliament). 153 3943;Rakat- 9am-6pm) , avulgar, h ghanch 10am- 201 oc-

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN knives here. ful sitting mattresses), skull caps, Souvenir hunters willfind and whatever fruitsare tomatoes inseason. granates, melons,persimmons, huge mutant stock; and–of –scores course of the pome- interminable rowsof freshly slaughtered live- dedicated tocandy,dairyproductsandbread; Volkswagen-sized of sacks grain;entire sheds arranged coloured inbrightly mountains; it’s edible,here. There are acres of spices Old Town’ssouthernedge. Ifitgrowsand slice of citylife spillingintothestreets off topped byagiantgreen dome,isadelightful Tashkent’s mostfamousfarmers market, CHORSU BAZAAR &AROUND courtyards. tional homesconcealcool,peacefulgarden discover thattheblankouter wallsof tradi- invited intosomeone’shome,where you’ll of thefun.Wanderingaroundyou’lloften be you couldeasilyget losttoo,butthat’spart from the15thand16thcenturies. few handsomereligiousThese buildingsdate and dotted withmosquesandoldmedressas. streets islinedwithlowmud-brick houses and theChorsu Hotel. Amazeof narrowdirt sian: The OldTown(Uzbek: Old Town best wandering. themselves. OldTownmakessights forthe life thatare often more rewarding thanthe offoot –you’llcatch randomglimpses city few more dayscover asmuch asyoucanon andafew IfyouhaveBazaar museums. a minimum check Imom,Chorsu outKhast 200 Taxi drivers get losteasilyhere. Onfoot, of Karimov’s heavyhand. of Karimov’s pedestrian avenue. acomeback,butfornowitremains Itcouldyetmake yetanothersymbol down thestreet stallsandevicted thevendors. orderly policestate. Acoupleofdayslater several dozen Broadway. Notsurprisingly,thehaphazardnature ofthestreet rananathematohisvisionofan time whilewaitingforvisastocomethrough. travellers andkill on thetackyside,itwasnonethelessagreat placetogrababeer,peoplewatch,meetother andcraftgallerieswere vendors,the rowsofSoviet souvenir kitsch andopen-airarts hawkers For yearsSayilgoh,otherwiseknownasBroadway,wasthecentre oftouristlife inTashkent. While LIGHTS GODOWNONBROADWAY AHET • ihs TASHKENT ••Sights stary gorod As ofthiswriting,Broadwaycontinuestolanguishinitsnewguiseworld’smostboring But thatallchangedabruptlyinSeptember 2006after President tookastrolldown Karimov ) starts besideChorsu ) starts Bazaar eski shakhar, eski kurpacha chapan (colour- Rus- and scholar of theShaybanid period. Enter Shoshi mausoleum ofAbuBakrKaffal Nearby isthelittle16th-century Bukhara). left openinSoviet times(theotherwas in It wasoneof Asia twomedressas inCentral medressa academywithabout200students. IslamicInstitute al-Bukhari bishop. Northwestof here isthe theIslamicequivalentofroughly anarch- Board of Uzbekistan, grandmuftiis whose Medressa khon the spartan 3000 rare manuscripts.Thelibraryisnextto 20,000additionalbooksand also contains impressive Themuseum sight. andimportant Turkestan’s Muslims.ItisTashkent’s most in1924asanactofLenin goodwilltowards in 1868before bringreturned toTashkent by Timur, thentaken toMoscowbytheRussians toSamarkandby deerskin tomewasbrought tobetheworld’soldest.Thisenormous said 7th-century Osman Quran(UthmanQuran), admission 1200S; LibraryMuseum Mubarek nar. Here you’llfindthenewlyrestored located 2kmnorthof theCircus,onZarqay- The official religious centre of therepublic is KHAST IMOM front overflows withworshippers. and onwarmFridaymorningstheplazain times. Bothwere renovated inthemid-’90s, the medressa astorage spaceduringSoviet workshopand The mosquewasasheet-metal once aplaceof execution forunfaithfulwives. Chorsu Bazaar. The15th-centurymosquewas pal (admission 1000S) The grand16th-century Across thestreet isthe16th-century Juma (Friday) mosque Juma (Friday) militsia Telyashayakh Mosque (police)unceremoniously broke h sitsbesideTashkent’s princi- , which houses theMuslim, which houses 9am-4pm) ( % on ahilloverlooking , which houses the , which houses , atwo-yearpost- 160 0302;Zarqaynar114; Kulkedash medressa medressa Kulkedash lonelyplanet.com . , anIslamic Imam Ismail Moyie Bara- stop foranyonelookingaprimeronthe Uzbekistan Uzbekistan damaged nationaloriginality.’ elimination of politicalpluralismandgreatly of nationalisation coercive state, theeconomy, mation leadtothecreation of thetotalitarian the Soviet ‘Socialisttransfor- Union,hesays: one of Karimov’s more ironicquotes. About Karimov. whatis surely Aplacardcontains tury. The3rdfloor,naturally,isdedicated to the Russiansaroundturnof the20thcen- suppressedand elsewhere by beingbrutally newspaper clippingsof revolts inAndijon emirates, andthere are someforeboding the Russianconquestsof and thekhanates 2nd floorEnglish placardswalkyouthrough cavated atFayoz-Tepe nearTermiz. Onthe a smallBuddhafromKushan temple ex- roastrian andBuddhistartefacts, including the present. The1stfloor hasancientZo- history of Turkestan fromancienttimesto tour inEnglish2000S, ( The Museums &Galleries wooden doors andattractive tilework. the latter isamosquewithbeautifullycarved the twin-domed Navoi –thepointy-roofed sible viaasmallsidestreet runningnorthfrom ums are eastof theuniversity grounds,acces- from Abdulla Qodiri.Twosmallermausole- rid-style idle, butyoucancheck outitsattractive Timu- Babur. sitslocked Themausoleumitself and grandfatherof emperorKhan, theMughal Islamic University, bears thenameof Yunus The biggest, onthegroundsof theTashkent areseum three 15th-centurymausoleums. Across Navoi fromtheNavoi Literary Mu- Yunus KhanMausoleum five smallerones. thebacktoviewhislargethrough tomband lonelyplanet.com Nineteenth- and 20th-century Central AsianNineteenth- and20th-century Central Russian and Europeanartists hangingabout. few c-19thcentury paintingsof second-tier of eastAsian andsouth Asian a artandeven to contemporary works.There are displays of pre-Russian Turkestan, to Soviet realism, from 7th-centuryBuddhistrelics, totheart 1500yearsyou through of artinUzbekistan, 3000S; % The fourfloors of the 139 17 79; Sharaf Rashidova 30; admission3000S,guided 139 1779;SharafRashidova History Museum of the People of Uzbekistan ofthePeople ofUzbekistan Museum History h 10am-5pm Wed-Sun,10am-2pmMon) pishtak

which appears like a

( Amir Timur Museum % ( % 144 1268;Navoi69; h (parliament). 153 3943;Rakat- 9am-6pm) , avulgar, h ghanch 10am- 201 oc-

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN The president’s andmostministries office is thebrandnew white edificeonthewestsideof thesquare stir upabitof nationalisticspirit.Theshiny Karimov else and whenever to feels theneed gather towatch paradesonIndependenceday maydoni the gates tothenewlyrefurbished jewels remain –fornow. intact Fortunately thehorse’s formidable family stole itisoneof Tashkent’s great mysteries. reproductivea certain appendage. Justwho divestedreveals hasbeen thatthestallion of Timur replacedbeen patriotic byasuitably maydoni Tashkent’s mainstreets radiate from Other Sights in thewarmmonths. which youcantraverse inhired peddleboats ment parkridesandalarge manmadelake, Alisher Navoi promenade andapost-Soviet in itsinfrequent Nearbyisavast sessions. 202 need yourpassport tobuyaticket.need Togo up you upto the100mviewing platform.You’ll ThepriceofInterContinental. admission gets epitome of Soviet northof design, stands the 9pm Tue-Sun) taken onweekends. rial remembered instoneatthe built Tashkent after the1966earthquake are Turkmenbashi-style monumentstohimself. Uzbek cities.Hey, atleasthe’snotbuilding monument nearthecentre of mostmajor names. Karimov hasbuiltanearlyidentical The niches their alongitstwocorridors house 400,000 Uzbek soldiers whodiedinWWII. it wasconstructed in1999tohonourthe Mother Monument tothepublic. andisnowclosed bekistan, Palace Romanov the animal-festooned façadeof theTsarist-era ofmaydoni. East thesquare acrossRashidova, take upthesouthern portionaroundGagarin to outdo the United State’s Senate building. to outdotheUnited State’s Senate size andappearancesuggest thatitwasbuilt tural hero. Continuing southyou’llfindsomeamuse- The Further west,good-luckpelicansguard The NewSoviet menand womenwhore- North of maydoniisthe Mustaqillik . Newlywedsflockhere tohave theirphotos AHET • ciiis TASHKENT ••Activities on horseback. A glance under the statue on horseback. Aglanceunderthestatue TV Tower TV , where agloweringbustof has Marx (IndependenceSq),where crowds , a375mthree-legged monster, the ,

Uzbekistan’s cul- newlychosen

faces theArtGalleryof Uz- (Amir Timur; admission400S; . Fronted byaneternal flame, Senate building.Itsample Earthquake Memo- Earthquake monument to Mustaqillik Mustaqillik Amir Timur h statue of Crying 10am- ishly decorated stations. AmustistheKos- ishly decorated stations. of sites, ifonlytovisitsomeof these thelav- again,isonAzimova. Lutheran services asarecital hallandnowholding once used copper domes.A dral four Orthodox churches, the arms’, inRussian orEnglish. such as‘Youcan’thugyourchild withnuclear ing, recall theColdWarerawithmessages The tiles,manyof which are cracked ormiss- schoolchildrenand Seattle-based inthe1980s. lection of smalltilesdesignedbyTashkent- home tothepoignant meal (3100S). adecidedly mediocre Russian set that serves trick. At110mthere’s arevolving restaurant grease theguard’spalm–2000Sshould dothe yahoo.com) yahoo.com) [email protected]) or emailorganiser 4pm springandfall,3pmwinter). Call atthe Hotel Uzbekistanmeet (5pmsummer, pairing tothenearest watering hole. Hashers the streets of Tashkent Sunday before every re- branch of the Bowling Timur 60;3000Spergame; including of Olimjonmetro. Khamid Oqqurgan 16; ming andgymis (per hr5000S) club alsoboastsanocean-sizedOlympic 7000S) Club Obad Sport and playatoneof courtsof theeight the across thecountry.Youcanrent equipment ity forthegame,tennis courtshave sprungup Thanks toPresident Karimov’s personal affin- ACTIVITIES others. and Soviet cosmonautYuriGagarin,among Amir Timur’s astronomer grandson,Ulugbek, monavtlar withitsunearthlyimages station of excursions furtherafield. other Sunday andtakes occasional weekend to the next level (about220m)you’llhaveto thenextlevel to At theotherendof Park town,Babur is The Runners andwalkers canjointhelocal It’s worth taking themetrotoreachIt’s worthtaking some isoneofNear MirobodBazaar Tashkent’s There are acoupleof placestogobowling,

(Uspensky Sobor) in the shadow of the TV Tower.in theshadowof theTV The

ahet iig Club Hiking Tashkent ( % goes hiking around Chimgan every hikingaround Chimganevery goes h Yulduz BowlingAlley . Anotheroptionfortennis, swim- 132 17 84; Uzbekistan 8/1). 132 1784;Uzbekistan 6am-9pm) Hash HouseHarriers ( % Sports ClubNBU Sports , which bluewith isbright 134 7760;AmirTimur; perhr5000- German Protestant Church Protestant German Charles Rudd to confirmtimes. , located about600meast h Seattle Peace Park Seattle 10am-midnight) (tashkenthikingclub@ Assumption Cathe- Assumption

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( 132 2002;Amir % 268 4459/69; 139 1302; and , acol- Yunus pool Uz , warm months isthe Walt DisneyWorld.More worthwhileinthe It’s anamusingdiversion, justdon’texpect main backpacker nolonger ghetto, accepts budget end.TheTara Hotel, onceTashkent’s facilities remain basicallyintact. rate –notbadconsideringthattheirfour-star shall receive atleasta50%discountofftherack cheap. become fantastically Simplyaskandyou maintenance, buttheflipsideisthattheyhave and have gonedownhillinterms of service and Tashkent Palace Meridien), (formerly Le cluding theMarkaziy (formerlytheSheraton) management over hotels, tothestate. in- These wake of the2005Andijonincident,turning fancier hotels pulledoutof Uzbekistan inthe The foreign operators of of several Tashkent’s SLEEPING Americanfilms. and Latin festival even-numbered years Tashkent hostsa Tashkent ( Conservatory State p207 ). During and NewAge music,andisheldinthenew in March orApril.Itfeatures avant-garde festival Tashkent hoststhe14-day international music FESTIVALS &EVENTS per hour,orUS$30day. can whipupaguidefornomore thanUS$5 but mostfancierhotels andtravel agencies There aren’t anyorganised citytours perse, TOURS Tue-Sun) Land largestbekistan’s park, amusement 1;1roundUS$62) District Club Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com a bitbrighter thanksto anapplicationof paint 4000S) Hadra Hotel Budget stand. any taxi asking about themattheMakler ( p204 ) orat and thusoperate intheshadows.Youcantry foreigners. are Homestays technically illegal southeast edge of thecity. child 3000/1500S; Tashkent Land. Just northof theInterContinental, Uz- The Korean-designed Alas, there’s nosuch buyer’smarket atthe

( (Amir Timur; adult/child5000/2500S; % The darkest Asia holeinallof is Central in September featuring Asian, inSeptember African , hasahandfulof creaky Soviet rides. Il Khom 20 Il Khom 195 09 91/2/3; [email protected]; Bektemir 195 0991/2/3;[email protected];

( % h 244 2808;GhafurGhulom 53A;2-beddm 9am-8pm May-Sep) 9am-8pm May-Sep) (Inspiration20)annually is at Lake Rokhat, onthe Rokhat, isatLake Aqua Park Tashkent Lakeside Golf Tashkent Lakeside (Amir Timur; adult/ just northof h TASHKENT ••Tours 10am-7pm Tashkent film street. cereal andjuice. Request aroomoff thebusy and alarge breakfast buffet of crepes, eggs, are smallbutsmart andincludesatellite TV here. isthehigh-point The36rooms service ing about thecomfyking-sized beds,tidy and but youwon’tbecomplain- con service-wise, Tashkent, isthebest.It’snoInter- thePoytaht great dealstobehadatthemid-top endin 4;s/dUS$40/60; Movarounnakhr 14; s/dUS$25/35; find, socallforapick-up. to make dowithtwinbeds.Itisabithardto terms of coupleswillhave space,although .com; s/dUS$25/30; Sam BuhHotel Midrange enough. a free dinnerortwoifyoustickaroundlong fered –alongwith plentyof free vodkaand withtraveland assistance arrangements of- Uzbekistan. EnglishandFrench isspoken, the chaotic embraceof travel inpost-Soviet are youinto guesthouse justthetonictoease andtheconvivial,slapdashnaturelaev of his The Soviet charms of ownerAlisherKhabibul- 26/2;s/d/trUS$15/30/39,4-personaptUS$60; Vokhidova ontheleft. 150m totheguesthouse real street, Usmon (Azad).It’sabout Khojaev after andtake aright 400monthefirst Beruni to find;fromChorsu headweston Bazaar single bedsare It’s hard enough. comfortable ing towrite homeabout buttheSoviet-style a hitwithbackpackers. Theroomsare noth- location make thisfriendly,family-runB&B prices, fillingbreakfasts andanOldTown 40;perpersonUS$15; .uz; UsmonKhojaev you knowsomeRussian orUzbek. draw, soget there earlyortrycallingaheadif makeslocation insidethetrainstation itatop the dormroomsidealforthree people. Its rooms are white, bright, cleanandhuge, and and, fornowatleast,it’sbrandnew.The 7000S, r/steUS$20/25; block nexttotheCircus. low-class brothel.It’sinandankapartment pretty dark,anditstilldoublesasadecidedly to thewallsof atleastoneroom.Butit’sstill trump those oftrump those thenearbyOrzuHotel in o Hotel Orzu o Gulnara Guesthouse Komnata Otdikha B+B AliTour Poytaht

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% ( % ) ( It’s a spectacular deal It’saspectacular % 120 86 76; www.poytaht.uz; 120 8676;www.poytaht.uz; 199 7649;Vokzal;3-beddm ) 160 2816;gulnara@globalnet SamBuh’srooms ais 153 7162;[email protected]; ai ) Ofallthe ) Cheap 203 a

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UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN need yourpassport tobuyaticket.need Togo up you upto the100mviewing platform.You’ll ThepriceofInterContinental. admission gets epitome of Soviet northof design, stands the 9pm Tue-Sun) taken onweekends. rial remembered instoneatthe built Tashkent after the1966earthquake are Turkmenbashi-style monumentstohimself. Uzbek cities.Hey, atleasthe’snotbuilding monument nearthecentre of mostmajor names. Karimov hasbuiltanearlyidentical The niches their alongitstwocorridors house 400,000 Uzbek soldiers whodiedinWWII. it wasconstructed in1999tohonourthe Mother Monument tothepublic. andisnowclosed bekistan, Palace Romanov the animal-festooned façadeof theTsarist-era ofmaydoni. East thesquare acrossRashidova, take upthesouthern portionaroundGagarin The president’s andmostministries office is thebrandnew white edificeonthewestsideof thesquare stir upabitof nationalisticspirit.Theshiny Karimov else and whenever to feels theneed gather towatch paradesonIndependenceday maydoni the gates tothenewlyrefurbished jewels remain –fornow. intact Fortunately thehorse’s formidable family stole itisoneof Tashkent’s great mysteries. reproductivea certain appendage. Justwho divestedreveals hasbeen thatthestallion of Timur replacedbeen patriotic byasuitably maydoni Tashkent’s mainstreets radiate from Other Sights in thewarmmonths. which youcantraverse inhired peddleboats ment parkridesandalarge manmadelake, Alisher Navoi promenade andapost-Soviet in itsinfrequent Nearbyisavast sessions. 202 to outdo the United State’s Senate building. to outdotheUnited State’s Senate size andappearancesuggest thatitwasbuilt tural hero. The Further west,good-luckpelicansguard Continuing southyou’llfindsomeamuse- The NewSoviet menand womenwhore- North of maydoniisthe Mustaqillik . Newlywedsflockhere tohave theirphotos AHET • ciiis TASHKENT ••Activities on horseback. A glance under the statue on horseback. Aglanceunderthestatue TV Tower TV , where agloweringbustof has Marx (IndependenceSq),where crowds , a375mthree-legged monster, the ,

Uzbekistan’s cul- newlychosen

faces theArtGalleryof Uz- (Amir Timur; admission400S; . Fronted byaneternal flame, Senate building.Itsample Earthquake Memo- Earthquake monument to Mustaqillik Mustaqillik Amir Timur h statue of Crying 10am- yahoo.com) yahoo.com) [email protected]) or emailorganiser 4pm springandfall,3pmwinter). Call atthe Hotel Uzbekistanmeet (5pmsummer, pairing tothenearest watering hole. Hashers the streets of Tashkent Sunday before every re- branch of the Bowling Timur 60;3000Spergame; including of Olimjonmetro. Khamid Oqqurgan 16; ming andgymis (per hr5000S) club alsoboastsanocean-sizedOlympic 7000S) Club Obad Sport and playatoneof courtsof theeight the across thecountry.Youcanrent equipment ity forthegame,tennis courtshave sprungup Thanks toPresident Karimov’s personal affin- ACTIVITIES others. and Soviet cosmonautYuriGagarin,among Amir Timur’s astronomer grandson,Ulugbek, monavtlar withitsunearthlyimages station of AmustistheKos- ishly decorated stations. of sites, ifonlytovisitsomeof these thelav- again,isonAzimova. Lutheran services asarecital hallandnowholding once used copper domes.A dral four Orthodox churches, the arms’, inRussian orEnglish. such as‘Youcan’thugyourchild withnuclear ing, recall theColdWarerawithmessages The tiles,manyof which are cracked ormiss- schoolchildrenand Seattle-based inthe1980s. lection of smalltilesdesignedbyTashkent- home tothepoignant meal (3100S). adecidedly mediocre Russian set that serves trick. At110mthere’s arevolving restaurant grease theguard’spalm–2000Sshould dothe excursions furtherafield. other Sunday andtakes occasional weekend to the next level (about220m)you’llhaveto thenextlevel to The Runners andwalkers canjointhelocal At theotherendof Park town,Babur is There are acoupleof placestogobowling, themetrotoreachIt’s worthtaking some isoneofNear MirobodBazaar Tashkent’s

(Uspensky Sobor) in the shadow of the TV Tower.in theshadowof theTV The

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UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Prices listedare before discounts.Prices Can’t beatthelocationnearOperaHouse. Negotiatehard. .com; BuyukTuron 56;s/dUS$120/130; standard rooms, free high-speed internet rooms,free ac- standard high-speed delivers business- Turkish-run high-rise spiffy .dedemanhotels.com; s/dUS$160/180; Dedeman SilkRoad Top End Tashkent Palace Hotel Grand Orzu listed are before discounts. swing agiraffe. Negotiate hardhere. Prices roomswithspaceto and, mostimportantly, king-sized bedswithfinelinens,smartart past remain, includingtwopools,inviting Most of thegloriousvestiges of itsfour-star its transitionfromprivate ownership. tostate Markaziy hassuffered less thanothers from .ru; AmirTimur 15;s/dUS$70/90; a furtherUS$5toUS$10discount. central AmirTimur maydoni.Trynegotiating ming pool–allwithinapomegranate throwof breakfastous buffet andpond-sizedswim- spacious Scandinavian-style rooms,sumptu- 204 about US$90foradouble. are opentonegotiationshere –expect topay foreign businessmen. Unlike theIntercon, staff along withtheIntercon, as thefavourite among theDedemanhasemerged,ownership shuffle, the city.Inwake of Tashkent’s great hotel inthecentre of cess andnearlyflawlessservice the hugesuite. for US$10extra the pleasantpoolsidepatio;payextra .com; 27Tarobi; s/dUS$33/38; Markaziy Hotel Hotel Markaziy Also recommended: head tothecelebrationof will eat.The bestdayto come?WhyThursday, ofcourse! you.Yourgroup’sorderwillarrive Uzbek-styleand serve onasingleplate from whicheverybody crowding aroundsteaming meals 2000S; and bydefaulttheworld.That –province hasitsownstyle,whichlocalsloudlyandproudlyproclaimisthebest inUzbekistan the statusofreligion thecountrywithwhichitismostcloselyassociated. Each inUzbekistan, and meatbitsswimminginlambfatoil.This Central Asian staplehasbeenelevated to Few thingsexcite theUzbekpalate like PLOV GLORIOUSPLOV word for‘foreplay’ inUzbekis of the coincidentally, Thursday’s whenmostUzbekbabiesare theoilatbottom conceived. Drinking AHET • aig TASHKENT ••Eating To sample kazan h (large ( ( % plov % lunch) ( ( % % 120 5800;www.tashkent-palace stylesfromvariousregions ofthecountry–and drinktheoilifyoudare – 120 8877;www.orzu-hotels 138 3000;markaziy.hotel@mail plov 120 3700;AmirTimur 7/8;www . Getthere before Walkpast themobofpeople noonforthebestselection. ais cauldron) is said to add particular sparktoaman’slibido. cauldron)issaidtoaddparticular aisn aisn plov kazans aisn ‘plov’ thatisthe plov ) Highlight is ) Highlight and take aseatinside, whereand take a waitress willeventually come isanaphrodisiacgoeswithoutsaying. thatthe Uzbeksjoke . Menputthebestcutsofmeatin ) ) plov, This This The Central Asian Plov Centre ) that wonderful conglomerationofrice,vegetables thatwonderful available atthiscozyfour-starstand-by. 88; s/dUS$125/140; owned outfitisabehemoth,butfinebehemoth. 2;s/dUS$120/160; Mirobod a dozen orsoapartmentbrokers gatherin- Amir Timur maydoniisabusdepotwhere from A shortwalkeastdownMusakhanov Rental Accommodation Radisson Grand Mir amenityyoucouldwant. every Theroomslackcharactertaurants. buthave excellentres-wi-fi inthelobbyandseveral business centre, abookshop, boutiques,free and leisure facilities:indoorswimmingpool, andafullrange of business unmatched service the citycentre, s/d/ste US$235/255/400; AmirTimur.ichotelsgroup.com, [email protected]; 107A; and Fridaytrythe4000SIndonesiansmor- food ishardtocomeby.Forlunch onTuesday in Tashkent, goodSoutheastAsian although Russiancourse cuisineare allwellrepresented andofNational, European,MiddleEastern EATING ments forUS$25inthecitycentre. to negotiate. tovisitinperson You’llneed substantially. hard negotiationsshouldbringthatdown US$100 forabasicstudioapartment,but Khorezm) formally ataspotcalled Hotel InterContinental InterContinental Hotel Arostr ( p199 apart- ) hastwoself-contained Also recommended: . Weekly rental atabout . Weekly pricesstart ( ( % % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 120 4900;www.radisson.com;AmirTimur 140 20 00; www.grandmirhotel.com; 140 2000;www.grandmirhotel.com; t his isthecity’sbesthotel, with aisn aisn (Cnr Ergashev &Abdurashidov; (Cnr Ergashev ais

plov (Intercon; onThursday; not Makler Makler ) Smalldiscounts % ) ) ThisTurkish- Justnorthof

120 7000;www (house market; (house market; the cheapest intown. beer lishments have nosigns orshop fronts – just an OldTownhomerestaurant. estab- These One placetotaste trueUzbek cooking isin Home Restaurants food. Italian OK they don’topenuntil11am.Alsoserves laptop-addicted souls,butunconscionably forguidebookwritersa godsend and other menu andreliable free wi-fi access here are 5000S; warm months. There’s live inthe entertainment evening for ashashlykandcoldShimkent (1500S). ing itanalmostperfect warm-weatherspot bling manmadewaterfall onpremises, mak- patio iscooledbygentle mistfromtherum- popular OldTownstand-by. Thesprawling than thecanalsidepatch occupiedbythis 3000S) cup of coffee. adecent on thetopfloorof themallserves wiches andkebabs onoffer. shop Acoffee fast-food burgers, court, withpasta, sand- in thecity’sbestapproximation of aWestern where teenagers well-heeled gathertopreen samsa hereeral stalls serving shadedbytrees.wooden tables There are sev- Cheap andfastoutdoorfoodcourtwithbig offthefire.right turnoveris variable;lookforhigh andservice areBazaar bothcheap andcolourful.Hygiene aroundChorsumany chaikhanas (teahouses) the Uzbekistan Airwaysbooking office. The one cluster isonMirobod, 500msouthof from; tochoose outfits andshashlyk stands dreds of street-side cafés,Korean noodle For cheap eatsandcheap there beer are hun- Cafés, Chaikhanas&FastFood Indonesian Embassy( p262 ). upfrom noonto2pmatthe gasbord served lonelyplanet.com From Tinchlik traf- metro, walktotheclosest (afterthe midday andevening 7pm)meals. the streetBoys practically drag youoff for dozens of contains establishments. tay, these or twosimpledishes, plustea orbeer. one inacourtyard, wheretables you’re served Il Perfecto Il Perfecto FoodCourt Mir Darkhan One such neighbourhood, called Chiga- Café Sharshara Café Chaikhana real comesnoriper estate Chaikhana h (samosas), kebabs, andsomeof(samosas), salads lunch &dinner) (Pushkin; kebabs 500-1000S,0.5Lbeer400S) kebabs (Pushkin; ( % (Ataturk 1;meals1000-3000S) TASHKENT ••Eating ( 153 28 52; Mirobod 9A;mains3000- 153 2852;Mirobod % 144 5835;Bobojonova10;mains

The impressive coffee laghman (noodles), Thisis in traditional styleanda smaller‘modern here. There’s a large yurttastefully doneup schlepping over onacamel, head thedesert 5000S; noisy –andnonalcoholic –streetside patio. ifsomewhat ing yourbootyonthepleasant tors. Innotimeyou’llbebackoutsideenjoy- ondisplayinglassrefrigera-Turkish salads hundreds of kebabs andmouth-watering fromamongthe insideandchoose saunter There’s amenuhere butdon’tbother–just (chicken filletwithhoney,nutsandbutter). ‘Egyptian and‘Arabian Fairly Nights’, Tales’ local flavours andhave cheeky namessuch as claustrophobic types.Theeclecticdishes ooze ton ceramics,and trinkets, Rish- reasonable prices.Beautiful restaurant knownforitshomemadewineand dining atitsbestinthiscaravanserai-style of whomworknearby. many lunch ispopularwiththediplomaticset, homemade paper,noless.Its5000Sbusiness lent, asisthehandwritingontheirmenus– point outthattheirEuropeancuisineisexcel- ‘cute’. We’llnotonlyoblige them,butalso your luckforfindingsuch aplace. at (hookah) smoke skywardwhilstmarvelling wispsofplatform) andsend heavenly back onyouroutdoor sumac andolive oil).Onceyou’re finished,lie mains –trythe room, dive intotheequallyscrumptious right and bathinginexoticoils.Ifyoustillhave tabbouleh, allredolent withancientspices pur (eggplant Load uponappetizers such as describe thecuisineatthisSyrianrestaurant. superlativesenough intheEnglishlanguage to ers 1500,mains3000-5000S) o Restaurants Look topayabout 3000Sperdish. thisstreet. 10 minutes, walkalong(orjustoff) of thehomerestaurants are five between and intoAkademikSadikov.and turnright Most prospekti, fic signalonthemainstreet, Beruni kitchen, were forittobecalled justbegging tive eatery, kitted outlike aFrench country h vaguely cave-like interior. There’s apatiofor Efendi Efendi Dervish Manas Art Café Café Art Manas Sunduk lunch &dinner) h Al Delfeen lunch &dinner) ( % (mains2500-4500S) ( % 133 15 02; Azimova 79A; kebabs 3000-4000S) 79A;kebabs 133 1502;Azimova 132 11 46; Azimova 63;mains2500-4000S; 132 1146;Azimova ć e), hummus,falafel, The designers of thisdiminu- mosakan (

% ( % suzani To dineinayurtwithout 152 38 11; Miralikov; mains3000- 152 3811;Miralikov; 133 19 85; Malyasova 3;appetiz- 133 1985;Malyasova tapchan tapchan There are simplynot (chicken cooked with line thewallsof the It’smud-walled (bedlike sitting baba ganush samsa shisha shisha

and 205 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN .com; BuyukTuron 56;s/dUS$120/130; Prices listedare before discounts.Prices Can’t beatthelocationnearOperaHouse. Negotiatehard. about US$90foradouble. are opentonegotiationshere –expect topay foreign businessmen. Unlike theIntercon, staff along withtheIntercon, as thefavourite among theDedemanhasemerged,ownership shuffle, the city.Inwake of Tashkent’s great hotel inthecentre of cess andnearlyflawlessservice internet rooms,free ac- standard high-speed delivers business- Turkish-run high-rise spiffy .dedemanhotels.com; s/dUS$160/180; Dedeman SilkRoad Top End Tashkent Palace Hotel Grand Orzu listed are before discounts. swing agiraffe. Negotiate hardhere. Prices roomswithspaceto and, mostimportantly, king-sized bedswithfinelinens,smartart past remain, includingtwopools,inviting Most of thegloriousvestiges of itsfour-star its transitionfromprivate ownership. tostate Markaziy hassuffered less thanothers from .ru; AmirTimur 15;s/dUS$70/90; a furtherUS$5toUS$10discount. central AmirTimur maydoni.Trynegotiating ming pool–allwithinapomegranate throwof breakfastous buffet andpond-sizedswim- spacious Scandinavian-style rooms,sumptu- 204 the hugesuite. for US$10extra the pleasantpoolsidepatio;payextra .com; 27Tarobi; s/dUS$33/38; Markaziy Hotel Hotel Markaziy Also recommended: will eat.The bestdayto come?WhyThursday, ofcourse! you.Yourgroup’sorderwillarrive Uzbek-styleand serve onasingleplate from whicheverybody crowding aroundsteaming meals 2000S; and bydefaulttheworld.That –province hasitsownstyle,whichlocalsloudlyandproudlyproclaimisthebest inUzbekistan the statusofreligion thecountrywithwhichitismostcloselyassociated. Each inUzbekistan, and meatbitsswimminginlambfatoil.This Central Asian staplehasbeenelevated to Few thingsexcite theUzbekpalate like PLOV GLORIOUSPLOV head tothecelebrationof word for‘foreplay’ inUzbekis of the coincidentally, Thursday’s whenmostUzbekbabiesare theoilatbottom conceived. Drinking AHET • aig TASHKENT ••Eating To sample kazan h (large ( ( % plov % lunch) ( ( % % 120 5800;www.tashkent-palace stylesfromvariousregions ofthecountry–and drinktheoilifyoudare – 120 8877;www.orzu-hotels 138 3000;markaziy.hotel@mail plov 120 3700;AmirTimur 7/8;www . Getthere before Walkpast themobofpeople noonforthebestselection. ais cauldron) is said to add particular sparktoaman’slibido. cauldron)issaidtoaddparticular aisn aisn plov kazans aisn ‘plov’ thatisthe plov ) Highlight is ) Highlight and take aseatinside, whereand take a waitress willeventually come isanaphrodisiacgoeswithoutsaying. thatthe Uzbeksjoke . Menputthebestcutsofmeatin ) ) plov, This This The Central Asian Plov Centre ) that wonderful conglomerationofrice,vegetables thatwonderful available atthiscozyfour-starstand-by. 88; s/dUS$125/140; owned outfitisabehemoth,butfinebehemoth. 2;s/dUS$120/160; Mirobod and Fridaytrythe4000SIndonesiansmor- food ishardtocomeby.Forlunch onTuesday in Tashkent, goodSoutheastAsian although Russiancourse cuisineare allwellrepresented andofNational, European,MiddleEastern EATING ments forUS$25inthecitycentre. to negotiate. tovisitinperson You’llneed substantially. hard negotiationsshouldbringthatdown US$100 forabasicstudioapartment,but Khorezm) formally ataspotcalled a dozen orsoapartmentbrokers gatherin- Amir Timur maydoniisabusdepotwhere from A shortwalkeastdownMusakhanov Rental Accommodation Radisson Grand Mir amenityyoucouldwant. every Theroomslackcharactertaurants. buthave excellentres-wi-fi inthelobbyandseveral business centre, abookshop, boutiques,free and leisure facilities:indoorswimmingpool, andafullrange of business unmatched service the citycentre, s/d/ste US$235/255/400; AmirTimur.ichotelsgroup.com, [email protected]; 107A; Arostr ( p199 apart- ) hastwoself-contained InterContinental Hotel Also recommended: . Weekly rental atabout . Weekly pricesstart ( ( % % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 120 4900;www.radisson.com;AmirTimur 140 20 00; www.grandmirhotel.com; 140 2000;www.grandmirhotel.com; t his isthecity’sbesthotel, with aisn aisn (Cnr Ergashev &Abdurashidov; (Cnr Ergashev ais

plov (Intercon; onThursday; not Makler Makler ) Smalldiscounts % ) ) ThisTurkish- Justnorthof

120 7000;www (house market; (house market; lishments have nosigns orshop fronts – just an OldTownhomerestaurant. estab- These One placetotaste trueUzbek cooking isin Home Restaurants food. Italian OK they don’topenuntil11am.Alsoserves laptop-addicted souls,butunconscionably forguidebookwritersa godsend and other menu andreliable free wi-fi access here are 5000S; warm months. There’s live inthe entertainment evening for ashashlykandcoldShimkent (1500S). ing itanalmostperfect warm-weatherspot bling manmadewaterfall onpremises, mak- patio iscooledbygentle mistfromtherum- popular OldTownstand-by. Thesprawling than thecanalsidepatch occupiedbythis 3000S) cup of coffee. adecent on thetopfloorof themallserves wiches andkebabs onoffer. shop Acoffee fast-food burgers, court, withpasta, sand- in thecity’sbestapproximation of aWestern where teenagers well-heeled gathertopreen the cheapest intown. beer samsa hereeral stalls serving shadedbytrees.wooden tables There are sev- Cheap andfastoutdoorfoodcourtwithbig offthefire.right turnoveris variable;lookforhigh andservice areBazaar bothcheap andcolourful.Hygiene aroundChorsumany chaikhanas (teahouses) the Uzbekistan Airwaysbooking office. The one cluster isonMirobod, 500msouthof from; tochoose outfits andshashlyk stands dreds of street-side cafés,Korean noodle For cheap eatsandcheap there beer are hun- Cafés, Chaikhanas&FastFood Indonesian Embassy( p262 ). upfrom noonto2pmatthe gasbord served lonelyplanet.com From Tinchlik traf- metro, walktotheclosest (afterthe midday andevening 7pm)meals. the streetBoys practically drag youoff for dozens of contains establishments. tay, these or twosimpledishes, plustea orbeer. one inacourtyard, wheretables you’re served Il Perfecto Il Perfecto FoodCourt Mir Darkhan One such neighbourhood, called Chiga- Café Sharshara Café Chaikhana real comesnoriper estate Chaikhana h (samosas), kebabs, andsomeof(samosas), salads lunch &dinner) (Pushkin; kebabs 500-1000S,0.5Lbeer400S) kebabs (Pushkin; ( % (Ataturk 1;meals1000-3000S) TASHKENT ••Eating ( 153 28 52; Mirobod 9A;mains3000- 153 2852;Mirobod % 144 5835;Bobojonova10;mains

and 205 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN demand for all those Koreandemand forallthose restaurants population of ethnicKoreans iswhatdrives mains 5000-7000S; ( the evening opposite ). The latter morphs in intotheChénightclub (Mexican). Casa Shintaco (Japanese) andLa restaurants (Lebanese), –OmarKhayyam with live music.Nextdoorare three sister die for. It’sinacandle-lit,courtyardsetting, isto or Georgian wines.TheRoquefortsalad and grilledmeatsalongwithbottlesof Uzbek uplarge portionsof pizza eatery pasta, serves 8000S; and alast-minute gift-buying spree. agreatmaking Caravan placeforbothanibble from allover thecountryandisopenlate, charges. store Theattached isfilledwithcrafts and‘entertainment’ bill-inflating service Uzbek with butcomessaddled cuisineistasty, for-Hollywood Uzbek home. ItsWesternised theme restaurant istarted uplike amade- 4000S; recommended. 4000S! Reservations 12 beers goelsewhere –thecheapest here is butifyou’repriced right, planningonhaving The Uzbek–Euro fusionfoodis excellentand yurt’ with 206 home, but it fills up every night and outdraws night home, but itfillsupevery décor will hardlymake real Londoners feel at 12,000S) Ye OldeChelsea Arms DRINKING market ( p208 ). duce youare much better off atafarmers ( p208 ) are nowabundant butfor fresh pro- Western-style supermarkets andminimarkets Self-Catering always escapetotherooftop diningarea. done atthetimeof research. Ifnot,youcan that maychange thankstorenovations being longoncharacter,options. Itwasnever but best Indianfood–includingaplethoraof veg favourite continuestochurn outTashkent’s h prices. thehigh portions partiallyoffset andchoppedmade withrice,egg meat.Large andmaindishes suchsalads as upplatters fullof small nicer places,serving around town.Han KukKwan isoneof the Tandoori Han KukKwan Bistro Caravan lunch &dinner) AHET • rnig TASHKENT ••Drinking h h It’s grosslyoverpriced andthegaudy ( lunch &dinner) lunch &dinner) % ( ( % shisha shisha % 152 11 12; Movarounnakhr 33;mains4000- 152 1112;Movarounnakhr 255 62 96; Abdulla Qahhor 22;mainsfrom 255 6296;AbdullaQahhor h 133 53 92; Chekhova 5;mains6000-8000S; 133 5392;Chekhova Formerly Taj, thislong-time ( % lunch &dinner) pipes andchill-out tunes. This scrumptious Italian ThisscrumptiousItalian (Abdulla Qahhor 25;mains5000- (Abdulla Qahhor Tashkent’s quintessential 152 3322;Yusuf Khodjib; Khos Tashkent’s large bi-bim-bab, movies inEnglish on request. passing twootherrestaurants ontheway. Turkeston Palace onNavoi walk50mnorth, rus of birdsongbyday.Fromthebridge near andanequallycacophoniccho-jazz bynight vented monksin1514.There’s byGerman live recipe intown. Thehouse wassupposedly of thebest–andbest-pricedhomebrew in thisbrewpub-restaurant Canal, khor hassome charge594S) entertainment 0.3/0.5L beer594/990S,evening ern pop. the beatof crisp-soundingRussian andWest- shake upadizzyingarrayof to cocktails whileinsidebartenderspatio issweet, adeptly pint of Shimkent costs1500S.Thestreetside actually get areasonably here pricedbeer –a Hollywood-themed interior beliethatyoucan The nouveau riche Uzbek crowdandhip, rabbit (12,000S). streetside ‘thronebooth’andnibbleonWelsh place inTashkent where youcanrecline ina Tashkent’s twoIrishpubs.It’s alsotheonly .uz; cnr Usmon Nosir & Mirobod) .uz; cnrUsmon Nosir&Mirobod) dubbed intoRussian. biggest movie theatre, filmsare although Panorama Cinemas weekdays. earlieron open until 4ambutmayclose stay can lastuntil2amorlater. Regularnightclubs de rigueur once dinner’sover. floorshows are Lengthy that morphintorollickingdanceparties Asian are nightclubs basically restaurants Central quintessential ‘dance bars’. These To get theirgroove on,Uzbeks gravitate to with theexceptionof Theatre. theIlkhom available, mostcatering toanoldercrowd Opera, theatre andballetoptionsare readily ENTERTAINMENT charge. the 20%service patio ispopulardespite and thestreet noise (6000S).Thesummer real sausages Bavarian wellwiththe particularly endearingandgoes by abusy the strainsof oompahmusicinthis up foaminglitre steins of homemadebrew to waitresses countryoutfitsserve inGerman Occupying aprime,shady onAn- nookright Tri Bochki Bochki Tri Studio Café Premier CinemaHall Premier Gasthaus Gasthaus

( % at such places,and theshenanigans autobahn (Fargona Yuli 7;0.5Lbeer1000-1500S) (Three Barrels; Navoi2;mains3000-5000S, (Three (Toi-Tepa 1,cnrAzimova; 144 5160;Navoi15;1200S) . Theunfiltered brew is ( % Occasionally shows 152 1625;www.premier lonelyplanet.com h 11am-mid night) Tashkent’s biergarten biergarten Spry ity classical Western opera almost any night ity classical Western operaalmost anynight office. directlycan bebought box fromthestadium 500S to1500S,international matches 8000S) Uzbekistan andNavoi. Tickets (localmatches stadium) ton Picker Soccer matches are heldatthe Sport toget in. aseat need aheadoftable you timeonweekends because 2000S,weekdays free) admission weekends and 2000S,weekdaysfree) 21;admissionweekends 69; Mashkhadiy of thebestdancebars intown, night. poor lifestyle decisionsat3amonaTuesday the few clubswhere youcanstillbemaking streak name. Oneof thatbeliesitsserious able craftof thescribbler. and thewallspayduehomage tothehonour- SMI istheRussianacronymfor‘massmedia’, youwantittobeatsixinthemorning’. ever British expatputit,‘SMI morphs intowhat- a creative ontheenvironment.As effect one many inebriated peopletooneplacecanhave ofan evening clubhopping.Theflowof so thisiswherenightclub, peoplegravitate after how much alcohol you’ve consumed. want tojumpoutthewindow,dependingon asacheap thrillormake you will eitherserve giant, flashingTwister boardof adancefloor hotel, remains popularyear-in, year-out. Its Sky Club,onthe14thfloorof GrandePlaza Le come andgonelike somanyTashkent NGOs, women admittedfree exceptSat) bereally,dead oritmight really happening. and drawsanalternative be crowd.Itmight thatplaysgoodchilloutclub bynight music byday,Chéturnsintoacosy,loungeytaurant Ché Nightclubs lonelyplanet.com nees someweekends) 5pm&noonmati- 6pmMon-Fri, show days,performances 81; Ataturk28;admission 1500S; and Russianspeakers. such asdrama,of interest mainlytoUzbek Tashkent hasafullcultural life, someof it, Theatres &ConcertHalls Diplomat-S SMI Sky Club Check outUzbeks intheirelementattwo Alisher NavoiOpera &BalletTheatre

( % Baccara ( 132 21 51; Movarounnakhr 33; 132 2151;Movarounnakhr %

152 5753;Oybek32) ( ( % (Navoi) % 120 66 00; Uzbekistan 2;cover3000S, 120 6600;Uzbekistan 137 6358;cnrAmirTimur &Qayumova; TASHKENT ••Shopping , where you canenjoyqual- , in the central park between , inthecentralparkbetween Theplacehasanutty,slutty As otherclubshave h a More barthan box office10am-7pm Pakhtakor (Cot- Pakhtakor ) Mexican res- Alis . Reserve a . Reserve

( ( % % 133 90 300 96

classical WesterndramainUzbeklanguage. 51; Navoi 34; tickets 2000S; 51; Navoi34;tickets pop concerts. are stagedhere,Dustligi maydoni)Bigevents including around theback. mental recitals inanimpressive newedifice.Entranceis UzbekandWesternvocalinstru- Chamber concerts, Sat &Sun)ClassicalWesterndramainRussian. Ataturk 24;1000-3000S; a great place tobuythefruits of theirlabour, ers andpotters plyand teach their craft.It’s workshop where localpainters, lacquerwork- school turnedintoanartisans’ and has been to theOliyMajlis inNavoi Park, thismedressa Medressa Abulkasim Handicrafts &Art SHOPPING Drama Theatre Akademik Uzbek Milliy Conservatory Tashkent State Palace Peoples’ Friendship Theatre Musical Muqimi Academic RussianDramaTheatre art exhibitionsinitslobby. also stages occasionaljazzconcertsaswell music.Thetheatre plays entwinedwithBeatles theatre. such odditiesasShakespeare You’llsee nity, manyof whomare bigsupporters of the locals butthrillingTashkent’s expatcommu- themes andracialsubjects,puttingoff some ing trends, itsproductionsoften touch ongay ally hasEnglishsubtitles.Knownforbuck- stages productionsinRussian butoccasion- isthisprogressivehighlight theatre, which 6.30pm Tue-Sun) 2500-5500S; kor 5;tickets ashow! fice), butit’scheaper tosee tour(book atthebox of- take aself-guided in1947.For3000Syoucan the buildingitself cow. Japanese prisonerof wars constructed tion of thearchitect of tombinMos- Lenin’s ofbest artisans theday,andunderdirec- a different oneineach room–executed bythe rior harbours various regional artisticstyles– the Uzbek opera you cansee Tashkent. Shows change daily–injustaweek forallvisitorstural bargains to andahighlight Alisher Navoi, Asia’s oneof bestcul- Central (except duringthemonths JunetoAugust)at Matchmakers Uzbek folksinging,dancingandoperettas suchas 1500S; tickets Ilkhom Theatre Theatre Ilkhom Other theatres of interest: and h Swan Lake, Tashkent’s othermaincultural Bridegroom’s Contest shows 6pm)Bestbetfortraditional ( % Timur the Great (Navoi Park; h h 142 2241; www.ilkhom.com; Pakhta- 142 2241;www.ilkhom.com; h ( box office 11am-6.30pm, shows box office11am-6.30pm,shows shows 6.30pm Mon-Fri, 7pm shows 6.30pmMon-Fri,

% Carmen, ( shows 6.30pm)Uzbekand % ( 395 3655,Almazar187; % h 395 9251;Halqlar . ( 241 2991;Abai1) 9am-6pm) %

Rigoletto . Theinte- 133 8165; ( % Brothers, 144 17 Close Close and 207

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN home, but it fills up every night and outdraws night home, but itfillsupevery décor will hardlymake real Londoners feel at 12,000S) Ye OldeChelsea Arms DRINKING market ( p208 ). duce youare much better off atafarmers ( p208 ) are nowabundant butfor fresh pro- Western-style supermarkets andminimarkets Self-Catering always escapetotherooftop diningarea. done atthetimeof research. Ifnot,youcan that maychange thankstorenovations being longoncharacter,options. Itwasnever but best Indianfood–includingaplethoraof veg favourite continuestochurn outTashkent’s h prices. thehigh portions partiallyoffset andchoppedmade withrice,egg meat.Large andmaindishes suchsalads as upplatters fullof small nicer places,serving around town.Han KukKwan isoneof the Koreandemand forallthose restaurants population of ethnicKoreans iswhatdrives mains 5000-7000S; ( the evening opposite ). The latter morphs in intotheChénightclub (Mexican). Casa Shintaco (Japanese) andLa restaurants (Lebanese), –OmarKhayyam with live music.Nextdoorare three sister die for. It’sinacandle-lit,courtyardsetting, isto or Georgian wines.TheRoquefortsalad and grilledmeatsalongwithbottlesof Uzbek uplarge portionsof pizza eatery pasta, serves 8000S; and alast-minute gift-buying spree. agreatmaking Caravan placeforbothanibble from allover thecountryandisopenlate, charges. store Theattached isfilledwithcrafts and‘entertainment’ bill-inflating service Uzbek with butcomessaddled cuisineistasty, for-Hollywood Uzbek home. ItsWesternised theme restaurant istarted uplike amade- 4000S; recommended. 4000S! Reservations 12 beers goelsewhere –thecheapest here is butifyou’repriced right, planningonhaving The Uzbek–Euro fusionfoodis excellentand yurt’ with 206 Tandoori Han KukKwan Bistro Caravan lunch &dinner) AHET • rnig TASHKENT ••Drinking h h It’s grosslyoverpriced andthegaudy ( lunch &dinner) lunch &dinner) % ( ( % shisha shisha % 152 11 12; Movarounnakhr 33;mains4000- 152 1112;Movarounnakhr 255 62 96; Abdulla Qahhor 22;mainsfrom 255 6296;AbdullaQahhor h 133 53 92; Chekhova 5;mains6000-8000S; 133 5392;Chekhova Formerly Taj, thislong-time ( % lunch &dinner) pipes andchill-out tunes. This scrumptious Italian ThisscrumptiousItalian (Abdulla Qahhor 25;mains5000- (Abdulla Qahhor Tashkent’s quintessential 152 3322;Yusuf Khodjib; Khos Tashkent’s large bi-bim-bab, movies inEnglish on request. .uz; cnr Usmon Nosir & Mirobod) .uz; cnrUsmon Nosir&Mirobod) dubbed intoRussian. biggest movie theatre, filmsare although Panorama Cinemas weekdays. earlieron open until 4ambutmayclose stay can lastuntil2amorlater. Regularnightclubs de rigueur once dinner’sover. floorshows are Lengthy that morphintorollickingdanceparties Asian are nightclubs basically restaurants Central quintessential ‘dance bars’. These To get theirgroove on,Uzbeks gravitate to with theexceptionof Theatre. theIlkhom available, mostcatering toanoldercrowd Opera, theatre andballetoptionsare readily ENTERTAINMENT charge. the 20%service patio ispopulardespite and thestreet noise (6000S).Thesummer real sausages Bavarian wellwiththe particularly endearingandgoes by abusy the strainsof oompahmusicinthis up foaminglitre steins of homemadebrew to waitresses countryoutfitsserve inGerman passing twootherrestaurants ontheway. Turkeston Palace onNavoi walk50mnorth, rus of birdsongbyday.Fromthebridge near andanequallycacophoniccho-jazz bynight vented monksin1514.There’s byGerman live recipe intown. Thehouse wassupposedly of thebest–andbest-pricedhomebrew in thisbrewpub-restaurant Canal, khor hassome charge594S) entertainment 0.3/0.5L beer594/990S,evening ern pop. the beatof crisp-soundingRussian andWest- shake upadizzyingarrayof to cocktails whileinsidebartenderspatio issweet, adeptly pint of Shimkent costs1500S.Thestreetside actually get areasonably here pricedbeer –a Hollywood-themed interior beliethatyoucan The nouveau riche Uzbek crowdandhip, rabbit (12,000S). streetside ‘thronebooth’andnibbleonWelsh place inTashkent where youcanrecline ina Tashkent’s twoIrishpubs.It’s alsotheonly Occupying aprime,shady onAn- nookright Premier CinemaHall Premier Bochki Tri Studio Café Gasthaus Gasthaus

( % Baccara ( 132 21 51; Movarounnakhr 33; 132 2151;Movarounnakhr %

( ( % % 133 90 300 96

classical WesterndramainUzbeklanguage. 2000S; 51; Navoi34;tickets pop concerts. are stagedhere,Dustligi maydoni)Bigevents including around theback. mental recitals inanimpressive newedifice.Entranceis UzbekandWesternvocalinstru- Chamber concerts, Sat &Sun)ClassicalWesterndramainRussian. Ataturk 24;1000-3000S; a great place tobuythefruits of theirlabour, ers andpotters plyand teach their craft.It’s workshop where localpainters, lacquerwork- school turnedintoanartisans’ and has been to theOliyMajlis inNavoi Park, thismedressa Medressa Abulkasim Handicrafts &Art SHOPPING Drama Theatre Akademik Uzbek Milliy Conservatory Tashkent State Palace Peoples’ Friendship Theatre Musical Muqimi Academic RussianDramaTheatre art exhibitionsinitslobby. also stages occasionaljazzconcertsaswell music.Thetheatre plays entwinedwithBeatles theatre. such odditiesasShakespeare You’llsee nity, manyof whomare bigsupporters of the locals butthrillingTashkent’s expatcommu- themes andracialsubjects,puttingoff some ing trends, itsproductionsoften touch ongay ally hasEnglishsubtitles.Knownforbuck- stages productionsinRussian butoccasion- isthisprogressivehighlight theatre, which 6.30pm Tue-Sun) 2500-5500S; kor 5;tickets ashow! fice), butit’scheaper tosee tour(book atthebox of- take aself-guided in1947.For3000Syoucan the buildingitself cow. Japanese prisonerof wars constructed tion of thearchitect of tombinMos- Lenin’s ofbest artisans theday,andunderdirec- a different oneineach room–executed bythe rior harbours various regional artisticstyles– the Uzbek opera you cansee Tashkent. Shows change daily–injustaweek forallvisitorstural bargains to andahighlight Alisher Navoi, Asia’s oneof bestcul- Central (except duringthemonths JunetoAugust)at Matchmakers Uzbek folksinging,dancingandoperettas suchas 1500S; tickets Ilkhom Theatre Theatre Ilkhom Other theatres of interest: and h Swan Lake, Tashkent’s othermaincultural Bridegroom’s Contest shows 6pm)Bestbetfortraditional ( % Timur the Great (Navoi Park; h h 142 2241; www.ilkhom.com; Pakhta- 142 2241;www.ilkhom.com; h ( box office 11am-6.30pm, shows box office11am-6.30pm,shows shows 6.30pm Mon-Fri, 7pm shows 6.30pmMon-Fri,

% Carmen, ( shows 6.30pm)Uzbekand % ( 395 3655,Almazar187; % h 395 9251;Halqlar . ( 241 2991;Abai1) 9am-6pm) %

Rigoletto . Theinte- 133 8165; ( % Brothers, 144 17 Close Close and 207

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN market’. AlsoknownasYangiobod Market, Uzbek provinces, butalsodoublesasoneof studio andcaféallrolledintoone. Theprices be openbythetimeyouread this. Silk Factory inMargilon ( p220 ) andshould tours given similartothose bytheYodgorlik director DinaMalkova. Thefactorywilloffer craft of textiles inTashkent’, commercial says own generation of weavers tohelprevive the outskirts of town.‘Weare goingtobuildour making andweaving school/factory onthe latest project, dubbedHumanMade, isasilk- Unesco-supporteddesigners. HumanHouse’s shows toexhibittheworkof itshand-picked and designs.Italsostages quarterly fashion withUzbeking modernclothinginfused styles Tashkent’s mostfashionableboutiques,featur- caps, ofnot onlyhasagoodselection carpets,skull Usmon Nosir30/9; (long-necked stringinstruments)and the of wax eloquentinEnglish about thenuances ditional Uzbek musicalinstrumentsandcan Abdumalik Abduraimovich fashionsfinetra- the 2ndfloor,Andijonnative Madraimov infromtheregions.ramics brought Upon plus souvenirs such asrugs, 208 sprawls by the bazaar. watch on yourpurse orwalletinthisany metro.30 fromtheMustaqillik Keep aclose district,andreachedin theKhamza bybus to nukes’ asoneresident putit–islocated this sombre of junk–‘anythingfromnails sea Tezykovka Open-Air Bazaars (see Museum p201 ). ofseum AppliedArts( p201 ) andtheFineArts overpriced souvenir shops,includingtheMu- ( p232). ment) KukchaDarbaza15; .rakhimovceramic.org; Rishton masters are soldhere ( p221 ). The ceramicsof Usmanov Rustam andother haveitems youmight whiletravelling. missed so itmakes areasonable placetostockupon are competitive withshopsacrossthecountry, (six-stringed mandolin). ua House Human In warm weather,abig goodsbazaar andtop-end hotels haveMost museums Studio Ceramics Rakhimov Caravan As asaceramicsshop much museum AHET • etn hr wy TASHKENT There &Away ••Getting suzani dutar

(Tolarik 1; (Tolarik ( % (two-stringed guitar), and othertextiles fromvarious 255 62 96; Abdulla Qahhor 22) 255 6296;AbdullaQahhor h ( % Ippodrom 10am-7pm Mon-Sat) h 361 3838;www.humanhuman.net; Sun)

Thelocal,vast‘flea (Halqlar Dustligi prospekti; ( % suzani 149 0435;www h Thus shop A gallery, by appoint- and ce- tambur rabab

well ifyourhotelisintheAmirTimur maydoniarea. you ofChorsu,butwillserve lacksthecharacter market Turkuaz Hypermart (see above).Turkuaz Hypermart(see Uzbekistan, nearSharafRashidova) Uzbekistan, mart mart kent isonthegroundfloorof The biggest supermarket indowntownTash- Supermarkets Oloy Bazaar Mirobod Chorsu Bazaar interesting tovisit: Russian: markets orbazaars (Uzbek: Tashkent hasatleast 16open-airfarmers FARMERS MARKETS daily except Saturday),Fergana (US$30, one (US$36,1½ hours, atleast Bukhara weekly), to Andijon(one way US$31,1½hours, five terminal, 6kmsouthof thecentre. terminal, about 150mfromtheinternational leaveDomestic flights fromthedomestic Air GETTING THERE&AWAY big departmentstores ofgood selection silkbythemetre, trythe zaars, butforthebestpricesandasurprisingly They don’thave theatmosphere of theba- Silk tends toweek. tovaryfromweek selection All have imported the Western foods,though (Afrosiab 41; of Kosmonavtlar metro. is anotherbranch south onYunusRajabiy, market Ardus The bestchoice alongbusyAmirTimur is modern brand foodandtoiletriesatthelarge and money beltsandrucksacks. name clothingandtravel accessoriessuch as probably yourbestbetforWestern brand- the mothballed Hotel Chorsu. Thisisalso the westendof Navoi acrossthestreet from h of aroof. flyingsaucer glowofitsgiant,octagonal the teal-green Sobir Rahimov metro.Sobir Rahimov day. TheIppodromis2kmsouthwestfrom From Tashkent, Uzbekistan Airways flies Around Broadway,youcanget Western- Tue-Sun)

Bazaar (formerly GUM; Akhunbabaev Sq; (formerly GUM;Akhunbabaev

(Amir Timur 3;

(Azimova; (Azimova; Mir supermarket Mir rynok h . Thebiggest daybyfarisonSun- (Alaysky See See p200 . 8.30am-9pm) (Gospitalny)Afiestaoffruitbathingin ). Thefollowingare themost h h ; Amir Timur) Thisheavilypoliced 8am-10pm) 9am-8pm) (univermag) isnearOybekmetro.

(Ataturk 1; Ozbegim supermarket Ozbegim inthecentre and . is smaller;there Korzinka.uz super- Korzinka.uz dekhqon bozori, h lonelyplanet.com Turkuaz Hyper- Turkuaz 9am-8.30pm) h – 9am-9pm) TsUM TsUM , at (cnr .

US$1000. for toSeoul relocating atthetimeofresearch. Round-trip (one way/return US$423/510)fourtimesaweek. (one wayUS$256)three timesaweek. information deskinthecentre of thebook- www.uzairways.com; UsmonNosir9; Airways bekistan Outbound tickets are atthe best bought BUYING TICKETS Airlines Turkish Transaero Lufthansa Iran Air Airlines Asiana AK Kyrgyzstan Aeroflot listed belowcanstillbefoundinTashkent. if Uzbek–EU relations improve. Theairlines return airlinesmight France andKLM.These ofin early2007ontheheels exitsbyAir British Airwayspulledoutof Uzbekistan AIRLINE OFFICES whatisflyingwhere. tosee Airways office attheUzbekistanlatter, pickupatimetable andYaks.as Tupolevs If youare of leery the a mixof andRussian planessuch Boeings daily). andUrgenchweekly) (US$55,onehour,three three daily),Samarkand(US$22,onehour, five hours, twicedaily),Termiz (US$40,1½hours, hour, dailyexceptSunday),Nukus(US$51,1½ lonelyplanet.com way/return US$346/543)onMonday. return). 10am-3pmSat)DailyflightstoMoscow(US$425 Mon-Fri, Mirobod 27) Daily to Bishkek (onewayUS$140). 27)DailytoBishkek Mirobod final destinationcannotbeFrankfurt. Airwaysplanes toFrankfurt; world citiesviaUzbekistan mostmajor InterContinental, AmirTimur 107A)Services Most of theabove by routes are serviced BUS, SHARED TAXI &MARSHRUTKA TIMETABLE (cost/duration) Destination Shared (cost/duration) Bus Marshrutka taxi (cost/duration) rec/hv 500/4r 12,000S/20 – hr 35,000S/14hr Urgench/Khiva Termiz 25,000S/9½hr 6000S/4½ 9000S/3½hr Samarkand 12,000S/14 12,000S/3hr Kokand 6000S/4hr Fergana 12,000S/4hr – 7000S/5½hr 20,000S/7hr Bukhara 11,000S/8hr – Andijon 12,000S/5hr 7000S/11 8000S/7hr hr – 3500S/6hr hr hr ( ( % % ( ( % % 133 81 63; Azimova 1)FliestoTehran133 8163;Azimova (one 220 05 55 Abdulla Qodiri 1A; 220 0555AbdullaQodiri ( 139 9935;HalqlarDustligi6A)Moscow (formerly AltynAir; 137 6065;[email protected];Hotel ( % %

TASHKENT There &Away ••Getting booking office booking 40 09 01; Afrosiab 16) Office was 40 0901;Afrosiab16)Office 136 7989;Navoi11A)Îstanbul %

h ( % 152 1645; 8am-7pm) 066, 1400200; h 9am-6pm . An Uz- marshrutkas are andbuses below. an hour. Formore landtravel hints,see p268 . finding arideandshould beonyourwaywithin you don’tarrive toolate, you’llhave noproblem fewer vehicles Urgench. todistant As longas theday.Theredestinations throughout are dozens of vehicles heading toallof theabove Tajikistan andKazakhstan borders, see p266 . 1½ hours). Forinformationongetting tothe 5000S, around BuyukIpakYolimetro(perseat cheaper shared taxis. harder toget tobutyou’llberewarded with Tashkent ontheFergana Hwy.Theformeris about 10minutesand QoylokBazaar, eastof Valley: theparkinglotof thetrainstation; shared andmarshrutkas taxis totheFergana and isof totravellers. littleuse mainlyregions around Tashkentmetro, serves Dustligi) Dustigli. Tashkent’s metroonHalqlar3km beyondSobir Rahimov private busyardbehind theIppodromBazaar, vehicles toTermiz andQarshi isinthehuge mov metro. andother Themainlotforbuses 7km southwestof Navoi Park nearSobirRahi- from alotonHalqlar Dustiglikocahsi, about andUrgenchto Samarkand,Bukhara leave marshrutkasPrivate andshared buses, taxis Bus &SharedTaxi terminal. Formore tips,see p266 . fromalittleboothinsidethedomestic flights You canbuylast-minute tickets ondomestic agencies only. canbookinternational flights building.Mostprivateoffice inthesame travel speaking agent. There isamoneyexchange ing office willdirect youtowardsanEnglish- There aren’t anyschedules, butthere are For Chimganyou’llfindshared taxis Sample routes andfares forshared taxis, There are twomaindeparture pointsfor , across the street from Sobir Rahimov , acrossthestreet fromSobirRahimov public busstation

(Halqlar

209 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN market’. AlsoknownasYangiobod Market, sprawls by the bazaar. watch on yourpurse orwalletinthisany metro.30 fromtheMustaqillik Keep aclose district,andreachedin theKhamza bybus to nukes’ asoneresident putit–islocated this sombre of junk–‘anythingfromnails sea Tezykovka Open-Air Bazaars (see Museum p201 ). ofseum AppliedArts( p201 ) andtheFineArts overpriced souvenir shops,includingtheMu- ( p232). ment) KukchaDarbaza15; .rakhimovceramic.org; Rishton masters are soldhere ( p221 ). The ceramicsof Usmanov Rustam andother haveitems youmight whiletravelling. missed so itmakes areasonable placetostockupon are competitive withshopsacrossthecountry, studio andcaféallrolledintoone. Theprices be openbythetimeyouread this. Silk Factory inMargilon ( p220 ) andshould tours given similartothose bytheYodgorlik director DinaMalkova. Thefactorywilloffer craft of textiles inTashkent’, commercial says own generation of weavers tohelprevive the outskirts of town.‘Weare goingtobuildour making andweaving school/factory onthe latest project, dubbedHumanMade, isasilk- Unesco-supporteddesigners. HumanHouse’s shows toexhibittheworkof itshand-picked and designs.Italsostages quarterly fashion withUzbeking modernclothinginfused styles Tashkent’s mostfashionableboutiques,featur- Uzbek provinces, butalsodoublesasoneof caps, ofnot onlyhasagoodselection carpets,skull Usmon Nosir30/9; (long-necked stringinstruments)and the of wax eloquentinEnglish about thenuances ditional Uzbek musicalinstrumentsandcan Abdumalik Abduraimovich fashionsfinetra- the 2ndfloor,Andijonnative Madraimov infromtheregions.ramics brought Upon plus souvenirs such asrugs, 208 (six-stringed mandolin). In warm weather,abig goodsbazaar andtop-end hotels haveMost museums Studio Ceramics Rakhimov Caravan House Human As asaceramicsshop much museum AHET • etn hr wy TASHKENT There &Away ••Getting suzani dutar

(Tolarik 1; (Tolarik ( % (two-stringed guitar), and othertextiles fromvarious 255 62 96; Abdulla Qahhor 22) 255 6296;AbdullaQahhor h ( % Ippodrom 10am-7pm Mon-Sat) h 361 3838;www.humanhuman.net; Sun)

Thelocal,vast‘flea (Halqlar Dustligi prospekti; ( % suzani 149 0435;www h Thus shop A gallery, by appoint- and ce- tambur rabab

well ifyourhotelisintheAmirTimur maydoniarea. you ofChorsu,butwillserve lacksthecharacter market Turkuaz Hypermart (see above).Turkuaz Hypermart(see Uzbekistan, nearSharafRashidova) Uzbekistan, daily except Saturday),Fergana (US$30, one (US$36,1½ hours, atleast Bukhara weekly), to Andijon(one way US$31,1½hours, five terminal, 6kmsouthof thecentre. terminal, about 150mfromtheinternational leaveDomestic flights fromthedomestic Air GETTING THERE&AWAY big departmentstores ofgood selection silkbythemetre, trythe zaars, butforthebestpricesandasurprisingly They don’thave theatmosphere of theba- Silk tends toweek. tovaryfromweek selection All have imported the Western foods,though (Afrosiab 41; of Kosmonavtlar metro. is anotherbranch south onYunusRajabiy, market Ardus The bestchoice alongbusyAmirTimur is modern brand foodandtoiletriesatthelarge and money beltsandrucksacks. name clothingandtravel accessoriessuch as probably yourbestbetforWestern brand- the mothballed Hotel Chorsu. Thisisalso the westendof Navoi acrossthestreet from mart kent isonthegroundfloorof The biggest supermarket indowntownTash- Supermarkets Oloy Bazaar Mirobod Chorsu Bazaar interesting tovisit: Russian: markets orbazaars (Uzbek: Tashkent hasatleast 16open-airfarmers FARMERS MARKETS h of aroof. flyingsaucer glowofitsgiant,octagonal the teal-green Sobir Rahimov metro.Sobir Rahimov day. TheIppodromis2kmsouthwestfrom From Tashkent, Uzbekistan Airways flies Around Broadway,youcanget Western- Tue-Sun)

Bazaar (formerly GUM; Akhunbabaev Sq; (formerly GUM;Akhunbabaev

(Amir Timur 3;

US$1000. for toSeoul relocating atthetimeofresearch. Round-trip (one way/return US$423/510)fourtimesaweek. information deskinthecentre of thebook- www.uzairways.com; UsmonNosir9; Airways bekistan Outbound tickets are atthe best bought BUYING TICKETS Airlines Turkish (one wayUS$256)three timesaweek. Transaero Lufthansa Iran Air Airlines Asiana AK Kyrgyzstan Aeroflot listed belowcanstillbefoundinTashkent. if Uzbek–EU relations improve. Theairlines return airlinesmight France andKLM.These ofin early2007ontheheels exitsbyAir British Airwayspulledoutof Uzbekistan AIRLINE OFFICES whatisflyingwhere. tosee Airways office attheUzbekistanlatter, pickupatimetable andYaks.as Tupolevs If youare of leery the a mixof andRussian planessuch Boeings daily). andUrgenchweekly) (US$55,onehour,three three daily),Samarkand(US$22,onehour, five hours, twicedaily),Termiz (US$40,1½hours, hour, dailyexceptSunday),Nukus(US$51,1½ lonelyplanet.com Mirobod 27) Daily to Bishkek (onewayUS$140). 27)DailytoBishkek Mirobod way/return US$346/543)onMonday. return). 10am-3pmSat)DailyflightstoMoscow(US$425 Mon-Fri, final destinationcannotbeFrankfurt. Airwaysplanes toFrankfurt; world citiesviaUzbekistan mostmajor InterContinental, AmirTimur 107A)Services Most of theabove by routes are serviced BUS, SHARED TAXI &MARSHRUTKA TIMETABLE (cost/duration) Destination Shared (cost/duration) Bus Marshrutka taxi (cost/duration) rec/hv 500/4r 12,000S/20 – hr 35,000S/14hr Urgench/Khiva Termiz 25,000S/9½hr 6000S/4½ 9000S/3½hr Samarkand 12,000S/14 12,000S/3hr Kokand 6000S/4hr Fergana 12,000S/4hr – 7000S/5½hr 20,000S/7hr Bukhara 11,000S/8hr – Andijon 12,000S/5hr 7000S/11 8000S/7hr hr – 3500S/6hr hr hr ( ( % % ( ( % % 133 81 63; Azimova 1)FliestoTehran133 8163;Azimova (one 220 05 55 Abdulla Qodiri 1A; 220 0555AbdullaQodiri ( 139 9935;HalqlarDustligi6A)Moscow (formerly AltynAir; 137 6065;[email protected];Hotel ( % %

TASHKENT There &Away ••Getting booking office booking 40 09 01; Afrosiab 16) Office was 40 0901;Afrosiab16)Office 136 7989;Navoi11A)Îstanbul %

(Halqlar

209 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN BUYING TICKETS ‘vokzal’ and bus3(viaNukuskuchasi). Lookforthe taveli), bus60(fromAmirTimur kuchasi) chasi), tram9(viaUsman Nosir;Shota Rus- includes tram8(fromChorsu viaNavoi ku- hours, twiceweekly). hours, twicedaily),andUr nine hours,odddays),S 22 hours, Qarshi twiceweekly), (14,000S, hours, daily),Kungrad(viaNukus;20,000S, carriages:(11,000S,12½ (hard sleeper) Bukhara cities. Thefollowingpricesare for andother trainsstilltrundletothose night known asthe‘Sharq’, stopsinSamarkand. train, hours, dailyat8.10am).TheBukhara hara (2ndclass/1stclass11,000/15,000S,eight hours, five at7am)andBuk- timesperweek kand (2ndclass/1stclass6500/12,000S,four runningtobothSamar-airplane-style seating metro. train station via trainoutof Tashkent’s newlyrenovated ible waytotravel westwardfromTashkent is ifnotthemostflex- The mostcomfortable Train 210 booth totheleftasyouenter thelobby. To buy foreigners often get directed toaspecialticket face themainlobby of But thetrainstation. asyou ing aroundthebackandtoright The mainticket build- boothisinaseparate There are trainswith new‘high-speed’ Public transport serving the train station thetrainstation Public transportserving Slower butcheaper Soviet-style passenger work best –todirect your driver toyour destination. only slightlyhigher rates bydialling will demandquadruplethegoingrate ifyoudon’t agree onapriceup front). as above, butbeready topayslightlymore –theseare professionals after all(professionals who not goanywhere inalicensedcabwithoutagreeing toapricefirst.Usethesame rate guidelines could goupslightlyintheevent ofinflationorapetrol pricespike.) Bazaar). Iftheycomplain,handover another 200Sandshutthedoor. coursethese prices (Of (ieIppodrom 2km), 1000Sformidrange,1500Scross-town, and2000Stothecity’soutskirts don’t insultthemwithyouroffer, trips(lessthan theyalmostalwaysacceptit.Give 500Sforshort cars driven byaverage dudes. ‘independent’ cabs. The formerhave littleroof-mounted ‘taxi’signs. The latter are justaverage Every carisapotential taxiinTashkent, butessentiallythere are twoforms:licensedcabsand TIPS TAXI AHET • etn rud TASHKENT Around ••Getting Cab drivers tend not toknowstreet names,souselandmarks–big hotels and metro stations If youdon’tcare hagglingandjustwanttobook a damntaxi,you’llpay fornickel-and-dime Licensed cabs–especiallythosewaiting outsidebarsandhotels –are adifferent beast.Do Independent taxisgenerallyleave ituptoyoupicktheprice,which isfine. As longasyou sign. (vokzal; % 005) , nexttotheTashkent amarkand ( gench (17,000S, 20 platskartnyy 7500S, six % 062, % 144 8811or Amir Timur maydoni. runs to/fromtheHotel Chorsu viaNavoi and to/from Halqlar Dustligimaydoni.Bus11 route. upBabur follows thesame Bus77goes Intercon, a35-minute journey.Marshrutka 62 of town,andcontinuesupAmirTimur tothe arrive inthemiddleof thenight. at 10.30pmdespite thefactthatmanyflights drivers.taxi Unfortunately theystoprunning alternative tothegreedy, sometimescrooked, port. Comingfromtheairport,they’re alsoan areBuses thecheapest wayto/fromtheair- To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND the mainlobby. tion (OVIR) inanoffice towardthebackof register of &Registra- withtheOffice Visas tickets fromthe‘locals’boothyoufirst must beforehand. just make sure toagree onafirmprice there.taxi a bustothecentre andflagdownacheaper out tothemainroadhailacab,ortake destination. double theagreed fare onceyoureach your ona‘luggage fee’ equalto tack even might foreigners forthetripfromairport.They won’t acceptlessthanaboutUS$10from than 2000S,butanunofficial airportcartel the Hotel Uzbekistan shouldcostnomore The 7km,20-minute rideto/from taxi Bus 67travels upUsmon Nosirtothecentre If you do end up taking an airport taxi, anairporttaxi, If youdoenduptaking To avoid this,simplywalkthree minutes % 139 9999. lonelyplanet.com You’ll need tobuyatokenYou’ll need area train,andthestations cleanandsafe. waitmoreyou’ll never thanfive minutes for the easiestwaytoget around.Duringtheday trolleybuses andmarshrutkas iswrittentrolleybuses trip. Themetrowasdesignedasanuclear Tashkent’s Metro transport. direct youtowhere youwanttogoviapublic and AmirTimur. Yourhotel canalwayshelp the Intercon viaUsmon Nosir,Shakhrisabz is bus67,which travels fromtheairportto Hotel viaNavoi. InterContinental Another Chorsu and between Bazaar 91, which goes busisthe clearly inthewindow.Oneuseful still marked inCyrillic). Uzbek andgiven are anumber(olderbuses driver. Mostof themare marked inLatinised 200S, payableonboardtotheconductoror andtramscost160Sto trolleybuses Buses, Public Transport [email protected]. and charges reasonable rates. Emailhimat tov speaksgoodEnglish, knowsthestreets opposite formore tips).MuradTashpula- your negotiatingskills–onthestreet (see 4000S to6000Sperhour,dependingon 8000S perhourandup.You’llpaymuch less– private caranddriverfortable fromabout Any hotel ortravel agency canarrange acom- Car lonelyplanet.com Ippodrom TASHKENT METRO The destinationof trams, publicbuses, Sobir Rahimov metro Chilonzor Mirzo Ulugbek TASHKENT ••AroundTashkent Yoshlik (Komsomol)

(per trip 140S; (per trip

Choshtepa Khamza Alisher Navoi/Pakhtakor Beruniy Halqlar Dustligi

Tursonzoda Tinchlik (zhyton) h

Sergeli Chorsu

Uzbekiston 5am-midnight)

Kosmonavtlar

Tehtirom Gafur Gulom foreach Tuqimachi Ming Oriq/ Mustaqillik Maydoni Bobur

Oybek (Ploshchad Lenina) is Janubi Usmon Nosir

Tos Soviet hulks. And the Chorvoq Reservoir offers Reservoir Soviet hulks.AndtheChorvoq diet of decrepit yetstill-functioning concrete sorts andretreats to complementtheusual times, todayithashatched afew modernre- Chimgan. Amajor centre sanatoria inSoviet outdoor activitieshere, see p213 . ofits centralpeak(3309m).Foranoverview gan, areference tobothitsbiggest townand challenging. mind –are more accessibleandatleastas rafting, kayakingandheli-skiingcometo Almaty andBishkek, activities– butcertain extreme peaksaround orscenicasthehigher pursuits. here Themountains are notquite as car lies Just over anhournortheastof Tashkent by Chimgan &Around AROUND TASHKENT tion is…’). careful, thedoors are closing;thenextsta- buling, eshiklar bekat…’ yopiladi;keyingi tion attheendof theannouncement:‘ you’llhearthenameofto close, thenextsta- map. Ifyoulisten asthetraindoors are about a signpostedwell enough thatyouhardlyneed and nouncements, thesystem iseasytouse, striking design. forbidden –apitygiven theiroften times photosinsideisstrictlyshelter andtaking hkent sport opportunitiesaswellmore relaxing haven loadedwithof hikingandadventure- You don’thave tobeanX-gamer toenjoy This entire area isknownlocallyasChim- ofDespite theuse Uzbek forsignsandan- Minor

Mashinasozlar Bodomzor (Tashselmash) Habib Abdullaev Fayzulla Khujayev Abdulla Qodiri Yunusobod Turkiston Ugam-Chatkal NationalPark Ugam-Chatkal (Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii,MarkaziyHiyoboni) Amir Timur Hiyoboni/Yunus Rajabiy Khamid Olimjon

Chkalov Pushkin

Buyuk Ipak Yoli Chilonzor Line Uzbekistan Line Under Construction Yunusobod Line , anoutdoor Ekhtiyot

(‘Be (‘Be 211 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN booth totheleftasyouenter thelobby. To buy foreigners often get directed toaspecialticket face themainlobby of But thetrainstation. asyou ing aroundthebackandtoright The mainticket build- boothisinaseparate BUYING TICKETS ‘vokzal’ and bus3(viaNukuskuchasi). Lookforthe taveli), bus60(fromAmirTimur kuchasi) chasi), tram9(viaUsman Nosir;Shota Rus- includes tram8(fromChorsu viaNavoi ku- hours, twiceweekly). hours, twicedaily),andUr nine hours,odddays),S 22 hours, Qarshi twiceweekly), (14,000S, hours, daily),Kungrad(viaNukus;20,000S, carriages:(11,000S,12½ (hard sleeper) Bukhara cities. Thefollowingpricesare for andother trainsstilltrundletothose night known asthe‘Sharq’, stopsinSamarkand. train, hours, dailyat8.10am).TheBukhara hara (2ndclass/1stclass11,000/15,000S,eight hours, five at7am)andBuk- timesperweek kand (2ndclass/1stclass6500/12,000S,four runningtobothSamar-airplane-style seating metro. train station via trainoutof Tashkent’s newlyrenovated ible waytotravel westwardfromTashkent is ifnotthemostflex- The mostcomfortable Train 210 There are trainswith new‘high-speed’ Public transport serving the train station thetrainstation Public transportserving Slower butcheaper Soviet-style passenger work best –todirect your driver toyour destination. only slightlyhigher rates bydialling will demandquadruplethegoingrate ifyoudon’t agree onapriceup front). as above, butbeready topayslightlymore –theseare professionals after all(professionals who not goanywhere inalicensedcabwithoutagreeing toapricefirst.Usethesame rate guidelines could goupslightlyintheevent ofinflationorapetrol pricespike.) Bazaar). Iftheycomplain,handover another 200Sandshutthedoor. coursethese prices (Of (ieIppodrom 2km), 1000Sformidrange,1500Scross-town, and2000Stothecity’soutskirts don’t insultthemwithyouroffer, trips(lessthan theyalmostalwaysacceptit.Give 500Sforshort cars driven byaverage dudes. ‘independent’ cabs. The formerhave littleroof-mounted ‘taxi’signs. The latter are justaverage Every carisapotential taxiinTashkent, butessentiallythere are twoforms:licensedcabsand TIPS TAXI AHET • etn rud TASHKENT Around ••Getting Cab drivers tend not toknowstreet names,souselandmarks–big hotels and metro stations If youdon’tcare hagglingandjustwanttobook a damntaxi,you’llpay fornickel-and-dime Licensed cabs–especiallythosewaiting outsidebarsandhotels –are adifferent beast.Do Independent taxisgenerallyleave ituptoyoupicktheprice,which isfine. As longasyou sign. (vokzal; % 005) , nexttotheTashkent amarkand ( gench (17,000S, 20 platskartnyy 7500S, six % 062, % 144 8811or beforehand. just make sure toagree onafirmprice there.taxi a bustothecentre andflagdownacheaper out tothemainroadhailacab,ortake destination. double theagreed fare onceyoureach your ona‘luggage fee’ equalto tack even might foreigners forthetripfromairport.They won’t acceptlessthanaboutUS$10from than 2000S,butanunofficial airportcartel the Hotel Uzbekistan shouldcostnomore Amir Timur maydoni. runs to/fromtheHotel Chorsu viaNavoi and to/from Halqlar Dustligimaydoni.Bus11 route. upBabur follows thesame Bus77goes Intercon, a35-minute journey.Marshrutka 62 of town,andcontinuesupAmirTimur tothe arrive inthemiddleof thenight. at 10.30pmdespite thefactthatmanyflights drivers.taxi Unfortunately theystoprunning alternative tothegreedy, sometimescrooked, port. Comingfromtheairport,they’re alsoan areBuses thecheapest wayto/fromtheair- To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND the mainlobby. tion (OVIR) inanoffice towardthebackof register of &Registra- withtheOffice Visas tickets fromthe‘locals’boothyoufirst must If you do end up taking an airport taxi, anairporttaxi, If youdoenduptaking The 7km,20-minute rideto/from taxi Bus 67travels upUsmon Nosirtothecentre To avoid this,simplywalkthree minutes % 139 9999. lonelyplanet.com You’ll need tobuyatokenYou’ll need area train,andthestations cleanandsafe. waitmoreyou’ll never thanfive minutes for the easiestwaytoget around.Duringtheday trolleybuses andmarshrutkas iswrittentrolleybuses trip. Themetrowasdesignedasanuclear Tashkent’s Metro transport. direct youtowhere youwanttogoviapublic and AmirTimur. Yourhotel canalwayshelp the Intercon viaUsmon Nosir,Shakhrisabz is bus67,which travels fromtheairportto Hotel viaNavoi. InterContinental Another Chorsu and between Bazaar 91, which goes busisthe clearly inthewindow.Oneuseful still marked inCyrillic). Uzbek andgiven are anumber(olderbuses driver. Mostof themare marked inLatinised 200S, payableonboardtotheconductoror andtramscost160Sto trolleybuses Buses, Public Transport [email protected]. and charges reasonable rates. Emailhimat tov speaksgoodEnglish, knowsthestreets opposite formore tips).MuradTashpula- your negotiatingskills–onthestreet (see 4000S to6000Sperhour,dependingon 8000S perhourandup.You’llpaymuch less– private caranddriverfortable fromabout Any hotel ortravel agency canarrange acom- Car lonelyplanet.com Ippodrom TASHKENT METRO The destinationof trams, publicbuses, Sobir Rahimov metro Chilonzor Mirzo Ulugbek TASHKENT ••AroundTashkent Yoshlik (Komsomol)

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(‘Be (‘Be 211 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN more mellowoutdoorpursuits such asfishing, 212 simple bedrooms andcosy commonareas cabins’.The six-person‘mountain cabinshave camping’,butwe thinkhemeans ‘mountain 6-person cabinUS$100) premises. lake views.Gymandfullspafacilitieson orpaying forthebalconieswithmountain rooms areStandard pretty basicfare; you’re catchtainly youreye, forbetter orforworse. willcer- Reservoir the shore of theChorvoq chul; s/dfromUS$40/52) ping-pong andbilliards. Price includesthree square mealsperday, sists of twodark,damp,threadbare rooms. threadbare room;the relics. Thedoublesconsistof onedark,damp, one of (barely) those Soviet still-standing 20/30) Chimgan Hotel SLEEPING Oromgohi hotel. the Chorvoq at –askabout these swimming andcanoeing To Syr-Darya (300km) Samarkand River (5km); AROUND TASHKENT Arostr-Chimgan Arostr-Chimgan Oromgohi Chorvoq Well,here’s yourchance toexperience AHET • rudTskn TASHKENT ••AroundTashkent Ch irch K AZHSTN

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213

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN simple bedrooms andcosy commonareas cabins’.The six-person‘mountain cabinshave camping’,butwe thinkhemeans ‘mountain 6-person cabinUS$100) premises. lake views.Gymandfullspafacilitieson orpaying forthebalconieswithmountain rooms areStandard pretty basicfare; you’re catchtainly youreye, forbetter orforworse. willcer- Reservoir the shore of theChorvoq chul; s/dfromUS$40/52) ping-pong andbilliards. Price includesthree square mealsperday, sists of twodark,damp,threadbare rooms. threadbare room;the relics. Thedoublesconsistof onedark,damp, one of (barely) those Soviet still-standing 20/30) Chimgan Hotel SLEEPING Oromgohi hotel. the Chorvoq at –askabout these swimming andcanoeing more mellowoutdoorpursuits such asfishing, 212 (300km) Samarkand River (5km); To Syr-Darya AROUND TASHKENT Arostr-Chimgan Arostr-Chimgan Oromgohi Chorvoq Well,here’s yourchance toexperience AHET • rudTskn TASHKENT ••AroundTashkent Ch irch K AZHSTN

ik M39

Ak-Kurgan i

v Alimkent

Chirchik Bishkek (495km) R-2 Chirchik Olmalik River

Nurabad Biosphere Reserve Aksaka We were there toolate inthesea- Hojakent A Ugam-Chatkal Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com

n Arostr-Chimgan

g tasay Charvak

re Beldersoy

n R iv er

Hotel

Chimgan Hotel Ugam

River (

% R Oromgohi

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(3309m)

r (3303m)

(TI Reservoir

Chorvoq CH

A Pskem

A Burchmulla

N T River Yangiabad

Chatkal Mountains

A373 KA Riverside Resort

Ugam-Chatkal SH National Park Te Pskem Mountains rek Koksu River TAJIKISTAN

L say R AN C (3555m) iver Biosphere Reserve

The ha MO Ugam-Chatkal ( Fergana (200km) R tk %

iv Kyrgyzstan RA al Valley (50km); e

UN r (3497m) place to

Besh-Aral To Fergana NG 71-132 11 as Reserve

Nature TA

(3789m)

213

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN exists today. obsessive raw-cottonmonoculture thatstill fecundity, andSoviet rulers enslaved ittoan The Russianswere quicktorealise thevalley’s on farming,withsome70townsandvillages. foundaprosperouskingdombased Chinese theGreeks, Persiansthe 2ndcenturyBC and Asia.soil andclimate inCentral Already by Valley isonebigoasis,withsomeof thefinest Drained bytheupperSyr-Darya, theFergana most populousanditsindustrialregion. of smog,producedbywhatisbothUzbekistan’s peaksare spectacular shroudedinalayer these them, thatis.Morewhen youcansee often – backatenormousdistances tostand seem to thenorthandPamir Alaytothesouth) rangesthe surroundingmountain (Tian Shan ley?’ Fromthisbroad(22,000sqkm),flatbowl, in theFergana Valley is,‘Where’s theval- rival The first manyvisitors thought have onar- ФЕРГАНСКАЯ VALLEY FERGANA 214 Tashkent (130km) To Angren(35km); & Khojand Reservoir To Kairakum FERGANA VALLEY TAJIKISTAN It’s also the country’s fruit and cotton basket. It’s alsothecountry’sfruitandcottonbasket. Kamchik Konibodom EGN ALY • agr noacs FERGANA VALLEY ••Dangers&Annoyances (2267m) Beshariq Pass 4062m (TAJIKISTAN) Isfara A373 A376 Vorukh Batken Bypass Tunnel Kokand

Northern K YRGZSTAN N AMGPROVICE Pop

Chust I Limbur Rishton ДОЛИНА A

(FERGANA PROVINCE) Fergana Sokh P ROVINCE Syr - Darya

F ERGAN N

3375m Great S

Sokh H Canal A373

Toraqorgon A

Fer Namangan Kosonsoy Khamza gh Fergana ana Zarkent Dostyk/Dustlyk Margilon Qadamjoy R (FERGANA PROVINCE)

Canal Shahrikhon most of which lieinKyrgyzstan. bazaars andtheproximity of themountains, are kaleidoscopic exceptionalcrafts,several and friendlyinthecountry.Otherattractions valley’s peopleremain themosthospitable ists aslongtheykeep alowprofile. The something that’slikely mosttour- toaffect the policepresence inthevalley,butit’snot of theAndijonMassacre in2005( p191 ). tremists cameto aheadintheform eventually Karimov’s crackdownonalleged brutal ex- Asia.Islamic extremism inCentral President Inthe1990svalleygaveBolsheviks. birthto andlaternumerous revolts againstthetsar the gious influence. Fergana wasatthecentre of of Uzbekistan’s political,economicandreli- the province hasalwayswieldedalarge share its townsare architecturally uninspiring.But the smallertowns.Despite this,onthewhole Uzbekoughly –90%overall in andhigher misunderstanding in the valley. Except per-misunderstanding inthevalley.Except ofStandards dress are apotential sourceof Dangers &Annoyances Shakhimardan A R112 Uchqorgon Shakhimardan N The post-Andijon crackdownhasincreased Naryn millionpeopleareThe valley’seight thor-

G Tashkömür River

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A Lake Kyzyl-Kiya

M M41 Darya

I Asaka R Andijon Kochkor-Ata 5051m 30miles 50km 0 0 Khojaobod

A P ROVINCE A NDIJ

L To Toktogul Reservoir A

Y A373 lonelyplanet.com M41

R Osh

A Kara-Suu

N Jalal-Abad

G Khanabad Özgön

E To mosques. Butifyouwalkthestreets today, with atleast35medressas andhundreds of asareligiousBukhara Asia, centre inCentral onlyto days–second true ‘hotbed’inthose in the18thand19thcenturiesvalley’s in oroutof theregion. visitbefore heading for aworthwhilehalf-day medressas andmosques,itmakesand several lers. Withanarchitecturally interesting palace the region and stoppingpointformanytravel- road fromTashkent, Kokandisagateway to As thevalley’sfirst significanttownonthe % KOKAND shared ormarshrutka, taxi andrarely by bus. included inthischapter. more troublethantheyare worth,are not trains,which are onthese Details generally andadouble-entryUzbektransit visa visa. Tajikistan. withoutaTajik Do notboardthese Tashkent and theFergana Valley gothrough land andairtransportto/fromTashkent. on individual cityentriesforspecificdetails the looking DaewooDamasmarshrutkas. See gotiated byshared towobbly asopposed taxi which themountains, isbestne- road through tered are buses allowed onthescenic,winding Tashkent and theFergana Valley –onlychar- between There isnopublicbusservice Getting There&Around and beagreeable whenbeingquestioned. justkeep yourpassportatthereadyenough, blocks are common.Thepoliceare friendly other partsof thecountryandpoliceroad such asAndijon,especiallyatnight. whenwalkingaloneincitiesbeing harassed clothes). Womentravellers have reported so dress modestly(ienoshorts ortight-fitting too much touristfleshwillbe frownedupon, haps inthecentre of RussifiedFergana town, lonelyplanet.com hiz Khan wouldhavehiz Khan admired theresponse Chokayev.Turkestan’ ledbyMustafa Jeng- Provincial Government of Autonomous declared arivaladministration,the ‘Muslim methereary promises inJanuary 1918and nues, bearinglittleresemblance toBukhara. town, itsoldcentre hedged bycolonialave- you willfindonlyapolite, subduedUzbek This was the capital ofThis wasthecapital theKokandkhanate Travel withinthe valley isalmostalwaysby inthevalleycompared istight with Security Nationalists fed upwithemptyrevolution- The few slowtrainsthatlumberbetween (3) 73/pop200,000 КОКАНД FERGANAVALLEY ••Kokand Valley sights. andotherFergana guidedtoursofallKokand speaking cash on MasterCard. cash onMasterCard. Sat &Sun) Istiqlol &Istanbul; Tue &9am-noonSat) chosen aswife –Islamallows chosen for thenight 43concubines wouldwaittobe Khudoyar’s up bythenow-demolished harem, where Mecca). fromapilgrimage to Afghanistan through (he waslater killedby banditsashereturned Russians atOrenburg exile andacomfortable hefled from hisownsubjects.Indeed job. He fled–notfromtheRussiansbut Khan’s tifications andabolishedKhudoyar fore troopsarrived, thetsar’s blewupitsfor- 5pm) .uz; Istiqlol2;admission1200S,guidedtour3000S; The KHAN’S PALACE Sights Uzbektourism office Post &telephone OVIR Club Internet 11pm) Alsooffers phonecallsabroadfor1000Sperminute. Centre Internet Bank Asaka Information make forgoodwandering. Akbar Khamza, between Islamov andFurquat mosque-sprinkled old-townlanessqueezed Park andAbdulla maydoni.The Nabiev Muqimi Istiqlol runningeast–westbetween interest are onorjustoffthe1kmstretch of qimi Park. Mostrestaurants andshops of PalaceThe Khan’s inthecentralMu- stands Orientation medressas. backtolifebrought asworkingmosquesand ments’. Ahandfulof wonders have these been decay, ormummifiedas‘architectural monu- Kokand’s formerstature waseitherleftto slaughtered. of Whatlittlephysicalevidence ordestroyedand14,000Kokandis desecrated the townsacked, mostof itsholybuildings by theTashkent Soviet, whoimmediately had was completed in1873–justthree years be- midnight) Khamza 83; Khamza Roughly half of tobetakenRoughly thepalace used , with seven courtyardsand114rooms,, withseven Khan’s Palace Khan’s ( % 553 6878;cnrTurkiston &Istiqlol; h (Istoqol) Exchangesmoneyandadvances (Navoi 1;permegabyte200S, ( 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) Offers English- 9am-6pm Mon-Sat)Offers % h (Istanbul 8;perhr900S;

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9am- 215 the UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN exists today. obsessive raw-cottonmonoculture thatstill fecundity, andSoviet rulers enslaved ittoan The Russianswere quicktorealise thevalley’s on farming,withsome70townsandvillages. foundaprosperouskingdombased Chinese theGreeks, Persiansthe 2ndcenturyBC and Asia.soil andclimate inCentral Already by Valley isonebigoasis,withsomeof thefinest Drained bytheupperSyr-Darya, theFergana most populousanditsindustrialregion. of smog,producedbywhatisbothUzbekistan’s peaksare spectacular shroudedinalayer these them, thatis.Morewhen youcansee often – backatenormousdistances tostand seem to thenorthandPamir Alaytothesouth) rangesthe surroundingmountain (Tian Shan ley?’ Fromthisbroad(22,000sqkm),flatbowl, in theFergana Valley is,‘Where’s theval- rival The first manyvisitors thought have onar- ФЕРГАНСКАЯ VALLEY FERGANA 214 Tashkent (130km) To Angren(35km); & Khojand Reservoir To Kairakum FERGANA VALLEY TAJIKISTAN It’s also the country’s fruit and cotton basket. It’s alsothecountry’sfruitandcottonbasket. Kamchik Konibodom EGN ALY • agr noacs FERGANA VALLEY ••Dangers&Annoyances (2267m) Beshariq Pass 4062m (TAJIKISTAN) Isfara A373 A376 Vorukh Batken Bypass Tunnel Kokand

Northern K YRGZSTAN N AMGPROVICE Pop

Chust I Limbur Rishton ДОЛИНА A

(FERGANA PROVINCE) Fergana Sokh P ROVINCE Syr - Darya

F ERGAN N

3375m Great S

Sokh H Canal A373

Toraqorgon A

Fer Namangan Kosonsoy Khamza gh Fergana ana Zarkent Dostyk/Dustlyk Margilon Qadamjoy R (FERGANA PROVINCE)

Canal Shahrikhon misunderstanding in the valley. Except per-misunderstanding inthevalley.Except ofStandards dress are apotential sourceof Dangers &Annoyances most of which lieinKyrgyzstan. bazaars andtheproximity of themountains, are kaleidoscopic exceptionalcrafts,several and friendlyinthecountry.Otherattractions valley’s peopleremain themosthospitable ists aslongtheykeep alowprofile. The something that’slikely mosttour- toaffect the policepresence inthevalley,butit’snot of theAndijonMassacre in2005( p191 ). tremists cameto aheadintheform eventually Karimov’s crackdownonalleged brutal ex- Asia.Islamic extremism inCentral President Inthe1990svalleygaveBolsheviks. birthto andlaternumerous revolts againstthetsar the gious influence. Fergana wasatthecentre of of Uzbekistan’s political,economicandreli- the province hasalwayswieldedalarge share its townsare architecturally uninspiring.But the smallertowns.Despite this,onthewhole Uzbekoughly –90%overall in andhigher Shakhimardan A R112 Uchqorgon Shakhimardan N The post-Andijon crackdownhasincreased Naryn millionpeopleareThe valley’seight thor-

G Tashkömür River

P Kara Kara Quva

A Lake Kyzyl-Kiya

M M41 Darya

I Asaka R Andijon Kochkor-Ata 5051m 30miles 50km 0 0 Khojaobod

A P ROVINCE A NDIJ

L To Toktogul Reservoir A

Y A373 lonelyplanet.com M41

R Osh

A Kara-Suu

N Jalal-Abad

G Khanabad Özgön

E To mosques. Butifyouwalkthestreets today, with atleast35medressas andhundreds of asareligiousBukhara Asia, centre inCentral onlyto days–second true ‘hotbed’inthose in the18thand19thcenturiesvalley’s in oroutof theregion. visitbefore heading for aworthwhilehalf-day medressas andmosques,itmakesand several lers. Withanarchitecturally interesting palace the region and stoppingpointformanytravel- road fromTashkent, Kokandisagateway to As thevalley’sfirst significanttownonthe % KOKAND shared ormarshrutka, taxi andrarely by bus. included inthischapter. more troublethantheyare worth,are not trains,which are onthese Details generally andadouble-entryUzbektransit visa visa. Tajikistan. withoutaTajik Do notboardthese Tashkent and theFergana Valley gothrough land andairtransportto/fromTashkent. on individual cityentriesforspecificdetails the looking DaewooDamasmarshrutkas. See gotiated byshared towobbly asopposed taxi which themountains, isbestne- road through tered are buses allowed onthescenic,winding Tashkent and theFergana Valley –onlychar- between There isnopublicbusservice Getting There&Around and beagreeable whenbeingquestioned. justkeep yourpassportatthereadyenough, blocks are common.Thepoliceare friendly other partsof thecountryandpoliceroad such asAndijon,especiallyatnight. whenwalkingaloneincitiesbeing harassed clothes). Womentravellers have reported so dress modestly(ienoshorts ortight-fitting too much touristfleshwillbe frownedupon, haps inthecentre of RussifiedFergana town, lonelyplanet.com hiz Khan wouldhavehiz Khan admired theresponse Chokayev.Turkestan’ ledbyMustafa Jeng- Provincial Government of Autonomous declared arivaladministration,the ‘Muslim methereary promises inJanuary 1918and nues, bearinglittleresemblance toBukhara. town, itsoldcentre hedged bycolonialave- you willfindonlyapolite, subduedUzbek This was the capital ofThis wasthecapital theKokandkhanate Travel withinthe valley isalmostalwaysby inthevalleycompared istight with Security Nationalists fed upwithemptyrevolution- The few slowtrainsthatlumberbetween (3) 73/pop200,000 КОКАНД FERGANAVALLEY ••Kokand Valley sights. andotherFergana guidedtoursofallKokand speaking Tue &9am-noonSat) cash on MasterCard. cash onMasterCard. Sat &Sun) Istiqlol &Istanbul; chosen aswife –Islamallows chosen for thenight 43concubines wouldwaittobe Khudoyar’s up bythenow-demolished harem, where Mecca). fromapilgrimage to Afghanistan through (he waslater killedby banditsashereturned Russians atOrenburg exile andacomfortable hefled from hisownsubjects.Indeed job. He fled–notfromtheRussiansbut Khan’s tifications andabolishedKhudoyar fore troopsarrived, thetsar’s blewupitsfor- 5pm) .uz; Istiqlol2;admission1200S,guidedtour3000S; The KHAN’S PALACE Sights Uzbektourism office Post &telephone OVIR Club Internet 11pm) Alsooffers phonecallsabroadfor1000Sperminute. Centre Internet Bank Asaka Information make forgoodwandering. Akbar Khamza, between Islamov andFurquat mosque-sprinkled old-townlanessqueezed Park andAbdulla maydoni.The Nabiev Muqimi Istiqlol runningeast–westbetween interest are onorjustoffthe1kmstretch of qimi Park. Mostrestaurants andshops of PalaceThe Khan’s inthecentralMu- stands Orientation medressas. backtolifebrought asworkingmosquesand ments’. Ahandfulof wonders have these been decay, ormummifiedas‘architectural monu- Kokand’s formerstature waseitherleftto slaughtered. of Whatlittlephysicalevidence ordestroyedand14,000Kokandis desecrated the townsacked, mostof itsholybuildings by theTashkent Soviet, whoimmediately had was completed in1873–justthree years be- midnight) Khamza 83; Khamza Roughly half of tobetakenRoughly thepalace used , with seven courtyardsand114rooms,, withseven Khan’s Palace Khan’s ( % 553 6878;cnrTurkiston &Istiqlol; h (Istoqol) Exchangesmoneyandadvances (Navoi 1;permegabyte200S, ( 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) Offers English- 9am-6pm Mon-Sat)Offers % h (Istanbul 8;perhr900S;

9am- 215 the UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN only fourwives kept sothekhan amullah 216 rently hasabout 20students. Towinwartime Medressa butit’snowopen againandcur- the1799Narbutabey closed The Bolsheviks NARBUTABEY MEDRESSA source of information ontheregion. English-speaking director, whoisalso agood palace in1871. of armyinfrontof thekhan’s theunfinished you’llfindfascinatingphotos tory museum, in itsheyday.Intheguestroom,now ahis- the entrancefeatures amodelof thepalace bedroom, whilethethroneroomnear khan’s munist trinkets. There’s inthe anartmuseum where youcanbuyoldcoinsandothercom- andSoviet-stylefolk museum souvenir shop the harem a inearlyadolescence,nowhouses sonswhentheymovedby thekhan’s outof of interest. Theprinces’courtyard,occupied withdisplaysofies Museum, varyingdegrees collectively theKokandRegional Stud- house uptolastjustonenight). marriage set at handforaquickmarriage ceremony (the 1 3 2 KOKAND Guided tours are given bythemuseum’s Six courtyardsremain andtheir27rooms

Bazaar Juma Mosque...... Dakhma-i-Shokhon...... Uzbektourism...... Post &TelephoneOffice...... (see12) OVIR...... Internet Club...... Internet Centre...... Asaka Bank...... Bukhori Ismoil Imom SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION EGN ALY • oad FERGANA VALLEY ••Kokand 17 Ὀ 15 AC 12

Kinoteatr Khamza Istanbul Abdulla Nabiev 14 maydoni 11

Istiqlol Khujand 16 ὈὈὈ 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C2 D1 C2 C1 D2 A1 B1 1 Vadyayev House(Mayor'sOffice).. Sahib MianHazratMedressa...... Potelyakhov House...... Pakhta Bank...... Narbutabey Medressa&Mosque... Modari KhanMausoleum...... Khan's Palace...... Kamal-Kazi Medressa...... (see5) B

To Tashkent(247km) Amir Timur (40 Let Uzbekistan) Let (40 Timur Amir To TrainStation(1km); 8

Istiqlol Khimik (1.2km)

Gorky Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ Muqimi Park

she was adopted bytheSoviets asamodel law. Originally buriedbehind ModariKhan, along withherchildren andherbrothers-in- she refused, Nasrullahhadherbeheaded, and demandedthat shemarryhim.When namedNodira,independent-minded poetess to haveis said kidnappedUmar’swife, an Quranic verses and/orUmar’spoetry. with carved with anelegantwoodenportal of theUmar andotherfamilymembers,Khan Dakhma-i-Shokhon mother.for thekhan’s Totheleftis1830s restored sky-blue isthebright cupolaofright, theun- Umar.other khan, Insidethegraveyard, tothe prominent mausoleumsassociated withan- courtyard orfromthestreet, hasseveral Both menandwomenare welcome. premises andtheneighbouring graveyard. more thanhappytogive youafree tourof the by aneager mobof youngstudents,whoare inside thiscomplexyouwillbesurrounded adjacent had the support fromMuslimsubjects,Stalin Turkiston Office Police theemirofNasrullah Khan, Bukhara, The 14 13 12 11 10 of Uzbekistan National Bank 9 8 graveyard Kokandsay A1 C2 A1 A1 D1 D1 B1 Modari Khan Mausoleum Khan Modari mosque

Muqimi 5 Ὀ ὈὈὈ 13 Bus Station...... Jayhun Chaikhana...... Istanbul...... Hotel Kokand...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING Khamza Musical

Khamza Theatre Hojibek Mosque Drama , accessiblefromthemedressa & Medressa reopened. Whenyoustep (Grave of Kings),thetomb

Zimbardor Umarkhon Mosque Amir Town 7 Old 0.3miles 500m 0 0

Akbar Islamov 3 ὇὇὇ ὇὇὇ ὇὇὇

18 Furqat lonelyplanet.com 10 To YaangiBazaar(1km); 9 , builtin1825 Bazaar Main 18 17 16 15 D Margilan (90km); Fergana (103km) D2 A1 B1 A1 Rishton (34km); 6

Navoi columns brought fromIndia.columns brought Ten more col- ers, wantto avoid ontheotherhand,might ter off continuingontoFergana. Backpack- in 2007.Untilthathappens,youmay bebet- east of townnear Yaangi sometime Bazaar A fancynewhotel wasscheduled toopen Sleeping &Eating a free tourinRussian. ceramics fromtheregion. Admission includes one roomhousingacollectionof museum plex hasreverted toitsformerSoviet asa guise umns are Theentire inthemosqueitself. com- (arched portico) minaret andincludesahuge, colourful the early19thcentury,iscentred ona22m Kokand’s mostimpressive mosque,builtin MOSQUE JUMA Arabic calligraphybyMuqimihimself. afewcontains of hispersonal belongings,plus (admission 500S) last 33years of hislife. There isasmall Muqimi (1850–1903)lived andstudiedforthe Uzbek and‘democrat’Mohammedamin poet Sahib MianHazrat Medressa, where thegreat cated remnants of thelarge 19th-century walk five minutes downMuqimitothetrun- From theUzbektourism office onKhamza, SAHIB MIANHAZRAT MEDRESSA (1911; nowthemayor’soffice). post andtelegraph office)and Bank (nowthe Bank German-Turkestan They includetheformerheadquarters of the with sculptured façadesandcoppercupolas. ‘mixed style’,in turn-of-the-20th-century sturdy brickbuildings,builtbytheRussians isaknotofa prominentKokandBolshevik) Around Abdulla maydoni(namedfor Nabiev RUSSIAN BUILDINGS Dakhma-i-Shokhon. place beneathawhite Uzbek womanandmoved toaprominent Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com bad assome hotels of this ilk. are OKand atleasttherooms don’treek as Wewouldn’t callitclean,butthebeds staff. has electricity,running water andafriendly s/d 4000/8000S) Hotel Kokand. basement more expensive Fergana and roost atbargain- Hotel Kokand Hotel ), Potelyakhov House Potelyakhov (Khamza 5;admission1200S; (Khamza Thiscentral,Soviet-style hotel inMuqimi’soldroom,which

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supported by98red-wood 533 64 03; Imom Ismoil Bukhori 1; 533 6403;ImomIsmoilBukhori (1907;nowthemain stone tablet h Vadyayev House Vadyayev 9am-5pm) FERGANAVALLEY ••Fergana suzani , beyond museum Pakhta Pakhta aivan ,

with and

tion of Russianand Korean citizens. withitsrelativelycosmopolitan propor- high placetohangout,andsomewhat nice enough and thenassumed Fergana inthe1920s.It’sa named after thecity’sfirst governor, military Margilon. ItwasbrieflyknownasSkobelov, (New Margilon), acolonialannexe tonearby Uzbek city.Itbeganin1877asNovy Margelan from which toexplore therest of thevalley. location, andyouhave the mostobvious base accommodation intheregion, plusacentral Tashkent. and Throwinthebestservices ist buildingsgive Fergana thefeel of amini- Tree-lined avenues andpastel-plastered tsar- % FERGANA north fromthebazaartoJuma the Hotel Kokandarea, ornumber15,2840 marshrutka 2or4fromthemainbazaarto train station (1200S, five hours, 5amand2pm)fromthe to Tashkent (12,000S,three hours). three hours). There are plentyof shared taxis 45 minutes toFergana andAndijon(1300S, leavein thevalley.Cheaper,slowerbuses every gana (1200/4000S,1½hours) andotherpoints perpersontaxi 800/3000S,45minutes), Fer- thedaytoRishton (marshrutka/throughout kas andshared leave taxis 15minutes every tion bythemainbazaaronFurqat.Marshrut- All transportoptionsleave fromthebussta- Getting There&Around near thehotel. orasmallone main bazaarbythebusstation, hours it’sthebestoptionintown. the smallbazaarnearby,butduringdaylight Hotel earlyalongwith Kokandtends toclose lyk 500S) Kokand. attheHotel staying forthose is agodsend after breakfast about 7pm.Itssausage-and-egg fast-food eatery istheonlyoptionintown rooms andamuch worse location. cleanerrooms,muchslightly cleanerbath- a virtualcloneof Hotel Kokand,onlywith Located thishotel nearthetrainstation, is Fergana isthevalley’sleastancientand Useful publictransportoptionsinclude There are twodailytrainstoAndijon Jayhun Chaikhana Istanbul Khimik Vegetarians cangotothe andself-caterers (3) 73/pop216,000 Thispopularchaikhana nexttothe ( % (Istiqlol 16; (Amir Timur 40) ФЕРГАНА 553 46 86; Akhmad Yesavi;553 4686;Akhmad s/d8000/10,000) h (Imom Ismoil Bukhori; shash- (Imom IsmoilBukhori; . 6am-10pm) This quasi-

Mosque.

217 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN rently hasabout 20students. Towinwartime Medressa butit’snowopen againandcur- the1799Narbutabey closed The Bolsheviks NARBUTABEY MEDRESSA source of information ontheregion. English-speaking director, whoisalso agood palace in1871. of armyinfrontof thekhan’s theunfinished you’llfindfascinatingphotos tory museum, in itsheyday.Intheguestroom,now ahis- the entrancefeatures amodelof thepalace bedroom, whilethethroneroomnear khan’s munist trinkets. There’s inthe anartmuseum where youcanbuyoldcoinsandothercom- andSoviet-stylefolk museum souvenir shop the harem a inearlyadolescence,nowhouses sonswhentheymovedby thekhan’s outof of interest. Theprinces’courtyard,occupied withdisplaysofies Museum, varyingdegrees collectively theKokandRegional Stud- house uptolastjustonenight). marriage set at handforaquickmarriage ceremony (the only fourwives kept sothekhan amullah 216 1 3 2 KOKAND Guided tours are given bythemuseum’s Six courtyardsremain andtheir27rooms

Kinoteatr Khamza Istanbul Abdulla Nabiev 14 maydoni 11

To Tashkent(247km) Amir Timur (40 Let Uzbekistan) Let (40 Timur Amir To TrainStation(1km); 8

Istiqlol Khimik (1.2km)

Gorky Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ Muqimi Park

Muqimi 5 Ὀ ὈὈὈ 13 Bus Station...... Jayhun Chaikhana...... Istanbul...... Hotel Kokand...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING Khamza Musical

Khamza Theatre Hojibek Mosque Drama , accessiblefromthemedressa & Medressa reopened. Whenyoustep (Grave of Kings),thetomb

Zimbardor Umarkhon Mosque Amir Town 7 Old 0.3miles 500m 0 0

Akbar Islamov 3 ὇὇὇ ὇὇὇ ὇὇὇

18 Furqat lonelyplanet.com 10 To YaangiBazaar(1km); 9 , builtin1825 Bazaar Main 18 17 16 15 D Margilan (90km); Fergana (103km) D2 A1 B1 A1 Rishton (34km); 6

Navoi ers, wantto avoid ontheotherhand,might ter off continuingontoFergana. Backpack- in 2007.Untilthathappens,youmay bebet- east of townnear Yaangi sometime Bazaar A fancynewhotel wasscheduled toopen Sleeping &Eating a free tourinRussian. ceramics fromtheregion. Admission includes one roomhousingacollectionof museum plex hasreverted toitsformerSoviet asa guise umns are Theentire inthemosqueitself. com- fromIndia.columns brought Ten more col- (arched portico) minaret andincludesahuge, colourful the early19thcentury,iscentred ona22m Kokand’s mostimpressive mosque,builtin MOSQUE JUMA Arabic calligraphybyMuqimihimself. afewcontains of hispersonal belongings,plus (admission 500S) last 33years of hislife. There isasmall Muqimi (1850–1903)lived andstudiedforthe Uzbek and‘democrat’Mohammedamin poet Sahib MianHazrat Medressa, where thegreat cated remnants of thelarge 19th-century walk five minutes downMuqimitothetrun- From theUzbektourism office onKhamza, SAHIB MIANHAZRAT MEDRESSA (1911; nowthemayor’soffice). post andtelegraph office)and Bank (nowthe Bank German-Turkestan They includetheformerheadquarters of the with sculptured façadesandcoppercupolas. ‘mixed style’,in turn-of-the-20th-century sturdy brickbuildings,builtbytheRussians isaknotofa prominentKokandBolshevik) Around Abdulla maydoni(namedfor Nabiev RUSSIAN BUILDINGS Dakhma-i-Shokhon. place beneathawhite Uzbek womanandmoved toaprominent Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com bad assome hotels of this ilk. are OKand atleasttherooms don’treek as Wewouldn’t callitclean,butthebeds staff. has electricity,running water andafriendly s/d 4000/8000S) Hotel Kokand. basement more expensive Fergana and roost atbargain- Hotel Kokand Hotel ), Potelyakhov House Potelyakhov (Khamza 5;admission1200S; (Khamza Thiscentral,Soviet-style hotel inMuqimi’soldroom,which

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Mosque.

217 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN on your MasterCard here. on yourMasterCard Valentina’s Guesthouse. 150S; Simus Post office OVIR National BankofUzbekistan Café Infinity Internet Bank Asaka exchange. The Asia Hotel hasa24-hourcurrency Information of town. and thebazaar. Theairportis6kmsouth ofing distance centralAl-Farghoni Park is aroundtheHotel Ziyorat,withinwalk - ministration buildings.Thecentre of thecity visitors) behindthecityandprovincial ad- to within anarmycompound(off-limits fort,10mofthe oldtsarist mud-brick wall The streets radiate outfromwhat’sleftof Orientation 218 café nearthetaxistand. (commission 4%).Alsochangestravellerscheques. Cash-advance officeforVisacardholdersisonthe3rdfloor 1 3 2 FERGANA h (Ahunbabayev 35) (Ahunbabayev EGN ALY • egn FERGANA VALLEY ••Fergana (Marifat 45;perhr800S; (Marifat Infinity InternetCafé...... Hollywood NightClub...... Bravo ...... New FerganaBusStation...... Marshrutka toShakhimardan...... Chimyan Chaikhana...... Regional MuseumofFergana...... Uzbektourism...... (see 7) Simus...... Post Office...... National BankofUzbekistan...... TRANSPORT DRINKING EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Marshrutka toSvytozhnyBazaar...... Café Döner...... Valentina’s Guesthouse...... Hotel Ziyorat...... Asia Hotel...... Old FerganaBusStation...... 9am-10pm) ConvenientforHotelAsiaand (Mustaqillik 35; (Mustaqillik (cnr Navoi&Kuvasoy)Youcangetcashout AC (Navoi 18-23;permegabyte h h 8am-6pm) (Al-Farghoni 35) 8am-8pm) Internet To Shakhimardan 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9 D1 C1 C2 D1 C2 D1 C2 D3 D3 D2 D3 C1 C2 B3 C2 D3 (59km) University B Fergana

Stadium Bobur Kokand (103km) (2.5km); Margilon(18km); To OVIR(200m);Yermazar Fergana Hotel Amusement

Khojand U sm Park 3 an Kh oja Mustaqilli yev of pre-Soviet life. sively hairyCro-Magnons, andafew photos include aStoneAge dioramawithsomeexces- Buddhist andshamanist sites. Otherdisplays grows andsomeitems onthevalley’sancient satellite photosshowingwhere allthatcotton Sun, 9am-1pmMon) 26;admission1000S; Usman Khojayev totheflowofsiderable obstacle traffic. blocksnorthofseveral thecentre, posingacon- homemadespecialities.Itsprawlsoverselling leavened withKorean andRussian vendors zaar Fergana’s mostappealingattractionisthe Sights Uzbektourism the standard ofthe standard barely renovated Soviet hotels, Ziyorat Hotel Sleeping Valley. If it’sclosedtrythehotelconcierge. seeingintheFergana tours tojustaboutanythingworth staffer NargizaspeaksEnglishandcanarrangemultilingual day US$20plustransport;

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n By ba- where isFergana’s liberalbentmore evident Café Döner Café Eating &Drinking about theUS$3poolfee. here are Beds rockhard.Complainvigorously like anewindoorpoolandbusinesscentre. ously addingswanked-out roomsand facilities ing competitionfromthelikes of 777,it’sfuri- travel agency caters mainlytotourgroups.Fac- hotel associated withüberpowerfulMarco Polo .uz; Navoi26;s/d/luxUS$22/28/40; Uzbekistan. to comeClubMed indouble-land-locked festive asyou’re poolsidebar,it’sasclose liable Fergana Valley. Withafew bungalowsanda about themostattractive hotel groundsinthe cheerfully showedustasteful roomsscattered ist didn’thave ananswertothatone,butshe the phonenumberorname?Thereception- chicken-and-egg conundrum:Whatcamefirst, 7A; s/dUS$25/40; dacha inGoldenValley’sate hard.Youcanalsostay from travellers. forapick-upandnegoti- Call This one’sabitoutof theway,butgets props 10;rperpersonUS$15; [email protected]; Shakirovoy Russian. take theleft-handentrance. Valentina speaks a huge antenna, sticksoutlike asore thumb; sized beds.Theapartmentblock,toppedby out withDVDplayers, minibars andking- deluxe withfourbigroomskitted homestay, Qosimov, Al-Farghoni andQomusisthis Hidden inanuglyapartmentblockbetween rperpersonUS$15; 4072; [email protected]; prices are abithigh. bars are non-negotiable whythesupposedly andmini- out of glaringflaws).Satellite TV torun wallpaper,itstarts flooring andpeeling ’em (ieonceyouget pastthefilthy,1960s-era uptherethis oneranksright withthebestof Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com with the strains of live jazz. There’s nomenu, with the products of localartistsand awash interior, shabby-chic tothecore, isplastered than inthisbohemian littlecafé.Thecosy doner burgers. identical menusof kebabs, pizzasandmushy ithasvirtually next door,don’tdespair: fuse this fast-foodfuse eatery withDönerKebab Asia Hotel Asia 777 ClubHotel Valentina’s Guesthouse o Golden Valley Homestay (holiday bungalow)outsidethecity. (Marifat 45;mains1000-1500S) (Marifat Bravo

( % as ( % (Khojand 12; meals2000-3000S) (Khojand 224 5221;http://asiahotels.marcopolo 224 37 77; www.hotel777.uz; Pushkin 224 3777;www.hotel777.uz;Pushkin ) Ahotel withabuilt-in

( ( % % as 224 8905,8-590272 223 2100,5621349; ) This smart Thissmart FERGANAVALLEY ••Fergana If youcon- ai No- a ) ) town. Going totheairport youcanflagdown stop across fromHalq inthecentre Bank of 6 orbus21to/from theSvytozhny Bazaar The airportisa25-minute trip onmarshrutka Getting Around bazaar. onthewesterngana busstation edge of the 800/3000S,45minutes), thenewFer- use seat gan (1500/5000S,1¾hours). 1200/4000S,1½hours) andNaman- per seat and marshrutkas toKokand(marshrutka/taxi Tashkent (13,000S, fourhours) andshared taxis to Margilon. Here you’llfindshared to taxis tion, 3kmnorthwestof thecentre ontheroad istheYermazartraffic bussta- long-distance (see khimardan p221 ). 200/500S,20minutes) andSha- perseat taxi spot tofindridesMargilon (marshrutka/ hour; bus700S,twohours). Thisisalsothe 1200/3000S,one (marshrutka/taxi perseat old Fergana north of busstation, thebazaar thedayfrom part toAndijonthroughout Shared marshrutkas taxis, andafew de- buses BUS &SHARED TAXI bigger plane. areday). Twoof flights thesixweekly onthe plane US$30/21,onehour,dailyexceptSun- to/fromTashkentflights (onewaysmall/big Airways Uzbekistan AIR Getting There&Away the street fromTsUM departmentstore. in thewarmmonths; acluster of themare across 1000S). including area, where there are Uzbek several chaikhanas, willenjoythebazaar orat Hotel. Self-caterers along thecanalacrossstreet fromtheZiy- late-night antics. tolerates vodka-shooting Ferganans andtheir cavernous club,behind thedepartmentstore, would behipinParis. they’ll bebackforespresso. Hell, thisplace Thenextmorning until wellintotheevening. artists, musiciansanddrunksenjoyinglife redolent of afairshare shashlyk. Expect of months theactionmoves outsidetothepatio, just askwhat’savailable andpick.Inthewarm For Rishton (marshrutka/shared per taxi The maintransporthubforwestbound There are decentrestaurants alsoseveral Hollywood NightClub Shashlyk occupyAl-Farghoni stands Park Chimyan

(Fergana Airport; (Fergana Airport; (cnr Rakhimov & Khamza; laghman laghman &Khamza; (cnr Rakhimov (Kambarov; entry1000S) (Kambarov; h 8am-5pm)

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219 has UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN on your MasterCard here. on yourMasterCard Valentina’s Guesthouse. 150S; Simus Post office OVIR National BankofUzbekistan Café Infinity Internet Bank Asaka exchange. The Asia Hotel hasa24-hourcurrency Information of town. and thebazaar. Theairportis6kmsouth ofing distance centralAl-Farghoni Park is aroundtheHotel Ziyorat,withinwalk - ministration buildings.Thecentre of thecity visitors) behindthecityandprovincial ad- to within anarmycompound(off-limits fort,10mofthe oldtsarist mud-brick wall The streets radiate outfromwhat’sleftof Orientation 218 café nearthetaxistand. (commission 4%).Alsochangestravellerscheques. Cash-advance officeforVisacardholdersisonthe3rdfloor 1 3 2 FERGANA h (Ahunbabayev 35) (Ahunbabayev EGN ALY • egn FERGANA VALLEY ••Fergana (Marifat 45;perhr800S; (Marifat Hollywood NightClub...... Bravo ...... Infinity InternetCafé...... New FerganaBusStation...... Marshrutka toShakhimardan...... Chimyan Chaikhana...... Regional MuseumofFergana...... Uzbektourism...... (see 7) Simus...... Post Office...... National BankofUzbekistan...... TRANSPORT DRINKING EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Marshrutka toSvytozhnyBazaar...... Café Döner...... Valentina’s Guesthouse...... Hotel Ziyorat...... Asia Hotel...... Old FerganaBusStation...... 9am-10pm) ConvenientforHotelAsiaand (Mustaqillik 35; (Mustaqillik (cnr Navoi&Kuvasoy)Youcangetcashout AC (Navoi 18-23;permegabyte h h 8am-6pm) (Al-Farghoni 35) 8am-8pm) Internet To Shakhimardan 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 D1 C1 C2 D1 C2 D1 C2 D3 D3 D2 D3 C1 C2 B3 C2 D3 (59km) University B Fergana

Stadium Bobur Kokand (103km) (2.5km); Margilon(18km); To OVIR(200m);Yermazar Fergana Hotel Amusement

Khojand U sm Park 3 an Kh oja Mustaqilli yev the standard ofthe standard barely renovated Soviet hotels, Ziyorat Hotel Sleeping of pre-Soviet life. sively hairyCro-Magnons, andafew photos include aStoneAge dioramawithsomeexces- Buddhist andshamanist sites. Otherdisplays grows andsomeitems onthevalley’sancient satellite photosshowingwhere allthatcotton Sun, 9am-1pmMon) 26;admission1000S; Usman Khojayev totheflowofsiderable obstacle traffic. blocksnorthofseveral thecentre, posingacon- homemadespecialities.Itsprawlsoverselling leavened withKorean andRussian vendors zaar Fergana’s mostappealingattractionisthe Sights Uzbektourism Valley. If it’sclosedtrythehotelconcierge. seeingintheFergana tours tojustaboutanythingworth staffer NargizaspeaksEnglishandcanarrangemultilingual day US$20plustransport;

k Al-Farghoni The Park 5 , filledwithgood-natured Uzbek traders,

Al-Farghoni Amphitheatre Qosimo

Square 2 Anyaz

Regional Museum ofFergana Museum Regional

Department

ova v TsUM Store

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219 has UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ful (and free) tour here where you’ll witness station. the Svytozhny stoptoYermazar Bazaar bus to the the driver tomake sure he’sgoingalltheway either infrontof Hotel Asia, butcheck with 220 Imam Zakhriddin; Imam Zakhriddin; SilkFactory (Souvenir) tions: itsSunday bazaarandthe Margilon hastwotrulyworthwhile attrac- SIGHTS Uzbekistan’s black-market economy. decades of Soviet rule,thiswastheheartof intheclosing be alawuntothemselves; even Asia’s commerceandsilktrade, were to said its merchant clans,key players inCentral Forcenturies ably sincethe1stcenturyBC. aroundforalongtime,prob- gilon hasbeen ground zero. its YodgorlikSilkFactory, shouldbeyour touted fabriccomesfrom,Margilon, and answers towhereseeking infactthishighly If you’ve travelling been alongtheSilkRoad % Margilon AROUND FERGANA Although thereAlthough islittletoshow forit,Mar- Marshrutka forgetting from 14isuseful silk producerintheworld.The centre oftheindustryisinMargilon. are twisted industrialthread, togethertomake clothing. whichisusedtomake carefully unwound.Atypicaltinycocoonyieldsabout1200moffilament!Twelve or13filaments ing (otherwisetheywouldbreak outandruinthesilkfilaments),eachcocoonisboiled generationofgrubs.eggs andproducethenext The rest inside theircocoonsbysteam- are killed ofcocoonsataboutUS$1toUS$2perkilogram. to120kg –typically80kg factories themselves upintoacocoonofsilkfibres. The farmers sellthecocoonsbacktogovernment silk of leaves eachday!Then abruptlytheystopeatingaltogetherandspendaweek orsorolling to thesize ofalittlefinger,andtogethertheyoccupytwoorthree roomsanddevoursome300kg leaves aday.At theendofjustamonth,eachthoseoriginally microscopiccreatures hasgrown branches asfuel,andthestrippedmulberrytrees regrow theirbranchesthefollowingyear. up mulberryleaves culledfromtrees alonglowlandroadsandcanals. The farmersusetheleftover Each farmerprepares specialroomswithlarge beddingboxes. The worms’dietconsistsofchopped of 20gyoungsilkwormgrubstoanyfarmerwilling‘raise’theminlate AprilandearlyMay. ers’ homes,astheyhave beensinceperhapsthe4thcenturyAD. silkworms isstillalmostentirely a‘cottageindustry’,withmostwormsraisedinindividualfarm- Although silk-thread have beenlargely andclothmaking production automated, theraisingof INUZBEKISTANSILK PRODUCTION (3) 73/pop145,000 EGN ALY • rudFraa FERGANA VALLEY ••AroundFergana Uzbekistan produces about 20,000 metric tonnes of cocoons a year, making itthethird-largest producesabout20,000metrictonnesofcocoonsayear,making Uzbekistan Some worms,called‘seed-worms’,are setasideandallowedtohatchasmoths,whichwilllay The upaboutasquare initial20gofgrubstakes metre of ofspaceandconsumesabout3kg governmentOut ofitsstockfromprevious years’husbandry,theUzbekistan distributes anaverage aeroport. Маргилан h 8am-5pm)

( % . There’s awonder- 233 8824;[email protected]; Yodgorlik the most interesting bazaarinthecountry. the throngs of people. Some travellers it’s say to moveSunday mornings it’sdifficult among andmeninskullcaps scarves cally produced matrons dressed almostexclusively inthelo- isonfulldisplayhere,standards, withUzbek tive streak, extreme byFergana even Valley Margilon’sor atouristinsight. conserva- over endlesspotsof tea, withhardlyaRussian exchanging solemngreetings andgossiping weathered Uzbek menintraditionalclothing west of thecentre. It’satimecapsulefullof Sunday gilon’s fantastic and embroidered items forsale. silk). There isalsopremade clothing, carpets andUS$10for cotton, half-silk) US$4 for youcanbuysilkbythemetre:or German), tour (available inEnglish,French, Russian ity, justasitwas1500years ago. After the electric- Amazingly, it’salmostalldonesans side) fabricsforwhich Margilon isfamous. khanatlas ling thecocoonstoweaving of thedazzling ess isondisplay,fromsteaming andunravel- mass-production factories).Theentire proc- atthecity’sincreasingly used moribund those traditional methodsof silkproduction(unlike A much less sanitized experienceisMar-A much lesssanitized (hand-woven silkpatterned onone khanatlas, khanatlas US$8for Kuntepa Bazaar Kuntepa dresses andhead lonelyplanet.com adras chapan shoyi (half- , 5km (pure . On pottery fashionedfromitsfineclay.About is famousfortheubiquitouscobalt andgreen This townjustnorthof theKyrgyzstan border % Rishton tral bazaar. main intersection, kitty-cornerfromthecen- dropyouoff nearthetown’s rutkas andtaxis See p215 fortransportfromFergana. Marsh- THERE&AWAYGETTING whenyouenteron theright courtyard. ery inSoviet timesandspared destruction. It’s the 15thcentury.Itwashiddenbehind abak- ofsection themosque’sprayer roomdatingto welcome toenter andcheck outanunrestored city’s more peacefulplaces.Foreign visitors are other daysthemosque’scourtyardisoneof the ofthousands worshippers Friday.On every Juma (Friday) ket isthereconstructed ing fullreconstruction inearly2007. central farmers market, which wasundergo- checkpening youmight outMargilon’s large other daysit’spretty dead.Whenit’snothap- alsohappensonThursdays;Kuntepa Bazaar lonelyplanet.com Half akilometre eastof thefarmers mar- main attraction is the half-day hike and cable-car ride from town to the icy lake of ridefrom towntotheicylake andcable-car isthe half-dayhike main attraction insightofAk-Suuday hiking hotbed.The peak(5359m),willonceagainbecome atrekking situation, thistrek Kyrgyzstan, isbetter nearby. launchedfromhard-to-reach Khaidakan, the situation. nestled inthePamir Alaysat1740m.CheckwithElena TourinTashkent ( p199 ) forupdates on 5000m peaksto headaches ifyouencounter a borderguardinbadmood,wecannotrecommend it. at17,000Sforthe1¼-hourtrip.As thiscancausebig-time pricestarts Themarshrutkas. asking Kyrgyz fromthere. and Uzbekvisas.Shakhimardan Forthatyou’llneedmultiple-entry isthustocrossthebordernearOshandproceed The onlylegal waytogetShakhimardan path isoff-limitstoforeigners Kyrgyz –even andUzbekvisas. toforeigners withmultiple-entry While localsshuttlefreely over thebordercrossingsbetweenFergana this andShakhimardan, itnearlyimpossibleforforeignersit remained tovisitlegally. stubbornlyinUzbekhands,making Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan foryears,butasofthiswriting hasbeentryingtoreclaim Shakhimardan aneasylookatthePamirfine placetoclearyourlungsandtake Alaymountainsinsurrounding 50kmsouthofKokand). but off-limitstoforeigners becauseit’shometo a majordam,isSokh, of theseistheUzbekenclave of 55kmsouthofFerganaShakhimardan, (another,equallyscenic existence ofanarchipelagotiny‘islands’onerepublic entirely surroundedbyanother. One One oftheodderresults ofStalin’sdiabolicalgerrymandering aroundtheFergana Valley isthe SHAKHIMARDAN, THAT WHACKY ENCLAVE (3) 73 With any luck the situation will change and Shakhimardan, whichalsooffersWith anyluckthesituationwillchange andShakhimardan, upsomegood If you manage to enter Shakhimardan legally,thereIf youmanagetoenter isalegendarytrek Shakhimardan amidglaciersand Touts attheoldFergana busstationsaythattheycansneakforeigners acrosstheborderin mainappealforvisitorsisthatit’snestledina1500m-highalpine valley,a Shakhimardan’s Риштан

mosque thatgets packed with FERGANAVALLEY ••AroundFergana Daroot-Korgon Khonakhah Mosque Khonakhah insouthwestern Kyrgyzstan. However, given thetenuous border , a 85; Ar-Roshidony230; and vases freshand vases outof theoven. masters aswellandbuybeautifulplatters, jugs traditional techniques. Youcanvisitother potters’ associationdedicated topreserving and isaleadingmemberof anindependent wondered? tolast20years’, ‘Enough hesaid. tolastfivetonnes. Enough orsixyears, we beforea week 120 wevisited hehadbought coming scarce. Usmanov’s nochances: taking ing apotential crisis,asthepurest clayisbe- (as manytourgroupsdo). and vodkashots totravellers whocallahead townandoffersroad through tours, lunch now hasaworkshop inhishomeonthemain ceramics factory.OfTatar stock,Usmanov art director of thedefunctlocalcollectivised school is most accomplishedmaster fore beingchucked Amongthe onthewheel. it requires noadditives (besideswater) be- legendary localloam,which issopure that it handmade. across Uzbekistan originates here –mostof insouvenir90% of stores theceramicsyousee Usmanov onpremises hasasmallmuseum Usmanov thatRishtonpotters says are fac- Some 1000potters make alivingfromthe Rustam Usmanov h by appointment)

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221 , UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ful (and free) tour here where you’ll witness Imam Zakhriddin; Imam Zakhriddin; SilkFactory (Souvenir) tions: itsSunday bazaarandthe Margilon hastwotrulyworthwhile attrac- SIGHTS Uzbekistan’s black-market economy. decades of Soviet rule,thiswastheheartof intheclosing be alawuntothemselves; even Asia’s commerceandsilktrade, were to said its merchant clans,key players inCentral Forcenturies ably sincethe1stcenturyBC. aroundforalongtime,prob- gilon hasbeen ground zero. its YodgorlikSilkFactory, shouldbeyour touted fabriccomesfrom,Margilon, and answers towhereseeking infactthishighly If you’ve travelling been alongtheSilkRoad % Margilon AROUND FERGANA station. the Svytozhny stoptoYermazar Bazaar bus to the the driver tomake sure he’sgoingalltheway either infrontof Hotel Asia, butcheck with 220 Although thereAlthough islittletoshow forit,Mar- Marshrutka forgetting from 14isuseful silk producerintheworld.The centre oftheindustryisinMargilon. are twisted industrialthread, togethertomake clothing. whichisusedtomake carefully unwound.Atypicaltinycocoonyieldsabout1200moffilament!Twelve or13filaments ing (otherwisetheywouldbreak outandruinthesilkfilaments),eachcocoonisboiled generationofgrubs.eggs andproducethenext The rest inside theircocoonsbysteam- are killed ofcocoonsataboutUS$1toUS$2perkilogram. to120kg –typically80kg factories themselves upintoacocoonofsilkfibres. The farmers sellthecocoonsbacktogovernment silk of leaves eachday!Then abruptlytheystopeatingaltogetherandspendaweek orsorolling to thesize ofalittlefinger,andtogethertheyoccupytwoorthree roomsanddevoursome300kg leaves aday.At theendofjustamonth,eachthoseoriginally microscopiccreatures hasgrown branches asfuel,andthestrippedmulberrytrees regrow theirbranchesthefollowingyear. up mulberryleaves culledfromtrees alonglowlandroadsandcanals. The farmersusetheleftover Each farmerprepares specialroomswithlarge beddingboxes. The worms’dietconsistsofchopped of 20gyoungsilkwormgrubstoanyfarmerwilling‘raise’theminlate AprilandearlyMay. ers’ homes,astheyhave beensinceperhapsthe4thcenturyAD. silkworms isstillalmostentirely a‘cottageindustry’,withmostwormsraisedinindividualfarm- Although silk-thread have beenlargely andclothmaking production automated, theraisingof INUZBEKISTANSILK PRODUCTION (3) 73/pop145,000 EGN ALY • rudFraa FERGANA VALLEY ••AroundFergana Uzbekistan produces about 20,000 metric tonnes of cocoons a year, making itthethird-largest producesabout20,000metrictonnesofcocoonsayear,making Uzbekistan Some worms,called‘seed-worms’,are setasideandallowedtohatchasmoths,whichwilllay The upaboutasquare initial20gofgrubstakes metre of ofspaceandconsumesabout3kg governmentOut ofitsstockfromprevious years’husbandry,theUzbekistan distributes anaverage aeroport. Маргилан h 8am-5pm)

( % . There’s awonder- 233 8824;[email protected]; Yodgorlik the most interesting bazaarinthecountry. the throngs of people. Some travellers it’s say to moveSunday mornings it’sdifficult among andmeninskullcaps scarves cally produced matrons dressed almostexclusively inthelo- isonfulldisplayhere,standards, withUzbek tive streak, extreme byFergana even Valley Margilon’sor atouristinsight. conserva- over endlesspotsof tea, withhardlyaRussian exchanging solemngreetings andgossiping weathered Uzbek menintraditionalclothing west of thecentre. It’satimecapsulefullof Sunday gilon’s fantastic and embroidered items forsale. silk). There isalsopremade clothing, carpets andUS$10for cotton, half-silk) US$4 for youcanbuysilkbythemetre:or German), tour (available inEnglish,French, Russian ity, justasitwas1500years ago. After the electric- Amazingly, it’salmostalldonesans side) fabricsforwhich Margilon isfamous. khanatlas ling thecocoonstoweaving of thedazzling ess isondisplay,fromsteaming andunravel- mass-production factories).Theentire proc- atthecity’sincreasingly used moribund those traditional methodsof silkproduction(unlike A much less sanitized experienceisMar-A much lesssanitized (hand-woven silkpatterned onone khanatlas, khanatlas US$8for Kuntepa Bazaar Kuntepa dresses andhead lonelyplanet.com adras chapan shoyi (half- , 5km (pure . On pottery fashionedfromitsfineclay.About is famousfortheubiquitouscobalt andgreen This townjustnorthof theKyrgyzstan border % Rishton tral bazaar. main intersection, kitty-cornerfromthecen- dropyouoff nearthetown’s rutkas andtaxis See p215 fortransportfromFergana. Marsh- THERE&AWAYGETTING whenyouenteron theright courtyard. ery inSoviet timesandspared destruction. It’s the 15thcentury.Itwashiddenbehind abak- ofsection themosque’sprayer roomdatingto welcome toenter andcheck outanunrestored city’s more peacefulplaces.Foreign visitors are other daysthemosque’scourtyardisoneof the ofthousands worshippers Friday.On every Juma (Friday) ket isthereconstructed ing fullreconstruction inearly2007. central farmers market, which wasundergo- checkpening youmight outMargilon’s large other daysit’spretty dead.Whenit’snothap- alsohappensonThursdays;Kuntepa Bazaar lonelyplanet.com Half akilometre eastof thefarmers mar- the situation. nestled inthePamir Alaysat1740m.CheckwithElena TourinTashkent ( p199 ) forupdates on of ridefrom towntotheicylake andcable-car isthe half-dayhike main attraction insightofAk-Suuday hiking hotbed.The peak(5359m),willonceagainbecome atrekking situation, thistrek Kyrgyzstan, isbetter nearby. launchedfromhard-to-reach Khaidakan, 5000m peaksto headaches ifyouencounter a borderguardinbadmood,wecannotrecommend it. at17,000Sforthe1¼-hourtrip.As thiscancausebig-time pricestarts Themarshrutkas. asking Kyrgyz fromthere. and Uzbekvisas.Shakhimardan Forthatyou’llneedmultiple-entry isthustocrossthebordernearOshandproceed The onlylegal waytogetShakhimardan path isoff-limitstoforeigners Kyrgyz –even andUzbekvisas. toforeigners withmultiple-entry While localsshuttlefreely over thebordercrossingsbetweenFergana this andShakhimardan, itnearlyimpossibleforforeignersit remained tovisitlegally. stubbornlyinUzbekhands,making Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan foryears,butasofthiswriting hasbeentryingtoreclaim Shakhimardan aneasylookatthePamirfine placetoclearyourlungsandtake Alaymountainsinsurrounding 50kmsouthofKokand). but off-limitstoforeigners becauseit’shometo a majordam,isSokh, of theseistheUzbekenclave of 55kmsouthofFerganaShakhimardan, (another,equallyscenic existence ofanarchipelagotiny‘islands’onerepublic entirely surroundedbyanother. One One oftheodderresults ofStalin’sdiabolicalgerrymandering aroundtheFergana Valley isthe SHAKHIMARDAN, THAT WHACKY ENCLAVE (3) 73 With any luck the situation will change and Shakhimardan, whichalsooffersWith anyluckthesituationwillchange andShakhimardan, upsomegood legally,thereIf youmanagetoenter isalegendarytrek Shakhimardan amidglaciersand Touts attheoldFergana busstationsaythattheycansneakforeigners acrosstheborderin mainappealforvisitorsisthatit’snestledina1500m-highalpine valley,a Shakhimardan’s Риштан

( % s of theRishton 453 7345,45215 Kuli Kulon Alisher Nazirov Alisher Nazirov ,

erstwhile

221 , UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN and whatever concernstheyhave abouttheir Andijonians are warmandfriendlybynature, and life, thatmake atripouthere worthwhile. bazaars andchaikhanas, brimmingwithcolour in 1902tookcare itsAndijon’s of that.Rather, there’s here notmuch tosee –anearthquake Uzbeksserve intheirelement.Architecturally purest Uzbek city,andthebestplacetoob- linguistically Andijonisprobably thecountry’s stop anyconversation initstracks. Uzbekistan; to justmentioning itisenough The very in word‘Andijon’isahotpotato with thebloodshedof 13May 2005( p191 ). and itsspiritualmecca–willforever belinked Andijon –theFergana Valley’s largest city % ANDIJON 800/3000S). ride fromeither(marshrutka/taxi perseat about a45-minute shared ormarshrutka taxi to Fergana fromKokand(orvice-versa). It’s where itallcamefrom. way here tobuyit,butit’sinteresting tosee ton inUzbekistan trek thatyouneedn’t allthe who gives tours. ( 222 ley. OnSunday andThursday itis teeming bazaar on theUzbek sideof theFergana Val- Andijon’s Sunday Sights Bazaar.Kolkhozny Sq, where theviolence tookplacein2005. isBabur inbetween 3km tothesouth.Roughly areThe neighbouring busandtrainstations (farmers market). Bazaar central Kolkhozny office are clustered inthe old townaround medressa, bank,shopsMuseums, andthepost Orientation &Information jon is‘dangerous’ prevent youfromcoming. precautions, butdon’tletallthehypethatAndi- Have yourpapers inorderandtake thenormal guard here anddoroutinelystopforeigners. Make nomistake: thelocalpoliceare ontheir don’t linger of concerns. longbecause security are ontheirwaytoorfromKyrgyzstan and tively affected theirdemeanour. paranoid government appearnot tohave nega- % Of course thereOf course Rish- issomuch affordable Change moneyontheblackmarket at bothculturallyand That’s ashamebecause Rishton isbestvisited asastopontheway Most travellers Andijon who passthrough (3) 74/pop350,000 452 33 43; Ferganskaya 152) 452 3343;Ferganskaya EGN ALY • nio FERGANA VALLEY ••Andijon АНДИЖАН Jahon Bazaar Jahon isanothermaster is thebiggest stuffed stuffed animals. market located justsouthof thebusstation. dusty loaded withSoviet trinkets. Nextdoorisa hasaquirkysouvenirThe museum shop crackdown onsuspected Islamicmilitants. ofmuseum localethnographyafter apolice medressa inthe1990sbutwasturnedintoa 1902 earthquake. Itreopened asaworking the tobetheonlybuildingsurvive said & Medressa is thehandsome19th-century people-watching. of theoldtown,makingitafineplacefor kets here. but bazaarlovers willfindnoshortage of mar- marshrutka 6,10oranysaying it’s4kmnortheaston Bazaar, Kolkhozny in theshuttletradewithKyrgyzstan. From with people,mostof whomare involved southwest of Yaangi Bazaar. US$31, 1½ hours). The airportisabout 3km to/fromTashkent flights weekly (oneway Airways Uzbekistan Getting There& Around Uzbek, Turkishand Western meals. 2000S) fare try just abouteverywhere Fornonchaikhana else. 19;s/dUS$12/24) Mashrab stepa slight upfrom ( park 2kmsouthof thebusstation. nexttoeachcinderblocks right otherinahuge the bestplacetoeatintown. (US$50). Thechaikhana behind thehotel is are acoupleof very nice,renovated There bathrooms andimpossiblysmallTVs. Sqsportssmallbutcleanrooms,basic Babur room US$4/8) Andijon Hotel Sleeping &Eating Bazaar.Kolkhozny It’sonasmalllanewestoflong-gone citadel. studied asaboywithinArk-Ichy, thetown’s of theroyal apartmentswhere lived Babur and ary Museum Tue-Sun) % Chaikhanas aboundnearthebazaars and Chaikhanas Across from Kolkhozny Bazaar onOltinkul Bazaar Across fromKolkhozny The marginally more interesting Jahon isratherquietonotherdays, Bazaar There are twofairlydecrepit oldIntourist 226 10 78; Mashrab 21;s/dUS$18/35) 226 1078;Mashrab , 200mwestof Hotel Andijon,withquick regional museum regional , withtheusualhistoricalexhibitsand Golden Chicken Restaurant Golden Chicken Kolkhozny Bazaar Kolkhozny

Thisno-frills hotel acrossfrom ( Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com (admission 1200S; h

(Fitrat 241;s/dUS$12/24,withshared bath- 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) Yaangi Bazaar ( % .

(admission 500S; 224 42 23; airport) 224 4223;airport) Oltyn Vody spillsintothestreets h occupiesthesite 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) isanotherbig Жахон JumaMosque ( isperhaps

% (Fitrat; h Babur Liter- Sport Hotel Hotel Sport lux 226 7990; has five

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, station. Therestation. are plentyof ridestoFergana Samarkand sprawlsacrossacres of Soviet- islands ofSurrounding these majesty, modern rich worksomekindof history,indeed magic. the technicolour bazaarandthecity’slong, lime, larger-than-life monumentsof Timur, and minarets, andonthegroundsub- thecityinflesh. saw ofand playwrights bygoneeras,few of whom in theWestern popularimaginationbypoets has themythicalresonance of Atlantis, fixed Silk RoadasSamarkand.Formostpeopleit ofglorious city.Nonameissoevocative the kand 1913 poem finallinesofThese James ElroyFlecker’s % SAMARKAND CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN see stan, p267 . Oltyn Vody. to theairport,transfer tomarshrutka 4at ing within1kmof theairport.Toget closer andHotel OltynVodybeforeBazaar com- from JumaMedressa, Sq,Yaangi pastBabur drivingwasafreestyleif taxi sport.Ittravels four hours). 14,000S,five(shared hours). perseat taxi 1¼ hour;bus700S,twohours) andTashkent 1200/3000S, (marshrutka/shared perseat taxi lonelyplanet.com hara and southeastern Uzbekistan don’tspeak and Shah-i-Zinda. Mosque GuriAmir,Bibi-Khanym Registan, the If you’re shortontime,atleastsee profile attractions intwoorthree days. by buzzingDaewootaxis. built buildings,parksandbroadavenues used From theairyoureyelocksontodomes We take theGoldenRoad toSamarkand. be known For lustof knowingwhatshouldnot fanned. By hotter winds ourfieryheartsare We travel alone, notfortrafficking Marshrutka 33racesaroundafixed route as Two dailytrainstrundletoKokand(1200S, All vehicular transportroostsnearthebus For informationontransporttoKyrgyz- Note thatthepeople of Samarkand, Buk- You canvisitmostof Samarkand’shigh- (3) 66/pop405,000elev710m evoke theromanceof Uzbekistan’s most The GoldenJourneytoSamar- CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand САМАРКАНД radiate westward from Mustaqillik maydoni,radiate westwardfromMustaqillik town, shady 19th-century Russianavenues axis ispedestrian Tashkent kochasi. Across alleysofthe tangled theoldtown,whose Russian-Asian schizophrenia. are Eastward A mapof Samarkand’s centre showsthecity’s Orientation Tashkent sixyears later. Uzbek SSRin1924,butlostthehonourto railway20years later.the Trans-Caspian 1868 andlinked ittotheRussian empire by the Russians,whoforceditssurrender inMay century, butitwasonlytrulyresuscitated by populated thetowntowardsendof the inhabited. Theemirof forciblyre- Bukhara ofseries earthquakes, un- itwasessentially decadesinthe18thcentury,after a several Samarkandwentinto decline. For Bukhara, the 16thcenturyandmoved to theircapital it anintellectual centre aswell. grandson Ulugbekruleduntil1449andmade Asia’s economicandculturalepicentre. His forged anew,almost-mythicalcity–Central andoverkand hiscapital, thenext35years but in1370Timur decidedtomake Samar- Jenghiz in1220. Khan all ruledhere –before beingobliterated by Mongolian Karakitay andKhorezmshah have Persian Turks, Samanids,Karakhanids, Seljuq couple of centuries–Western Turks,Arabs, lous thanitistoday,changing handsevery 13th centuryitgrew intoacitymore popu- Fromthe6thto in tradeandartisans. leading toChina,IndiaandPersia, bringing imagined.’ ever is true,exceptthatit’smore beautifulthanI ‘Everything Ihave heardaboutMarakanda byAlexandertheGreat, whosaid, 329 BC of the Sogdian empire whenitwastaken in was already walledcapital thecosmopolitan, It probably foundedinthe5thcenturyBC. Asia’sof was oldestsettlements, Central Samarkand (Marakanda totheGreeks), one History city folkwhospeakTajik. but theissueiscomplicated byethnicUzbek hadmadetheareaStalin partof Tajikistan, members of theethnicTajik minoritywish Uzbek butanUzbek-laced Tajik (Farsi). Some Samarkand wasdeclared of capital thenew When theUzbek Shaybanids camein A key onthecrossroads SilkRoadcity,itsat This might haveThis might theendof been thestory,

223 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ley. OnSunday andThursday itis teeming bazaar on theUzbek sideof theFergana Val- Andijon’s Sunday Sights Bazaar.Kolkhozny Sq, where theviolence tookplacein2005. isBabur inbetween 3km tothesouth.Roughly areThe neighbouring busandtrainstations (farmers market). Bazaar central Kolkhozny office are clustered inthe old townaround medressa, bank,shopsMuseums, andthepost Orientation &Information jon is‘dangerous’ prevent youfromcoming. precautions, butdon’tletallthehypethatAndi- Have yourpapers inorderandtake thenormal guard here anddoroutinelystopforeigners. Make nomistake: thelocalpoliceare ontheir don’t linger of concerns. longbecause security are ontheirwaytoorfromKyrgyzstan and tively affected theirdemeanour. paranoid government appearnot tohave nega- and whatever concernstheyhave abouttheir Andijonians are warmandfriendlybynature, and life, thatmake atripouthere worthwhile. bazaars andchaikhanas, brimmingwithcolour in 1902tookcare itsAndijon’s of that.Rather, there’s here notmuch tosee –anearthquake Uzbeksserve intheirelement.Architecturally purest Uzbek city,andthebestplacetoob- linguistically Andijonisprobably thecountry’s stop anyconversation initstracks. Uzbekistan; to justmentioning itisenough The very in word‘Andijon’isahotpotato with thebloodshedof 13May 2005( p191 ). and itsspiritualmecca–willforever belinked Andijon –theFergana Valley’s largest city % ANDIJON 800/3000S). ride fromeither(marshrutka/taxi perseat about a45-minute shared ormarshrutka taxi to Fergana fromKokand(orvice-versa). It’s where itallcamefrom. way here tobuyit,butit’sinteresting tosee ton inUzbekistan trek thatyouneedn’t allthe who gives tours. ( 222 % Change moneyontheblackmarket at bothculturallyand That’s ashamebecause thereOf course Rish- issomuch affordable Most travellers Andijon who passthrough Rishton isbestvisited asastopontheway (3) 74/pop350,000 452 33 43; Ferganskaya 152) 452 3343;Ferganskaya EGN ALY • nio FERGANA VALLEY ••Andijon АНДИЖАН Jahon Bazaar Jahon isanothermaster is thebiggest stuffed stuffed animals. southwest of Yaangi Bazaar. US$31, 1½ hours). The airportisabout 3km to/fromTashkent flights weekly (oneway Airways Uzbekistan Getting There& Around Uzbek, Turkishand Western meals. 2000S) fare try just abouteverywhere Fornonchaikhana else. 19;s/dUS$12/24) Mashrab stepa slight upfrom ( park 2kmsouthof thebusstation. nexttoeachcinderblocks right otherinahuge the bestplacetoeatintown. (US$50). Thechaikhana behind thehotel is are acoupleof very nice,renovated There bathrooms andimpossiblysmallTVs. Sqsportssmallbutcleanrooms,basic Babur room US$4/8) Andijon Hotel Sleeping &Eating Bazaar.Kolkhozny It’sonasmalllanewestoflong-gone citadel. studied asaboywithinArk-Ichy, thetown’s of theroyal apartmentswhere lived Babur and ary Museum Tue-Sun) dusty loaded withSoviet trinkets. Nextdoorisa hasaquirkysouvenirThe museum shop crackdown onsuspected Islamicmilitants. ofmuseum localethnographyafter apolice medressa inthe1990sbutwasturnedintoa 1902 earthquake. Itreopened asaworking the tobetheonlybuildingsurvive said & Medressa is thehandsome19th-century market located justsouthof thebusstation. people-watching. of theoldtown,makingitafineplacefor kets here. but bazaarlovers willfindnoshortage of mar- marshrutka 6,10oranysaying it’s4kmnortheaston Bazaar, Kolkhozny in theshuttletradewithKyrgyzstan. From with people,mostof whomare involved % Chaikhanas aboundnearthebazaars and Chaikhanas The marginally more interesting onOltinkul Bazaar Across fromKolkhozny Jahon isratherquietonotherdays, Bazaar There are twofairlydecrepit oldIntourist 226 10 78; Mashrab 21;s/dUS$18/35) 226 1078;Mashrab , 200mwestof Hotel Andijon,withquick regional museum regional , withtheusualhistoricalexhibitsand Golden Chicken Restaurant Golden Chicken Kolkhozny Bazaar Kolkhozny

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223 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 224 0 500 m SAMARKAND 0 0.3 miles ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand A B C D Old Town Rudakiy E ὇὇὇὇὇὇F ὈὈὈAk Abdullayev INFORMATION Silk Tour...... 9 D3 Hodja-Nisbaddor Mosque...... 16 D4 ὇὇὇὇὇὇To Afrosiab Museum (800m); Batman...... 1 D3 Spyder...... 10 A3 International Museum of Peace & To Airport (4km); 15 Tomb of the Old Testament Prophet Daniel Public Bus (1.5km); Siob Chaikhana (2.3km); Ulugbek's Foreign Language Institute...... 2 C3 Zarina...... (see 33) Solidarity ...... 17 A3 Station (5km) ὇὇὇὇὇὇Observatory & Yulduz Chaikhana (2.3km); 1 International Telephone & Fax Makhdumi Khorezm Mosque...... 18 E2 Ulugbek Marshrutka Stop (2.5km) Office...... 3 B2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Registan: Sher Dor Medressa...... 19 D2 Usto Afrosiab Site Main Post & Telegraph Office...... 4 B2 Ak-Saray Mausoleum...... 11 C4 Registan: Tilla-Kari Medressa...... 20 D2 41 ὇὇὇὇὇὇Um ὇὇ ar 23 Map Stand...... 5 D3 Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum...... 12 E1 Registan: Ulugbek Medressa...... 21 D3 Dzhu raku To Kishmish (300m); National Bank of Uzbekistan...... 6 A3 Bibi-Khanym Mosque...... 13 E1 Rukhobod Mausoleum...... 22 C3 ὇὇ Gagarin Monument (1.3km); lo Net City...... 7 B2 Guri Amir Mausoleum...... 14 C4 Shah-i-Zinda...... 23 F1 13 va Uzbekistan Airways ὈὈὈ12 Booking Office (1.5km); OVIR...... 8 A2 Hazrat-Hizr Mosque...... 15 E1 State Art Museum...... 24 D3 ὇὇ Sharq (2km); Povorot Husaino To Umar Bank (200m); Marshrutka Stop (2.3km); 35 Baykaro Orient Star (200m); SLEEPING Vokzal (5.2km) Pushkin Vokzal (4.5km); 29 Hoji Ismaili (20km); Antica...... 25 C3 Chelak (35km); Bahodir B&B...... 26 E2 Bukhara (268km) Imom al-Bukhori Old Jewish 8 Kosh-hauz Dilshoda...... 27 C4 31 Krytyy Rynok Quarter (Covered Furkat...... 28 E2 2 Market) Grand Samarkand...... 29 A2 Ulugbek Yalantush Hotel President...... 30 B3 Tashkent ὈὈ Mulokandov Hotel Registan...... 31 A2 26

Crying Mother Navoi (Mustaqillik) 40 Joni...... 32 E3

Moh 28 Monument 4 7 Amphitheatre 20 Buhkharo Zarina...... 33 D3

mud Abdurahmon Jomi (Rashidova) 18 Pochta3 38 21 19 EATING Qoshqari Lyabi Gor...... 34 D3 24 To Samarkand- 10 9 Bukhara Silk Carpet Platan...... 35 A2 Drama DagbitskayaAyni Mustaqillik Theatre 44 Factory (1.2km) Venezia...... 36 B4 Amir Timur 17 maydoni Museum 34 39 1 5 37 33 DRINKING Navoi (Mustaqillik) ToὈὈ Blues Café (20m); ὈὈ 32 Penjikent Afrosiab Hotel...... 37 C3 3 Shohruh 2 45 Victor Hugo French Bar Chinzano...... 38 B2 Cultural Centre (300m); Statue of Registan (Registanskaya) Umarov Karambek (800m) AbdurahmonNavoi Jomi (Rashidova) Amir Timur 22 Blues Café...... 39 A3 Akhunbabayev 6 30 Firdavsi 25 SHOPPING Park 43 Hotel Iskandarov GUM (Department Store)...... 40 B2 42 Samarkand Jurabek...... (see 21) Rosa Luxemburg Hotel 14 27 Mansur Nurillaev...... (see 22) Zerafshan angaran 11 Samarkand Ceramics Suz ὈὈUzbekistan ὈὈ36 Ὀ Umarov Workshop...... (see 20) Samarkand-Bukhara Silk lonelyplanet.com Old Town Carpets Showroom...... (see 19) 16 To Penjikent Siob Bazaar...... 41 E1 4 (60km) Universiteti TRANSPORT Umarov Hamidov Bulvar Marshrutka Stop I...... 42 B3 Makhmudov To Shakhrisabz Bulvar Marshrutka Stop II...... 43 C3 Bobur (90km) To Ishratkhana Mausoleum (300m); Registan Marshrutka Stop...... 44 E3 Samarkand Andijon Khodja Abdi Darun To Malika Lev University Mausoleum (300m) Shakhrisabz Taxi Stand...... 45 D3 ὈὈHotel (250m) Tolstoy ὈὈ h card holders4%forcashadvances. 4pm Mon-Sat)CashestravellerschequesandchargesVisa Main post & telegraph office post&telegraph Main &faxoffice telephone International POST &COMMUNICATIONS National BankofUzbekistan Hotel President workuntilearlyevening. The exchange attheHotel offices Afrosiaband MONEY Spyder Net City Batman ACCESSINTERNET stay inapinch. has great traveltipsand may beabletoarrangeahome- Dila channels. Manager and magazines,plus24French TV 26; Baraka [email protected]; Centre Cultural Hugo French Victor CULTURAL CENTRES Information oppositefor2000S. stand theRegistan of andfacilities.Buyitatthesmallmap sights Samarkand accurateA detailed, 2004mapcalled MAPS Universiteti. markand ontheparklike called boulevard city’s twohalves, ismothballed Hotel Sa- betwixttheful touristlandmark,roughly a pedestrianthoroughfare, Navoi. Ause- newer downtownarea isalsocentred around metres westandnorthof The theRegistan. and province. the administrative centre of themoderncity lonelyplanet.com rienced. Ask abouttheannual ( p262 SilkTours isthemostexpe- ). Ofthese, cameltrekkingand thestandard andyurtstays Local travel agencies canorganise cars, guides TRAVEL AGENCIES OVIR REGISTRATION Look forlargemetalgate. City’s only serious competition, with even bettercomputers. competition,with even City’s onlyserious range ofcomputingservices. midnight) Fast (usually),Skype,webcams, and connection ὈὈ slow cafénearRegistan. Most sights areMost sights withinacoupleof kilo- 8am-8pm) StandardUztelekomrateshere ( p264 ). ( % (Amir Timur 44;perhr600S; (Akhunbabayev 68;per hr500S; (Akhunbabayev (Registan 3;perhr600S; (Registan 233 69 34; cnr Mohmud Qoshqari &Ulugbek) 233 6934;cnrMohmudQoshqari (scale1:13,000)includesafulllist CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand h 2-6pm) French papers (Firdavsi 7; (Pochta5) h

h 8am-10pm) Snail- kupkari kupkari 8am-midnight) Net ( h % (Pochta9; h 8am- 233 6627; Guide of 9am- (Tajik: Mountains. gorgeintheZerafshanovernight trek intotheAmankutan plusan andcameltrekking, arrange thestandardyurtstays this hotel p229 alsorunsatravelagencythatcan in Tajikistan. Mountains,and intheZerafshan andHissar on trekking 33)Largeagencyclaimstobetheauthority Dagbitskaya an authority on just about everything Uzbek. onjustabouteverything an authority theregion. SaadfromtheTashkentideas fortouring office is 38)AlsoknownasSogdaTour,ithasrefreshing .uz; Registan inal medressa, finished in1420underUlugbek to theTilla-Kari Medressa. the capriciousaddition of ablue outer dome also tooksomequestionable liberties,such as store beleaguered these treasures, butthey credit, worked feverishly toprotect and re- of modernmethods. TheSoviets, totheir nearby demonstrates clearlytheinferiority the recently rebuilt Mosque Bibi-Khanym look atthealready crumblingbluedomeof ible craftsmanshipof theirbuilders. One isatestament totheincred-still standing quakes theregion; thatbuffet thattheyare over theyears courtesy of thefrequent earth- Jenghiz Theyhave Khan. taken theirknocks anything olderhaving destroyedby been medressas,the world’soldestpreserved was probably awall-to-wallbazaar. Samarkand’s commercialcentre andtheplaza lates to‘SandyPlace’inTajik, wasmedieval h The Asia. inCentral most awesomesinglesights the centrepiece of thecity,andoneof the ics andvast,well-proportionedspaces–is a near-overload of majolica, azure mosa- ofThis ensemble majestic, tiltingmedressas – THE REGISTAN by night. GuriAmirissublime early morninglight; are intheand Bibi-Khanym spectacular by ‘tipping’theguardonduty;Registan outsideworkinghoursmain sights forfree or You canenter thecourtyardsof someof the Sights Zarina Tour Silk Star Orient around Navruz (Navrus; 21March). played withaheadlesssh buzkashi) Ulugbek Medressa Medressa Ulugbek The three grandedificeshere are among 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pmNov-Mar) 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, Registan ([email protected]) The French-speaking managerof TheFrench-speaking ([email protected]) ( % match, atraditionalpololike game ( % 233 1735;www.silktour.uz; sogda@intal

(cnr Registan &Tashkent;(cnr Registan admission3700S; 235 93 67; www.tour-orient.com; 235 9367;www.tour-orient.com; on thewest sideistheorig- eep/goat/calf carcass, eep/goat/calf ,

which trans-

225 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 224 0 500 m SAMARKAND 0 0.3 miles ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand A B C D Old Town Rudakiy E ὇὇὇὇὇὇F ὈὈὈAk Abdullayev INFORMATION Silk Tour...... 9 D3 Hodja-Nisbaddor Mosque...... 16 D4 ὇὇὇὇὇὇To Afrosiab Museum (800m); Batman...... 1 D3 Spyder...... 10 A3 International Museum of Peace & To Airport (4km); 15 Tomb of the Old Testament Prophet Daniel Public Bus (1.5km); Siob Chaikhana (2.3km); Ulugbek's Foreign Language Institute...... 2 C3 Zarina...... (see 33) Solidarity ...... 17 A3 Station (5km) ὇὇὇὇὇὇Observatory & Yulduz Chaikhana (2.3km); 1 International Telephone & Fax Makhdumi Khorezm Mosque...... 18 E2 Ulugbek Marshrutka Stop (2.5km) Office...... 3 B2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Registan: Sher Dor Medressa...... 19 D2 Usto Afrosiab Site Main Post & Telegraph Office...... 4 B2 Ak-Saray Mausoleum...... 11 C4 Registan: Tilla-Kari Medressa...... 20 D2 41 ὇὇὇὇὇὇Um ὇὇ ar 23 Map Stand...... 5 D3 Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum...... 12 E1 Registan: Ulugbek Medressa...... 21 D3 Dzhu raku To Kishmish (300m); National Bank of Uzbekistan...... 6 A3 Bibi-Khanym Mosque...... 13 E1 Rukhobod Mausoleum...... 22 C3 ὇὇ Gagarin Monument (1.3km); lo Net City...... 7 B2 Guri Amir Mausoleum...... 14 C4 Shah-i-Zinda...... 23 F1 13 va Uzbekistan Airways ὈὈὈ12 Booking Office (1.5km); OVIR...... 8 A2 Hazrat-Hizr Mosque...... 15 E1 State Art Museum...... 24 D3 ὇὇ Sharq (2km); Povorot Husaino To Umar Bank (200m); Marshrutka Stop (2.3km); 35 Baykaro Orient Star (200m); SLEEPING Vokzal (5.2km) Pushkin Vokzal (4.5km); 29 Hoji Ismaili (20km); Antica...... 25 C3 Chelak (35km); Bahodir B&B...... 26 E2 Bukhara (268km) Imom al-Bukhori Old Jewish 8 Kosh-hauz Dilshoda...... 27 C4 31 Krytyy Rynok Quarter (Covered Furkat...... 28 E2 2 Market) Grand Samarkand...... 29 A2 Ulugbek Yalantush Hotel President...... 30 B3 Tashkent ὈὈ Mulokandov Hotel Registan...... 31 A2 26

Crying Mother Navoi (Mustaqillik) 40 Joni...... 32 E3

Moh 28 Monument 4 7 Amphitheatre 20 Buhkharo Zarina...... 33 D3

mud Abdurahmon Jomi (Rashidova) 18 Pochta3 38 21 19 EATING Qoshqari Lyabi Gor...... 34 D3 24 To Samarkand- 10 9 Bukhara Silk Carpet Platan...... 35 A2 Drama DagbitskayaAyni Mustaqillik Theatre 44 Factory (1.2km) Venezia...... 36 B4 Amir Timur 17 maydoni Museum 34 39 1 5 37 33 DRINKING Navoi (Mustaqillik) ToὈὈ Blues Café (20m); ὈὈ 32 Penjikent Afrosiab Hotel...... 37 C3 3 Shohruh 2 45 Victor Hugo French Bar Chinzano...... 38 B2 Cultural Centre (300m); Statue of Registan (Registanskaya) Umarov Karambek (800m) AbdurahmonNavoi Jomi (Rashidova) Amir Timur 22 Blues Café...... 39 A3 Akhunbabayev 6 30 Firdavsi 25 SHOPPING Park 43 Hotel Iskandarov GUM (Department Store)...... 40 B2 42 Samarkand Jurabek...... (see 21) Rosa Luxemburg Hotel 14 27 Mansur Nurillaev...... (see 22) Zerafshan angaran 11 Samarkand Ceramics Suz ὈὈUzbekistan ὈὈ36 Ὀ Umarov Workshop...... (see 20) Samarkand-Bukhara Silk lonelyplanet.com Old Town Carpets Showroom...... (see 19) 16 To Penjikent Siob Bazaar...... 41 E1 4 (60km) Universiteti TRANSPORT Umarov Hamidov Bulvar Marshrutka Stop I...... 42 B3 Makhmudov To Shakhrisabz Bulvar Marshrutka Stop II...... 43 C3 Bobur (90km) To Ishratkhana Mausoleum (300m); Registan Marshrutka Stop...... 44 E3 Samarkand Andijon Khodja Abdi Darun To Malika Lev University Mausoleum (300m) Shakhrisabz Taxi Stand...... 45 D3 ὈὈHotel (250m) Tolstoy ὈὈ h card holders4%forcashadvances. 4pm Mon-Sat)CashestravellerschequesandchargesVisa Main post & telegraph office post&telegraph Main &faxoffice telephone International POST &COMMUNICATIONS National BankofUzbekistan Hotel President workuntilearlyevening. The exchange attheHotel offices Afrosiaband MONEY Spyder Net City Batman ACCESSINTERNET 26; Baraka [email protected]; Centre Cultural Hugo French Victor CULTURAL CENTRES Information oppositefor2000S. stand theRegistan of andfacilities.Buyitatthesmallmap sights Samarkand accurateA detailed, 2004mapcalled MAPS Universiteti. markand ontheparklike called boulevard city’s twohalves, ismothballed Hotel Sa- betwixttheful touristlandmark,roughly a pedestrianthoroughfare, Navoi. Ause- newer downtownarea isalsocentred around metres westandnorthof The theRegistan. and province. the administrative centre of themoderncity lonelyplanet.com rienced. Ask abouttheannual ( p262 SilkTours isthemostexpe- ). Ofthese, cameltrekkingand thestandard andyurtstays Local travel agencies canorganise cars, guides TRAVEL AGENCIES Look forlargemetalgate. OVIR REGISTRATION stay inapinch. has great traveltipsand may beabletoarrangeahome- Dila channels. Manager and magazines,plus24French TV City’s only serious competition, with even bettercomputers. competition,with even City’s onlyserious range ofcomputingservices. midnight) Fast (usually),Skype,webcams, and connection ὈὈ slow cafénearRegistan. Most sights areMost sights withinacoupleof kilo- 8am-8pm) StandardUztelekomrateshere ( p264 ). ( % (Amir Timur 44;perhr600S; (Akhunbabayev 68;per hr500S; (Akhunbabayev (Registan 3;perhr600S; (Registan 233 69 34; cnr Mohmud Qoshqari &Ulugbek) 233 6934;cnrMohmudQoshqari (scale1:13,000)includesafulllist CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand h 2-6pm) French papers (Firdavsi 7; (Pochta5) h

(cnr Registan &Tashkent;(cnr Registan admission3700S; 235 93 67; www.tour-orient.com; 235 9367;www.tour-orient.com; on thewest sideistheorig- eep/goat/calf carcass, eep/goat/calf ,

which trans-

225 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN just three years. up aswelltheUlugbekMedressa, builtin It took17years tobuildbutstillhasn’theld bitions againstthedepictionof live animals. are meanttobelions,floutingIslamicprohi- with roaringfelines thatlooklike tigers but Ulugbek’s andfinished in1636,isdecorated kurash, yard, includingmockUzbek weddingsand are putonfortouristsintheSher Dorcourt- avarietyof traditionalshows season the high rooms are nowartandsouvenir shops. In makes itlookdomedfromtheinside. oozing goldleaf,isflatbutitstapered design it wasbuilt.Themosque’sdelicate ceiling, to symbolizeSamarkand’swealthatthetime the mosque,intricately decorated withgold heregardenlike is courtyard.Thehighlight Medressa ofportal the the Shaybanid EmirYalangtush. Theentrance two storeys of dormitorycellshere. large mosque. About 100studentslived inthe domes were lecture halls,andattherear a thelittlecorner and philosophy).Beneath other subjectsincludedtheology,astronomy tohave mathematicshere;(who issaid taught 226 it, executed the architect anddecreed that smooch lefta markandTimur, onseeing the jobunlesshe couldgive herakiss. The madly inlove withherandrefused tofinish whilehewasaway. Thearchitectsurprise fell wife,Chinese ordered themosquebuiltasa in anearthquakelapsed in1897. Slowly crumblingover theyears, itfinally col- it pushed construction techniques tothelimit. mosques (themaingate alonewas35mhigh), pire. Onceoneof the Islamicworld’sbiggest death andmusthave thejewelof been hisem- wasfinishedshortlybeforeRegistan, Timur’s Mosque The enormouscongregational BIBI-KHANYM MOSQUE for 3000S.Don’tpaymore than2000S. offer toescortvisitors tothetopof a minaret usually bewatched forfree fromafar. on fortourgroupsinthesquare, which can shows put sound-and-light evening also tacky 7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pmNov-Mar) 7pm Apr-Oct, The otherbuildingsare by imitations rough Legend says that Bibi-Khanym, Timur’s thatBibi-Khanym, says Legend For optimalviews,policeguardseagerly isthe In between Many of themedressas’ formerdormitory ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand

aformof Uzbek wrestling. There are (Tashkent kochasi;admission2400S; (Tashkent , completed in1660,withapleasant, Sher Dor(Lion)Medressa (Gold-Covered) Tilla-Kari , northeastof the Bibi-Khanym Bibi-Khanym ,

opposite h 8am- sion 2400S; rooms aroundwhatisprobably thegrave of and holiestshrine–acomplexof cool,quiet Living King’,refers toitsoriginal,innermost Thename,which means‘Tombofsight. the 5pm Nov-Mar) mausoleums an abomination bysome,butthis Its shiny restoration called in2005hasbeen SHAH-I-ZINDA 1200S; own compact14th-century children. willhavewho crawlsunderthestand lotsof the place. Locallore hasitthatanywoman thatlendssomescaleto marble Quranstand anenormous The interior courtyardcontains domes. themaingatewayinstated andseveral thecupolas),hasre-(notice thetilesfallingoff to tempt othermen. women should henceforthwearveils soasnot modest ing Ulugbek,lie beneaththesurprisingly Timur, two sonsandtwograndsons,includ- GURI AMIR MAUSOLEUM &AROUND conservatively. pilgrimage, soenter withrespect anddress little restoration. was of such exceptionalqualitythatitmerited the entrystairs. Theexquisite tileworkhere one of Timur’s wives, ontheleft after second Mulk AkaMausoleum (1372),resting placeof ably lostsomeof theirpower. While stillstunning,thetombshave undeni- tify’ Uzbekistan’s architectural monuments. the Karimov administration’sdrive to‘beau- they were controversially restored aspartof Asiavated glazedtileworkinCentral until and favourites neartheLivingKing. Timur andlater Ulugbek buriedtheirfamily assume itscurrent forminthe14thcenturyas it inthe13thcentury.Shah-i-Zinda beganto of Afrosiablongbefore theMongolsransacked to thisarea inthe7thcentury. tohaveMohammed whoissaid Islam brought ibn-Abbas,Qusam acousinof theProphet its trademark Across Tashkent kochasi isBibi-Khanym’s Recent restoration, shoddyinplaces though Shah-i-Zinda placeof isanimportant The mostbeautifultombremains theShadi tombsfeaturedThese thefinestunreno- existed hereA shrinetoQusam ontheedge h Guri AmirMausoleum Guri 8am-6pm) h remains Samarkand’smostmoving (admission 2400S; 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) 9am-5pmNov-Mar) 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, fluted azure dome. . h mausoleum

(Akhunbabayev; admis- (Akhunbabayev; 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am- 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, lonelyplanet.com avenue of avenue (admission and of a a of was built:a14th-centurycomplex consisting mains of whatstoodhere before GuriAmir Soviet Union. I’. Thenextday,22June,Hitlerattacked the be defeated byanenemymore fearsome than opensthiswill that‘whoever tion totheeffect ecdote, hefound onTimur’s grave aninscrip- tourguide’sfavouriteAccording toevery an- and thatUlugbekdiedfrombeingbeheaded. (from injuriessuffered whenhewas25) – arm legandright (1.7m) andlameintheright other things,confirmedthatTimur wastall mov openedthecryptsin1941and,among around Umar’stomb. Mohammad. Timur ordered GuriAmirbuilt ers, tobeadescendentof said theProphet Umar, themostrevered of Timur’s teach- liesSheikh Seyid these Miran Shah. Behind sons Shah (thefatherof Rukh Ulugbek)and stones behindTimur’s markthegraves of his teachers. The InfrontliesMohammed Sultan. is thatof Mersaid oneof Baraka, Timur’s Timur’s isthatof Ulugbek,andtotheright course hissonrecovered. he returned thestonetoSamarkand,andof son. Attheurging of hisreligious advisers bad luck,includingthenear-death of his Nadir Shah tohave issaid hadarunof very brokendentally intwo–fromwhich time toPersia,carried itoff where itwasacci- green jade. In1740thewarlordNadirShah Timur’s stone,onceasingleblockof dark- are inachamber beneath.Inthecentre is stones are justmarkers; theactualcrypts was interred here instead. wereback toShakhrisabz snowedinandhe inthewinter ofthe Chinese) 1405,thepasses ofthe course planninganexpeditionagainst expectedly of pneumoniainKazakhstan (in thatwhenTimurBut thestorygoes diedun- whohaddiedtheprevious year.med Sultan, heir,Moham- for hisgrandsonandproposed andhadthisonebuiltin1404 at Shakhrisabz, lonelyplanet.com coes andmajolicacoes tileworkinside. It’s usually derelict little cants), mosqueand mausoleum. plation hallandhostel forwandering mendi- some unrestored, barely visible interior fres- The Soviet Gerasi- anthropologistMikhail The plainmarblemarker totheleftof As withotherMuslim mausoleums,the Timur hadbuiltasimplecryptforhimself Outside themausoleumyou’llfind there- Down alanebehind theGuriAmiris the khanaka (Uzbek: Ak-Saray Mausoleum Ak-Saray CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand hanako; aSuficontem- (1470),with should make drivingtoAfrosiab easier. building a newroadeastof Shah-i-Zinda that Samarkand. Atthe timeof writingthecitywas roundabout routefollows thesame fromHotel markand’s northern suburbs;marshrutka 45 takes an8kmdetourviathebazaarandSa- hot towalk,marshrutka 17fromtheRegistan is1.5kmbeyondthat. Ifit’stoo observatory Ulugbek’s about 1kmtotheAfrosiabMuseum; and followpedestrianTashkent kochasi for Cross theintersection northof Bibi-Khanym other artefacts unearthedinAfrosiab. depicting Ulugbekandafew oldceramicsand (admission 2400; unearthed in1908.Thesmallon-site track, that remains istheinstrument’scurved hebuiltinthe1420s.All storey observatory positions,waspartof star athree- to observe mer thanasaruler. His30mastrolab,designed bek wasprobablymore famousasanastrono- archaeological findsof the20thcentury. mains of of DanielcanalsobefoundinSusa). Iran(suspiciously, anallegedfrom Susa, tomb were here brought forgoodluckbyTimurBC, remains, which date toatleastthe5thcentury hastobeenlarged.thus thesarcophagus His Daniel’s bodygrowsbyhalfaninch ayearand –legending an18msarcophagus hasitthat structure toppedwithfive domes,contain- before thebridge). Thebuildingisalong,low Siob River Tashkent (turnleftoff kochasi just northeast of onthebanksof themuseum, the Prophet Daniel picking coinsoutof thedust. you mayfindweather-beaten archaeologists north tothecurrent excavation site where walk1km that isAfrosiab. Fromthemuseum, the11layersthe visitorthrough of civilisation 36; Tashkent kochasi;admission2300S; to theelements.The (early Samarkand)more orlessabandoned of thebazaar,are excavations of Marakanda At a2.2-sq-kmsite calledAfrosiab, northeast ANCIENT SAMARKAND (AFROSIAB) asasouvenir andcraftshop. serves monument.Itnow the city’soldestsurviving Mausoleum Rukhobod to openup–forafee, of course. locked butthere maybeaguyhangingaround The restored The bestwaytoreach Afrosiab isonfoot. Continuing northyou’llencounter there- GuriAmirandthemainroad is Between Ulugbek’s Observatory

h (admission 1200S; 9am-6pm) Tomb oftheOldTestament , dated 1380andpossibly Afrosiab Museum Afrosiab hassomeminiatures h h , oneof thegreat 8am-6pm) 9am-6pm)

( % is400m museum

Ulug- leads 235 53 227

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN just three years. up aswelltheUlugbekMedressa, builtin It took17years tobuildbutstillhasn’theld bitions againstthedepictionof live animals. are meanttobelions,floutingIslamicprohi- with roaringfelines thatlooklike tigers but Ulugbek’s andfinished in1636,isdecorated it, executed the architect anddecreed that smooch lefta markandTimur, onseeing the jobunlesshe couldgive herakiss. The madly inlove withherandrefused tofinish whilehewasaway. Thearchitectsurprise fell wife,Chinese ordered themosquebuiltasa in anearthquakelapsed in1897. Slowly crumblingover theyears, itfinally col- it pushed construction techniques tothelimit. mosques (themaingate alonewas35mhigh), pire. Onceoneof the Islamicworld’sbiggest death andmusthave thejewelof been hisem- wasfinishedshortlybeforeRegistan, Timur’s Mosque The enormouscongregational BIBI-KHANYM MOSQUE for 3000S.Don’tpaymore than2000S. offer toescortvisitors tothetopof a minaret usually bewatched forfree fromafar. on fortourgroupsinthesquare, which can shows put sound-and-light evening also tacky kurash, yard, includingmockUzbek weddingsand are putonfortouristsintheSher Dorcourt- avarietyof traditionalshows season the high rooms are nowartandsouvenir shops. In makes itlookdomedfromtheinside. oozing goldleaf,isflatbutitstapered design it wasbuilt.Themosque’sdelicate ceiling, to symbolizeSamarkand’swealthatthetime the mosque,intricately decorated withgold heregardenlike is courtyard.Thehighlight Medressa ofportal the the Shaybanid EmirYalangtush. Theentrance two storeys of dormitorycellshere. large mosque. About 100studentslived inthe domes were lecture halls,andattherear a thelittlecorner and philosophy).Beneath other subjectsincludedtheology,astronomy tohave mathematicshere;(who issaid taught 226 7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pmNov-Mar) 7pm Apr-Oct, Legend says that Bibi-Khanym, Timur’s thatBibi-Khanym, says Legend For optimalviews,policeguardseagerly isthe In between The otherbuildingsare by imitations rough Many of themedressas’ formerdormitory ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand

opposite h 8am- sion 2400S; modest ing Ulugbek,lie beneaththesurprisingly Timur, two sonsandtwograndsons,includ- GURI AMIR MAUSOLEUM &AROUND conservatively. pilgrimage, soenter withrespect anddress little restoration. was of such exceptionalqualitythatitmerited the entrystairs. Theexquisite tileworkhere one of Timur’s wives, ontheleft after second Mulk AkaMausoleum (1372),resting placeof ably lostsomeof theirpower. While stillstunning,thetombshave undeni- tify’ Uzbekistan’s architectural monuments. the Karimov administration’sdrive to‘beau- they were controversially restored aspartof Asiavated glazedtileworkinCentral until and favourites neartheLivingKing. Timur andlater Ulugbek buriedtheirfamily assume itscurrent forminthe14thcenturyas it inthe13thcentury.Shah-i-Zinda beganto of Afrosiablongbefore theMongolsransacked to thisarea inthe7thcentury. tohaveMohammed whoissaid Islam brought ibn-Abbas,Qusam acousinof theProphet rooms aroundwhatisprobably thegrave of and holiestshrine–acomplexof cool,quiet Living King’,refers toitsoriginal,innermost Thename,which means‘Tombofsight. the 5pm Nov-Mar) mausoleums an abomination bysome,butthis Its shiny restoration called in2005hasbeen SHAH-I-ZINDA 1200S; own compact14th-century children. willhavewho crawlsunderthestand lotsof the place. Locallore hasitthatanywoman thatlendssomescaleto marble Quranstand anenormous The interior courtyardcontains domes. themaingatewayinstated andseveral thecupolas),hasre-(notice thetilesfallingoff to tempt othermen. women should henceforthwearveils soasnot its trademark Shah-i-Zinda placeof isanimportant The mostbeautifultombremains theShadi tombsfeaturedThese thefinestunreno- existed hereA shrinetoQusam ontheedge Across Tashkent kochasi isBibi-Khanym’s Recent restoration, shoddyinplaces though h Guri AmirMausoleum Guri 8am-6pm) h remains Samarkand’smostmoving (admission 2400S; 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) 9am-5pmNov-Mar) 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, fluted azure dome. . h mausoleum

h (admission 1200S; 9am-6pm) Tomb oftheOldTestament , dated 1380andpossibly Afrosiab Museum Afrosiab hassomeminiatures h h , oneof thegreat 8am-6pm) 9am-6pm)

( % is400m museum

Ulug- leads 235 53 227

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN tor AnatolyIonesov hasaremarkable col- a newhomebythetimeyouread this.Cura- park renovations. shouldhave Themuseum was demolishedin2006topave thewayfor ing incentral h & Solidarity rolling inhiscoffin. thatwouldhave asight Lenin Leninskaya), Gussied-up localsstrollalongNavoi (formerly it’squite un-Sovietisedbecause andcharming. to escapetourists’radar,which isunfortunate Samarkand’s Russified downtownarea tends NAVOI KOCHASI &PARK of theworld’slargest (1mby1.5m). a quirkycollectionof Quransthatincludesone some photosof Samarkand100years agoand rugs, nuptialsheets and andPersianold Afghan specimens –prayer carpets –includingsomesplendid200-year- which includeanimpressive collectionof old the decorative andappliedartsexhibitsupstairs, and theTimurid isprobably era. Thehighlight witharchaeological findsfromAfrosiab starting thehistoryofyou through artintheregion, &Tashkent;Registan admission2400S; Samarkand’s largest STATE ARTMUSEUM 228 the to filmyour horrormovie. Across thestreet is thisistheplace cryptin the basement, an eerie Ayniy) 15th-century worth theslogouttoTombRaider–style, The ribbed Shah-i-Zinda andAfrosiab fromtheminaret. fine domedinterior andviewsof Bibi-Khanym, Samarkand’s mostbeautifulmosque, witha restored andtoday is by awealthyBukharan rebuilt until1854.Inthe1990sitwaslovingly Jenghiz inthe13thcenturyandwasnot Khan that oncestoodhere wasburnttothegroundby fringes of Afrosiab. The8th-centurymosque minaret 1000S; Mosque Hazrat-Hizr Across theintersection fromthebazaar, OTHER SIGHTS in thenameof peace. signatures, includingsomevery famousones, ofmemorabilia andhascollected thousands lection of andenvironmental disarmament The quirky If youprefer yourruinsreally ruined,it’s by appointmentonly) Khodja Abdi Darun Mausoleum AbdiDarunMausoleum Khodja . Withapreponderance of pigeons and ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand

aivan h ( % Ishratkhana Mausoleum Mausoleum Ishratkhana 8am-6pm) 223 1753;http://peace.museum.com; International Museum ofPeace Museum International Navoi Park ceiling dripscolour.

(Tashkent kochasi; admission 1200S, kochasi;admission1200S, (Tashkent used tooccupyabuild- used museum occupies a hill on the occupies ahillonthe suzani. , butthebuilding h

( Downstairs are % 9am-6pm) (Sadriddin Ayniy) (Sadriddin 235 37 80; cnr 235 3780;cnr (Sadriddin (Sadriddin walks walks , speaks German.) Akhunbabayev 93) Akhunbabayev Denis Vikulov Denis Vikulov below. agency. Recommendedguidesare listed yourhotelFor guides,gothrough oratravel Tours Monument Gagarin atthelushceilingtilework. glimpse it’s locked askthecaretaker toletyouinfora Mosque recently restored gem isthe restoredcolumns andbrightly ceiling.Another summer mosquewithanopenporch, carved tall fine get here take marshrutka 22or32. a mosqueand which shares atranquil,shady courtyardwith rive and see if its staff have anyideas. ifitsstaff rive and see beforeEmail the VictorHugoCentre youar- Cheap private optionsare homestay limited. BUDGET able tothetourgroup–ladenhotels. lofty butareBukhara’s standards farprefer- markand’s B&Bs,which aren’t quite upto You’ll findlittlereason tostrayfromSa- Sleeping andexhibitions. various culturalevents Sq. Every 18October is (next in2007and2009)AugustatRegistan national musicfestival, otheryear heldevery the and inNavoi Park. Thecityisalsohometo Festival Most of theactionduringSamarkand’s Festivals &Events or trythe ( Dila attheVictorHugoCentre through p225 ), hour. Studentsoften costless,andcanbefound The goingrate fortrainedguidesisUS$5per Li Svetlana Natalya Tyan Firuza Fazilova Farruh Bahronov speaks English)Caterstobudgettravellers. French.) Also runs a shop at the Registan’s UlugbekMedressa. French.) Alsorunsashop at theRegistan’s was plucked outof agiantcereal box. lovers of Soviet iconography.Itlookslike it Out bytheUzbekistan the Airways office, South of onSuzangaranisthe theRegistan Sharq Taronalari Hodja-Nisbaddor Mosque (Bukhoro) (see (see p263 ) takes placeattheRegistan Foreign Language Institute LanguageInstitute Foreign ( % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( ( % . h ( 222 74 64; [email protected] 222 7464;[email protected] , 100m east of the Registan. If , 100meastof If theRegistan. % ( hauz % 222 5842speaksFrench.) 270 7328;[email protected] (cnr Gagarin &Ulugbek) (cnr Gagarin 260 14 25 speaks German.) 260 1425speaksGerman.) (Melodies of inter- theEast) 241 01 02 speaks English and 241 0102speaksEnglishand (artificial stonepool).To , a small 19th-century , asmall19th-century Samarkand Day Samarkand Makhdumi Khorezm Khorezm Makhdumi ( % will thrill 233 61 74; 233 6174; Navruz ,

with US$6, s/dUS$10/16) at thiswell-located B&B. Ten of themare set s/d US$18/36) should considerFurkat’stwoannexes. door shutannoyinglyearlyhere; owls night boltthefront capped Fan Staff Mountains. splendid viewsof andthesnow- theRegistan old town,butyoucan’targue withtheresult: pricing. Itsthree floors maybeoutof placein wooddoors andflexible orated rooms,carved petition much toimitate, includingrichly dec- Samarkand’s originalB&Bstillgives thecom- dov 105;swithshared bathroomUS$10, s/dUS$20/30; FrenchEnglish, German, orSpanish. one familymembercanwaxphilosophicalin trees. Dinners (US$7)are heartyandatleast shaded bypomegranate, persimmon andfig aroundalushgardencourtyard windows, isset withtwotowering,vaulted The mainhouse, mosquelike painted ribbed,brightly ceilings. walnut-wooddoorshave and hand-carved and trinkets; inthe19th-centuryannexe those erously furnishedwithantiquecarpets, home. Therooms varyindesignbutallare gen- s/d/tr fromUS$20/30/45; [email protected]; s/dwithshared bathroomfromUS$10/20, is fullit’snot in thenewpartof else town,butifeverything We hardlyrecommend thismustySoviet relic packer adviceandwarstories. readcan’t sleep, the notebook filledwithback- previous five years inanelephantpen.Ifyou hadtheyspentthe that wouldbenosaggier careers asdishrags30years agoandmattresses functional plumbing,‘towels’thatbegantheir communal atmosphere. Butitalsohasbarely vegetariantasty dinners (US$1)andafriendly the powerof have lowprices.OK,soitdoes backpacker constituencyspeaksvolumesabout Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com break thebank. Amir, this B&B serves up warm ifbasicrooms Amir, this B&Bserves 150; s/dUS$20/30; Dilshoda MIDRANGE and test tothecoils. thebeds–somesag ture asitscentrepiece. Check outafew rooms around acourtyardwithanodd,stringed sculp- really capture thevibeof livinginatraditional the onlyplaceinSamarkandwhere youcan Furkat o Registan Hotel B&B Bahodir Joni ( %

( ( % % Antica 235 69 41; [email protected]; Penjikent 9; Penjikent 9; 235 6941;[email protected]; There’s avarietyof roomsonoffer 235 0387;www.dilshoda.by.ru; AkSaray 235 62 99; [email protected]; Mulokan- 235 6299;[email protected];

that ( a Bahodir’s hammerlock on the hammerlockonthe Bahodir’s %

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% ( % ) 220 30 93; Mulokandov 132; dm from 132;dmfrom 220 3093;Mulokandov Set intheshadow of Guri Set bad and it certainly won’t bad anditcertainly a 233 5590;Ulugbek36;s/dUS$7/10) 235 20 92; Iskandarov 58;antica 235 2092;Iskandarov ) This boutique B&B is ThisboutiqueB&Bis CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand suzani suzani a )

2000S) early oritmayrun outof shashlyk orclose. soup) lings), generous helpingsof with the touristmasses itpleases Registan, ofbecause itsprimelocationopposite the most popularchaikhanas inthecountry Lyabi Gor CHAIKHANAS &HOMERESTAURANTS area.the touristyRegistan newer Russianpartof town,farremoved from good eateries inSamarkand.Mostare inthe Contrary topopularbeliefthere are plentyof Eating of theRegistan. facingeasthaveand whistlesthose views creativity. Theroomshave theexpected bells showmuch doesn’t lobby, thisnewhigh-rise theluxurious,airplanehangar–like Beyond .com; Shohruh53;s/d/steUS$105/165/300; expect anicerange of amenities. its wingsatthetimeof research, butyoucan Itwasjustgetting andneweverything. TVs the inside,withextra-widetwinbeds,fancy offering isuglyontheoutsidebutswanky s/dUS$50/70; [email protected]; Grand Samarkand TOP END location issomewhattragic. best truehotel its inSamarkand,although makes itfarandawaythe of styleandservice a few traditionaltouches thrownin.Itsmix tastefully understated rooms,finefoodand with26spacious, disappoint, hotel doesn’t US$35/45; costUS$45. with satellite TV bit overpriced. More spaciousdeluxe doubles ofmatch thestandard thecourtyardandare a Alas, thesmallishregular roomsdonotquite courtyard withthree thisB&Bhasaalluring the AyniMuseum, s/d fromUS$20/35; realm of possibilityifyou’re awhile. staying upon request. Discountsare notbeyondthe mouthwatering three-course dinners (US$4) up rooms. Thechipper hostfamilyserves with nicecarpets,narrowbedsandsmallbath- Yulduz Chaikhana President Hotel Malika Zarina Another popular chaikhana, this one Another popularchaikhana, , shashlykandcheap beer. there Get laghman, ai

( ( (Registan 6;mains1000-2000S) (Registan % % 235 07 61; www.hotel-zarina.com; Umarov4; 235 0761;www.hotel-zarina.com; 233 01 97; www.malika-samarkand.com; s/d 233 0197;www.malika-samarkand.com; a ) The Malika chain’s signature

( ( shorpa % ) % Located onanalleybehind (Tashkent kochasi;mains1000- (Tashkent 233 2475;www.uzhotelpresident tapchan tapchan 233 2880;Yalantush 38;grand manty (meat andvegetable a (steamed dump- and asmallpool. ) Thismidsized Oneof the ais 229

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UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN the to filmyour horrormovie. Across thestreet is thisistheplace cryptin the basement, an eerie Ayniy) 15th-century worth theslogouttoTombRaider–style, The ribbed Shah-i-Zinda andAfrosiab fromtheminaret. fine domedinterior andviewsof Bibi-Khanym, Samarkand’s mostbeautifulmosque, witha restored andtoday is by awealthyBukharan rebuilt until1854.Inthe1990sitwaslovingly Jenghiz inthe13thcenturyandwasnot Khan that oncestoodhere wasburnttothegroundby fringes of Afrosiab. The8th-centurymosque minaret 1000S; Mosque Hazrat-Hizr Across theintersection fromthebazaar, OTHER SIGHTS in thenameof peace. signatures, includingsomevery famousones, ofmemorabilia andhascollected thousands lection of andenvironmental disarmament tor AnatolyIonesov hasaremarkable col- a newhomebythetimeyouread this.Cura- park renovations. shouldhave Themuseum was demolishedin2006topave thewayfor ing incentral h & Solidarity rolling inhiscoffin. thatwouldhave asight Lenin Leninskaya), Gussied-up localsstrollalongNavoi (formerly it’squite un-Sovietisedbecause andcharming. to escapetourists’radar,which isunfortunate Samarkand’s Russified downtownarea tends NAVOI KOCHASI &PARK of theworld’slargest (1mby1.5m). a quirkycollectionof Quransthatincludesone some photosof Samarkand100years agoand rugs, nuptialsheets and andPersianold Afghan specimens –prayer carpets –includingsomesplendid200-year- which includeanimpressive collectionof old the decorative andappliedartsexhibitsupstairs, and theTimurid isprobably era. Thehighlight witharchaeological findsfromAfrosiab starting thehistoryofyou through artintheregion, &Tashkent;Registan admission2400S; Samarkand’s largest STATE ARTMUSEUM 228 The quirky If youprefer yourruinsreally ruined,it’s by appointmentonly) Khodja Abdi Darun Mausoleum AbdiDarunMausoleum Khodja . Withapreponderance of pigeons and ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand

aivan h ( % Ishratkhana Mausoleum Mausoleum Ishratkhana 8am-6pm) 223 1753;http://peace.museum.com; International Museum ofPeace Museum International Navoi Park ceiling dripscolour.

(Tashkent kochasi; admission 1200S, kochasi;admission1200S, (Tashkent used tooccupyabuild- used museum occupies a hill on the occupies ahillonthe suzani. , butthebuilding h

( Downstairs are % 9am-6pm) (Sadriddin Ayniy) (Sadriddin 235 37 80; cnr 235 3780;cnr (Sadriddin (Sadriddin walks walks , speaks German.) Akhunbabayev 93) Akhunbabayev rive and see if its staff have anyideas. ifitsstaff rive and see beforeEmail the VictorHugoCentre youar- Cheap private optionsare homestay limited. BUDGET able tothetourgroup–ladenhotels. lofty butareBukhara’s standards farprefer- markand’s B&Bs,which aren’t quite upto You’ll findlittlereason tostrayfromSa- Sleeping andexhibitions. various culturalevents Sq. Every 18October is (next in2007and2009)AugustatRegistan national musicfestival, otheryear heldevery the and inNavoi Park. Thecityisalsohometo Festival Most of theactionduringSamarkand’s Festivals &Events or trythe ( Dila attheVictorHugoCentre through p225 ), hour. Studentsoften costless,andcanbefound The goingrate fortrainedguidesisUS$5per Li Svetlana Natalya Tyan Firuza Fazilova Farruh Bahronov speaks English)Caterstobudgettravellers. Denis Vikulov below. agency. Recommendedguidesare listed yourhotelFor guides,gothrough oratravel Tours Monument Gagarin atthelushceilingtilework. glimpse it’s locked askthecaretaker toletyouinfora Mosque recently restored gem isthe restoredcolumns andbrightly ceiling.Another summer mosquewithanopenporch, carved tall fine get here take marshrutka 22or32. a mosqueand which shares atranquil,shady courtyardwith French.) Also runs a shop at the Registan’s UlugbekMedressa. French.) Alsorunsashop at theRegistan’s was plucked outof agiantcereal box. lovers of Soviet iconography.Itlookslike it Out bytheUzbekistan the Airways office, South of onSuzangaranisthe theRegistan Sharq Taronalari Hodja-Nisbaddor Mosque (Bukhoro) (see (see p263 ) takes placeattheRegistan Foreign Language Institute LanguageInstitute Foreign ( % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( ( % . h ( 222 74 64; [email protected] 222 7464;[email protected] , 100m east of the Registan. If , 100meastof If theRegistan. % ( hauz % 222 5842speaksFrench.) 270 7328;[email protected] (cnr Gagarin &Ulugbek) (cnr Gagarin 260 14 25 speaks German.) 260 1425speaksGerman.) (Melodies of inter- theEast) 241 01 02 speaks English and 241 0102speaksEnglishand (artificial stonepool).To , a small 19th-century , asmall19th-century Samarkand Day Samarkand Makhdumi Khorezm Khorezm Makhdumi ( % will thrill 233 61 74; 233 6174; Navruz ,

with US$6, s/dUS$10/16) at thiswell-located B&B. Ten of themare set s/d US$18/36) should considerFurkat’stwoannexes. door shutannoyinglyearlyhere; owls night boltthefront capped Fan Staff Mountains. splendid viewsof andthesnow- theRegistan old town,butyoucan’targue withtheresult: pricing. Itsthree floors maybeoutof placein wooddoors andflexible orated rooms,carved petition much toimitate, includingrichly dec- Samarkand’s originalB&Bstillgives thecom- dov 105;swithshared bathroomUS$10, s/dUS$20/30; FrenchEnglish, German, orSpanish. one familymembercanwaxphilosophicalin trees. Dinners (US$7)are heartyandatleast shaded bypomegranate, persimmon andfig aroundalushgardencourtyard windows, isset withtwotowering,vaulted The mainhouse, mosquelike painted ribbed,brightly ceilings. walnut-wooddoorshave and hand-carved and trinkets; inthe19th-centuryannexe those erously furnishedwithantiquecarpets, home. Therooms varyindesignbutallare gen- s/d/tr fromUS$20/30/45; [email protected]; s/dwithshared bathroomfromUS$10/20, break thebank. is fullit’snot in thenewpartof else town,butifeverything We hardlyrecommend thismustySoviet relic packer adviceandwarstories. readcan’t sleep, the notebook filledwithback- previous five years inanelephantpen.Ifyou hadtheyspentthe that wouldbenosaggier careers asdishrags30years agoandmattresses functional plumbing,‘towels’thatbegantheir communal atmosphere. Butitalsohasbarely vegetariantasty dinners (US$1)andafriendly the powerof have lowprices.OK,soitdoes backpacker constituencyspeaksvolumesabout Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Amir, this B&B serves up warm ifbasicrooms Amir, this B&Bserves 150; s/dUS$20/30; Dilshoda MIDRANGE and test tothecoils. thebeds–somesag ture asitscentrepiece. Check outafew rooms around acourtyardwithanodd,stringed sculp- really capture thevibeof livinginatraditional the onlyplaceinSamarkandwhere youcan Furkat o Registan Hotel B&B Bahodir Joni ( %

that ( a Bahodir’s hammerlock on the hammerlockonthe Bahodir’s %

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UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Hotel Zerafshan. toopenitsdoorsgetting acrossfromthe set Thai- andEgyptian-style meatdishes,isno tures. Themenu,which includesArabian-, counts asoneof Samarkand’sstranger struc- sort of tropical-style,thatched-roof yurt– h side patio. tings, fromprivate countryhuttoairystreet- good, andcanbeenjoyedinavarietyof set- and Russian-influencedcuisineissurprisingly restaurantOasis inNavoi Park. Thenational- This traditionalrestaurant trouncestouristy Karambek RESTAURANTS to worksporadicallysoaskaround. tend These the bazaarandImomal-Bukhori. of homerestaurants intheoldtownbetween direction.in theright There’s anotherstrip Ask tobepointed the UlugbekObservatory. of decenthomerestaurants several behind This dreamy chaikhana laysout chaikhana. asatLyabi Gororanyotheris thesame Themenu is neartheUlugbekObservatory. 230 a larger materializes. Thecreative ensemble Eddie the solopianoplayer, butoccasionally liveThe nightly jazzusuallytakes theformof lounge. thebluesy vibeatthissnugcocktail set Louie, BBandcompany adornthewallsand in townforlate-night eats–trythe pizza. crowd of regulars andisoneof thefew options smoky bardrawsafriendly,Russian-speaking Chinzano Bar Drinking &Entertainment ian restaurant called that are itsmaindraw. floorshows theelaborate nightly maintain visited, butwordisthatnewmanagement will middle of amanagement change whenwe for 200people. Itwasinthe outdoor seating Another traditional-styleplace,thisonehas to-order andtasty. less charismatic, butalldishes are cooked- road neartheriver andfollowfor1km. Tashkent off Turn right kochasi downadirt the banksof theba You canwash Siob Blues Café Blues Café Platan At thetimeof research apromisingItal- Kishmish lunch &dinner) ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand (mains 1000-2000S; ( ( % % ( % (Amir Timur 66; (Amir Timur 10; 221 27 56; Gagarina 194;mains1500-2500S) 221 2756;Gagarina 233 80 49; Pushkin 2;mains2000-3000S; 233 8049;Pushkin 231 03 82; Baraka 7;mains2000-3000S) 231 0382;Baraka The maindiningfacility–a plov bbling Siab(Siob)River. downwithvodkaatone Venezia h h h lunch & dinner May-Sep) lunch &dinnerMay-Sep) noon-11.30pm) 9am-midnight) (Abdurahmon) tapchan tapchan Dizzy, This was on Urgut ( p232 ). Medressa) Siob Bazaar netic, colourfulmainfarmers market, called Mausoleum. turist Mansur isattheRukhobod Nurillaev for the lookout AttheRegistan and theRegistan. Mausoleumin particularattheRukhobod shops of varyingqualityatallthebigsights, There are souvenir shopsandcraftwork- Shopping their occasionalmomentsatweekends. 2) Registan atthe nightclubs mainly toayounger set. good clubonweekends, albeitonecatering butturnsintoaprettyis apoolbarweeknights This tion downtownifyoulookhardenough. 1500/2500S, Sun-Thu free; filled Georgian snack menuincludes 3500/9000S, six/3½hours). Marshrutkas to/ (bus/shared per seat taxi the observatory bek marshrutka stop,about 300m eastof andsharedprivate isthe Ulug- buses taxis The maindeparture point toTashkent for nous stretch of factoriesand cottonfields. named theHungrySteppe, nowamonoto- Russians nick- flat, drylandscapethattsarist Tashkent isfourhours away bycaracrossa LAND here. mustbebought for alldomesticflights ( airport take anymarshrutka tothePovorot daily exceptFridayforUS$36.Toget tothe 84) Airways Uzbekistan AIR Getting There&Away (Ulugbek) hunters aswell.Youcanalsofindsilkat tographers, andmayreward silkandsouvenir room p232) (see textiles. SilkCarpets Samarkand-Bukhara ing. area shutsdownaround9pm,butthere’s ac- ing theSamarkandschool of ceramicmak- Поворот flies between SamarkandandTashkent fliesbetween Sharq Around and behind Bibi-Khanym, thefre-Around andbehind Bibi-Khanym, Your only late-night optionsareYour onlylate-night thetwo Jurabek (Sher DorMedressa) , but silk buffs are, butsilkbuffs better offgoingto , oneof thefew placesstillpractis- Samarkand Ceramics Workshop Ceramics Samarkand which are usuallymoribundbuthave ) stopandget outatGagarin.Tickets (Ulugbek 91; admission women/men Fri &Sat (Ulugbek 91;admissionwomen/menFri , isgreat forvegetarians andpho-

also has a Registan-based also hasaRegistan-based (Ulugbek Medressa) samsa

( % Afrosiab Hotel Hotel Afrosiab h . Accomplished minia- booking office 334 10 89; Gagarin office3341089;Gagarin booking ). 9pm-2am) khachapuri sells beautifulold sells lonelyplanet.com The Registan TheRegistan ( % (cheese-

231 1195; (Tilla-Kari (Tilla-Kari show- GUM

through Samarkanddailyat11am.Therethrough are Registan. Bukhara isthedaily‘suburban’train(1200S, Bukhara 7500S, sixhours). Thecheapest option to Samarkandat1.45am( through Tashkent–Bukhara train rumbles passenger 1st class5700/9200S,3½hours). Thedaily heading westatabout1.10pm(2ndclass/ one originates inBukhara. to Tashkent ( also twoslowerregular trains daily passenger Bukhara–Tashkent express hours). Theequallypricedandspeedy at 5pm(2ndclass/1st class6500/12,000S,four departs five toTashkent timesaweek seating, The speedy Train For Penjikent, see p267 . you pickupamarshrutka forthelast10km. 1½ hours). where MostgoonlyasfarKitab, marshrutka 2500S, ‘Registan’ stop(perseat on Suzangaran,about 100msouthof the ugbek kochasi. 1km westof theGagarinMonumentonUl- point isthePovorot marshrutka stopabout around thisbusstop,butthemaindeparture 11,000S,three hours) (perseat Bukhara 13 hours). You’llfindafew shared to taxis up until7pm.SomegoontoUrgench (7500S, but more frequently (atleasttwoperhour) chasi (3500S,five hours). Theyrunallnight, opposite theUlugbekstoponTashkent ko- airport turnoff. 500mpastthe the dyingpublicbusstation, departs toTermiz (4500S,8½hours) from One early morningbus them having seats. pass byGrebnoy Kanal, butdon’tcounton bek stop.Infrequent Tashkent–Termiz buses city’s outskirtsabout 10kmeastof theUlug- five hours) gatherat‘Grebnoy Kanal’ onthe tion (5000S). from Tashkent congregate atthetrainsta- lonelyplanet.com that says ‘ that says northwest of Navoi Park. Take anymarshrutka p210). to KungradviaNukusgoSamarkand (see to Qarshi (850S,fourhours). six hours). There isalsoadailysuburbantrain For Bukhara youcanpickupthe For Bukhara sharedFor Shakhrisabz, congregate taxis viaNavoi departfrom toBukhara Buses Shared toTermiz taxis 16,000S, (perseat The The trainsfromTashkent toUrgench and train station Вокзал Registan platskartny CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••AroundSamarkand ’, such as73or 17fromthe ( % train,withairplane-style 229 15 32; Rudakiy) 229 1532;Rudakiy) 7500S, sixhours); Sharq platskartny trainrolls is 5km Sharq

Samarkand (500S,30minutes). Marshrutka onDagbitskaya in from outside UmarBank Chelek. Marshrutkas fromSamarkand leave and askbefore youtake photos. respect thecalmandreverent atmosphere, wanted toavoid communistassociations. edly ontheorders of President Karimov, who ceiling uncharacteristically lacksred –suppos- chanting prayers aivan, inlaid withmajolica. It’ssurroundedbyan gorgeous tomb,madeof yellowmarble and Ismailal-Bukhari’s the mainonecontaining andtwocourtyards, mosque, asmallmuseum forced intoexilehere. governorBukhara’s andhischildren, hewas lowing hisrefusal togive specialtutoringto to theQuranasasourceof religious law.Fol- is regarded only bySunniMuslimsassecond ofsayings theProphetMohammed. Hiswork scholars of the (AD 810–887)wasoneof thegreatest Muslim guided tourinEnglish1000S; est kand, isoneof Islam’sholierspots,themod- In Hoja Ismail,avillage 20kmnorthof Samar- Hoja Ismail AROUND SAMARKAND orhemaybypassit. you off say ‘ from theHotel SamarkandtotheSiobBazaar todowntown.Marshrutkaswhich isalsoclose totheBulvarstop, gofromtheRegistan buses and get off attheGUM ( downtown area Marshrutka use 3,21,22or41 areaRegistan andNavoi intheheartof the 6am until8pmor9pm.Toget the between few remaining (150S)runfromabout buses Marshrutkas (200Sto300S)andthecity’s PUBLIC TRANSPORT and pay1500S. about 4000S,orwalkouttothemainroad ( area, totheBulvarRegistan while20goes Marshrutka fromtheairportto 73goes TO/FROM THEAIRPORT Getting Around taxi from the airport to the Registan willcost fromtheairporttoRegistan taxi more options,such A as53totheRegistan. markand. Walk500mouttomainroadfor Бульвар This peacefulplaceof pilgrimage a contains Hoja Ismailvillage is4km off theroadto here, todressIt’s essential conservatively Mausoleum ofIsmailal-Bukhari Mausoleum Сиёб underwhich animamusuallysits, ) stopnearthemothballed Hotel Sa-

базар ’ , butremind thedriver todrop Hadith . The h –thecollected actsand aivan’s 7am-8pm) ГУМ ) stop.Plentyof brightly paintedbrightly

(admission 2000S, . Al-Bukhari . Al-Bukhari

231 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Hotel Zerafshan. toopenitsdoorsgetting acrossfromthe set a larger materializes. Thecreative ensemble Eddie the solopianoplayer, butoccasionally liveThe nightly jazzusuallytakes theformof lounge. thebluesy vibeatthissnugcocktail set Louie, BBandcompany adornthewallsand in townforlate-night eats–trythe pizza. crowd of regulars andisoneof thefew options smoky bardrawsafriendly,Russian-speaking Chinzano Bar Drinking &Entertainment ian restaurant called that are itsmaindraw. floorshows theelaborate nightly maintain visited, butwordisthatnewmanagement will middle of amanagement change whenwe for 200people. Itwasinthe outdoor seating Another traditional-styleplace,thisonehas to-order andtasty. less charismatic, butalldishes are cooked- Thai- andEgyptian-style meatdishes,isno tures. Themenu,which includesArabian-, counts asoneof Samarkand’sstranger struc- sort of tropical-style,thatched-roof yurt– h side patio. tings, fromprivate countryhuttoairystreet- good, andcanbeenjoyedinavarietyof set- and Russian-influencedcuisineissurprisingly restaurantOasis inNavoi Park. Thenational- This traditionalrestaurant trouncestouristy Karambek RESTAURANTS to worksporadicallysoaskaround. tend These the bazaarandImomal-Bukhori. of homerestaurants intheoldtownbetween direction.in theright There’s anotherstrip Ask tobepointed the UlugbekObservatory. of decenthomerestaurants several behind road neartheriver andfollowfor1km. Tashkent off Turn right kochasi downadirt the banksof theba This dreamy chaikhana laysout chaikhana. asatLyabi Gororanyotheris thesame Themenu is neartheUlugbekObservatory. 230 Blues Café Blues Café Platan You canwash Siob At thetimeof research apromisingItal- Kishmish lunch &dinner) ETA ZEITN • aakn CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Samarkand (mains 1000-2000S; ( ( % % ( % (Amir Timur 66; (Amir Timur 10; 221 27 56; Gagarina 194;mains1500-2500S) 221 2756;Gagarina 233 80 49; Pushkin 2;mains2000-3000S; 233 8049;Pushkin 231 03 82; Baraka 7;mains2000-3000S) 231 0382;Baraka The maindiningfacility–a plov bbling Siab(Siob)River. downwithvodkaatone Venezia h h h lunch & dinner May-Sep) lunch &dinnerMay-Sep) noon-11.30pm) 9am-midnight) (Abdurahmon) tapchan tapchan Dizzy, This was on Urgut ( p232 ). Medressa) Siob Bazaar netic, colourfulmainfarmers market, called Mausoleum. turist Mansur isattheRukhobod Nurillaev 3500/9000S, six/3½hours). Marshrutkas to/ (bus/shared per seat taxi the observatory bek marshrutka stop,about 300m eastof andsharedprivate isthe Ulug- buses taxis The maindeparture point toTashkent for nous stretch of factoriesand cottonfields. named theHungrySteppe, nowamonoto- Russians nick- flat, drylandscapethattsarist Tashkent isfourhours away bycaracrossa LAND here. mustbebought for alldomesticflights ( airport take anymarshrutka tothePovorot daily exceptFridayforUS$36.Toget tothe 84) Airways Uzbekistan AIR Getting There&Away (Ulugbek) hunters aswell.Youcanalsofindsilkat tographers, andmayreward silkandsouvenir room p232) (see textiles. SilkCarpets Samarkand-Bukhara ing. for the lookout AttheRegistan and theRegistan. Mausoleumin particularattheRukhobod shops of varyingqualityatallthebigsights, There are souvenir shopsandcraftwork- Shopping their occasionalmomentsatweekends. 2) Registan atthe nightclubs mainly toayounger set. good clubonweekends, albeitonecatering butturnsintoaprettyis apoolbarweeknights This tion downtownifyoulookhardenough. 1500/2500S, Sun-Thu free; filled Georgian snack menuincludes area shutsdownaround9pm,butthere’s ac- ing theSamarkandschool of ceramicmak- Поворот flies between SamarkandandTashkent fliesbetween Sharq Around and behind Bibi-Khanym, thefre-Around andbehind Bibi-Khanym, Your only late-night optionsareYour onlylate-night thetwo Jurabek (Sher DorMedressa) , but silk buffs are, butsilkbuffs better offgoingto , oneof thefew placesstillpractis- Samarkand Ceramics Workshop Ceramics Samarkand which are usuallymoribundbuthave ) stopandget outatGagarin.Tickets (Ulugbek 91; admission women/men Fri &Sat (Ulugbek 91;admissionwomen/menFri , isgreat forvegetarians andpho-

also has a Registan-based also hasaRegistan-based (Ulugbek Medressa) samsa

231 1195; (Tilla-Kari (Tilla-Kari show- GUM

базар ’ , butremind thedriver todrop Hadith . The h –thecollected actsand aivan’s 7am-8pm) ГУМ ) stop.Plentyof brightly paintedbrightly

(admission 2000S, . Al-Bukhari . Al-Bukhari

231 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 232 famous mausoleum onahill. retreatdisiacal mountain and its of Langar explored detours, tothepara- mostnotably south toTermiz offers upsomescenic, rarely If youhave afew daystoexplore, theroad Zerafshan &HissarMountains 45 minutes). marshrutka stop (1000S, fromtheRegistan entire Toget bazaarisfantastic. here take a totextilestion devoted collectors willbemainlyinterested inthesec- at thecrackof dawnforbestresults. Serious extent onThursday.and toalesser Arrive This market isonly happening onSunday, theyshoweduponthewrong day! because disappointed bythismarket, butthatmaybe in thecountry.Somereaders report being of thebestplacestobuysilkandoldtextiles ofmarkand because itsvast This townmakes apopulardaytripfromSa- Urgut Hotel Samakand. fromthe stand taxi theUmarBank 11 passes [email protected]) fabrics spilling out of tourist attractions fromTashkentfabrics spillingoutoftouristattractions toKhiva. boasts theregion’s richesttextile industry–asevidencedbythesometimesbafflingarrayof Besides beingblessedwithformerSoviet Central Asia’s mostsplendidarchitecture, Uzbekistan SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLESHOPPING of localcommunities. enterprises thatare turningprofitswhilealsocontributingtotheculturalandeconomicrevival andmerchantshave setupsmall-scale,tourist-focuseda growingnumberofindividualartisans ishardlyknownforbeingsmall-businessfriendly,butacrossthecountryresponsibly. Uzbekistan theleastyoucandoisbuy(silk andcottoncoverlets) oldhandkerchief, orsomefarmer’sdirty items are customordered orsoldatsemimonthlyexpositionsinTashkent. Yulduz hopestohave whichmixtraditionalandmodernstyles,willbeindemand. products, and‘studyingEuropean gotowardsmarketing tastes’ sure tomake much ofherefforts her shesays.‘If itwere possible,I’dworkwithallthewomeninShakhrisabz’, with 10womenin2005.Withinthree monthsshewasemploying60women,withinayear150. to feed theirfamilies.’ have towaste timesellingatthebazaar’,sheexplains. ‘Instead, theygetmoneyimmediately promise tobuytheirfinished fortheirproducts.capital forrawmaterials markets andlacked woman inthecityknowshowtostitchlocalstyle. However, theyhave traditionallylacked andaccordingtoYulduzwomen. Hand-weavingisanancienttraditioninShakhrisabz, every ETA ZEITN • hkrsb CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Shakhrisabz If you’re the sort who can’ttellIf you’re thedifference thesort betweenan18th-centuryNuratinsky A pioneerof‘sociallyresponsible’ shoppingis Unfortunately, YulduzUnfortunately, hashadproblemsfindingareliable Most retail outletinUzbekistan. thatarealityBut tomake she’llneedmore money.Yulduz nolongerstitchesherself. Instead, With seedmoneyfromforeign friendsandinternational donors,Yulduz launchedtheproject Yulduz’ ideawassimple–shewouldsupplyherwomenwithrawmaterials oncredit and , who runs a weaving project in Shakhrisabz thatemploysmore than100local inShakhrisabz , whorunsaweavingproject

and jewellery,butthe Sunday Bazaar suzani, handbags,clothingandotherproducts. ‘This issotheydon’t , one ruins dotted arounditsbackstreets, andthe special – untilyoustart bumping intothe ant Uzbekbackwater andseemstobenothing Kashka-Darya province. Thetownisapleas- south ofSamarkand, acrossthehillsin Shakhrisabz isasmall,un-Russified town % SHAKHRISABZ ing permitsandtrekking intheHissars. travelStar agency inSamarkandabout obtain- only withanexperiencedguide. Talk toOrient quires aspecial permitandyoushould proceed of research itwas.Trekking re- intheHissars to ensure thattheregion isopen; atthetime planningatrekzones. Before here, first check are Mountains insensitive border Zerafshan Asia’s least-exploredCentral trekking routes. est peaks(about 4500m)andoffers someof ishometoUzbekistan’sNature Reserve high- SouthofShakhrisabz. theHissar Shakhrisabz, Samarkandand between shan Mountains lead one-tothree-day hikes intheZeraf- Yulduz Mamadiyorova Keep and inmindthatboththeHissar Samarkandtravel agenciesSeveral ( p225 ) (3) 75/pop75,000 ШАХРИСАБЗ ( % 529 3967;yulduz lonelyplanet.com suzani day tripfromSamarkand.There are acouple orhisgrandsonUlugbek. for himself) built here byTimur (including a tombintended monument. Mostof itscurrent attractionswere Town’) andturneditintoanextended family Timur gave ititspresent name(Tajik for‘Green As was akindof topower, familyseat. herose (calledKeshthen, Shakhrisabz atthetime) Hoja 13kmtothesouth.Ancienteven Ilghar, clanofBarlas localaristocrats,atthevillage of to checkoutthegreatman’sroots. kand itselfintheshade.It’sworthavisitjust and onceuponatimeitprobablyputSamar- place materialise.ThisisTimur’shometown, megalomaniac ghostsofawhollydifferent lonelyplanet.com main road, IpakYoli(Uzbek for ‘SilkRoad’). happens along a2kmstretch of thetown’s ofAlmost everything interest inShakhrisabz Orientation vincial vibe. linger andabsorbthecity’seasy-going pro- whowanttoof optionsforthose sleeping You can easily see allof asa Shakhrisabz You caneasilysee Timur wasbornon9April1336intothe Samarkand-Bukhara SilkCarpetSamarkand-Bukhara Factory ofclothingonsaleatHumanHouse( find afew bagsandarticles p208 ) inTashkent. toAk-Saray ( a showroomupandrunningby2007next inShakhrisabz below ). Untilthenyou’ll it ishoped,willresuscitate schoolthattheirgrandfatheroncepractised. thewaningShakhrisabz myriadceramicstyles. AmongthefiveUzbekistan’s studentshere brotherswho, are twoShakhrisabz great placeforseriousceramicsaficionadostowitnesssomefinepiecesofpottery andlearnabout asmallpotters’has started workshoptorevive several ancientschoolsofceramicsmaking. This isa workshops in Bukhara and Khiva, andTashkent-based andKhiva, workshops inBukhara an investment’. notes,upwards ofUS$1200fora6-sq-metre ‘Agoodcarpetis silkcarpet.But,asAbdullahad process,fromunwindingthesilk cocoonstowashingthefinishedcarpets.carpet-making walksvisitorsthroughatourofallstagesthesilk-stop onthetour-bus and trail.Abdullahad other styles,are proofofthattheory.Inbusinesshere isnowawell-worn since1992,thefactory every beautifulcarpets’. half-hour,‘becausehappyemployeesmake tions inTurkmenistan, Afghanistan abreak musttake Headdsthatallworkers andUzbekistan. carpetsforsixgenera- Badghisi,whosefamilyhasbeenmaking full pay’,saysownerAbdullahad Western employmentstandards. offer worksaccordingtostrict to avoidpayingbenefits,thefactory contracts onlythree-month only naturaldyestochurnouthand-woven silkcarpetsoftrulyexceptionalquality. anything ofqualitycomesfromTurkmenistan. Buttheownershere, besidesbeingTurkmen, use appointment) Other socially responsible shopping options in Uzbekistan are sociallyresponsible Other HumanHouse,the‘Unesco’carpet shoppingoptionsinUzbekistan andareThese monthstomake carpetscantake consequentlyexpensive topay –expect The magnificentcarpets,whichexhibitarangeofTurkmen, factory’s Caucasian, Afghan and ‘Our peopleworkeighthoursaday,five daysaweek,11monthsyearwithmonthoffat inacountrywhere child-labourrunsrampantandmostprivateJust asimportant companies In nearby Samarkand, 400more women–plusafewIn nearbySamarkand, men–are gainfullyemployedat . Let’s be frank: Uzbekistan isnottheplacetobuycarpetsinCentral. Let’s Asia, Uzbekistan andalmost befrank: CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Shakhrisabz Mp p224; (Map speaking guidesforcitytours. speaking andFrench- can promptlysummonEnglish,German office,which StarhotelhoststhelocalUzbektourism Orient fax andphone. international callspermin850S; with everyday lifewith everyday willthrillcritics of the ics. This crumbling relic blending seamlessly with gorgeous, unrestored filigree-like mosa- of thegigantic,40m-high There’s actuallynothingleftof itexceptbits square centimetre asanything inSamarkand. 1000S; palace Just northof the centre, AK-SARAY PALACE Sights Uzbektourism National BankofUzbekistan Café Internet Information Mosque. town, about 5kmbeyondtheKok-Gumbaz issouthof busstation The long-distance % Rakhimov Ceramics Studio 231 0726;Hojom12;www.silkcarpets.net; h (White Palace; admissionfree, accesstostaircase 9am-6pm) (IpakYoli;internetperhr600S, (IpakYoli26;3-hrcitytourUS$15)The hasasmuch grandeurper h (Firdavsi) 28) Te latter The ( p208). pishtak 7am-6pm) Internet, Timur’s summer , covered h

by 233 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN famous mausoleum onahill. retreatdisiacal mountain and its of Langar explored detours, tothepara- mostnotably south toTermiz offers upsomescenic, rarely If youhave afew daystoexplore, theroad Zerafshan &HissarMountains 45 minutes). marshrutka stop (1000S, fromtheRegistan entire Toget bazaarisfantastic. here take a totextilestion devoted collectors willbemainlyinterested inthesec- at thecrackof dawnforbestresults. Serious extent onThursday.and toalesser Arrive This market isonly happening onSunday, theyshoweduponthewrong day! because disappointed bythismarket, butthatmaybe in thecountry.Somereaders report being of thebestplacestobuysilkandoldtextiles ofmarkand because itsvast This townmakes apopulardaytripfromSa- Urgut Hotel Samakand. fromthe stand taxi theUmarBank 11 passes 232 [email protected]) of localcommunities. enterprises thatare turningprofitswhilealsocontributingtotheculturalandeconomicrevival andmerchantshave setupsmall-scale,tourist-focuseda growingnumberofindividualartisans ishardlyknownforbeingsmall-businessfriendly,butacrossthecountryresponsibly. Uzbekistan theleastyoucandoisbuy(silk andcottoncoverlets) oldhandkerchief, orsomefarmer’sdirty fromTashkentfabrics spillingoutoftouristattractions toKhiva. boasts theregion’s richesttextile industry–asevidencedbythesometimesbafflingarrayof Besides beingblessedwithformerSoviet Central Asia’s mostsplendidarchitecture, Uzbekistan SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLESHOPPING items are customordered orsoldatsemimonthlyexpositionsinTashkent. Yulduz hopestohave whichmixtraditionalandmodernstyles,willbeindemand. products, and‘studyingEuropean gotowardsmarketing tastes’ sure tomake much ofherefforts her shesays.‘If itwere possible,I’dworkwithallthewomeninShakhrisabz’, with 10womenin2005.Withinthree monthsshewasemploying60women,withinayear150. to feed theirfamilies.’ have towaste timesellingatthebazaar’,sheexplains. ‘Instead, theygetmoneyimmediately promise tobuytheirfinished fortheirproducts.capital forrawmaterials markets andlacked woman inthecityknowshowtostitchlocalstyle. However, theyhave traditionallylacked andaccordingtoYulduzwomen. Hand-weavingisanancienttraditioninShakhrisabz, every ETA ZEITN • hkrsb CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Shakhrisabz A pioneerof‘sociallyresponsible’ shoppingis who can’ttellIf you’re thedifference thesort betweenan18th-centuryNuratinsky Unfortunately, YulduzUnfortunately, hashadproblemsfindingareliable Most retail outletinUzbekistan. thatarealityBut tomake she’llneedmore money.Yulduz nolongerstitchesherself. Instead, With seedmoneyfromforeign friendsandinternational donors,Yulduz launchedtheproject Yulduz’ ideawassimple–shewouldsupplyherwomenwithrawmaterials oncredit and , who runs a weaving project in Shakhrisabz thatemploysmore than100local inShakhrisabz , whorunsaweavingproject

by 233 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN pishtak worth climbingthe116steps tothetopof the ‘import’ of manyof It’swell itsfinestartisans. ing asuccessfulcampaigninKhorezm andthe tious project, 24years inthemaking,follow- elsewhere. country’s over-sanitized restoration efforts 234 4 1 3 2 5 SHAKHRISABZ To Long-DistanceBus Ak-Saray wasprobably Timur’s mostambi- Katta Langar(75km); Qarshi (123km); Station (4.5km); Termiz (294km) ETA ZEITN • hkrsb CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Shakhrisabz Kulolik Chaikhana...... Aquarium...... EATING Shakhrisabz Tours&Travel...... Orient Star...... SLEEPING Tomb ofJehangir...... Statue ofTimur...... Sheikh ShamseddinKulyalMausoleum...... Kok-Gumbaz Mosque...... Gumbazi Seyidan...... Crypt ofTimur...... Amir TimurMuseum...... Ak-Saray Palace...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Uzbektourism...... (see 10) Shakhrisabz Tours&Travel1...... (see11) Internet Café...... INFORMATION totrulyappreciate It’sstag- itsheight.

ὈὈ Ὀ Namatmon

Pushkin A 13

Gagarin

6 Ipak Yoli Abay

5 Sham Bazaar 7 1 siddin 0.2miles 300m 0 0 12 10

Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ Kulol

National BankofUzbekistan Ravnakhi

Hovuzi 11 8 (2.5km); Kitab(12km); Khazrati-Imam 9 Mardon 3 Post Office(500m); Complex 2 B Samarkand (90km) 13 12 11 10 4 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B3 B3 A5 A5 A5 B5 B3 A4 B3 B4 B3 B5 B4 Mosque left asyouenter thecomplexis burial complexof Timur’s forebears. Onthe designers. calling cardsof itsoriginal IndianandIranian palm trees painted ontheinterior wallsare of state constant renovation for years. The inanalmost means ‘bluedome’.Ithasbeen was Timur’s son).Thename,appropriately, 1437 inhonourof hisfatherShah (who Rukh h This large TILYOVAT DORUT KOK-GUMBAZ MOSQUE& creating quite amobscene. at atimeposinghere forphotosatweekends, Timur the palacecentre anew stands palace waslike, insizeandglory.Inwhatwas gering totryimaginewhattherest of the Inside are twounidentified corpses. 1963) that thiscryptwas intended forhim. inferred (whentheroomwasdiscovered in inscriptions about Timur, from which itwas stone casket. Onthecasket are biographical tions onthearches, isnearlyfilledbyasingle The room,plainexceptforQuranic quota- ing toanunderground room,the siadat) isabunker withawoodendoorlead- within theperimeter of thelong-gone Dorus- Amir inSamarkand). (Timur’s othersonsare withhimatGuri resting placeforanotherson,UmarSheikh and favourite son,whodiedat22.It’salsothe crumbling isthetall,Saray Palace. Themainsurvivor which mayhave overshadowed theAk- even which TimurMight), finished in1392and of Powerand (Seat siadat orDorussaodat metre mausoleumcomplexcalledDorus- a few melancholy remnants of a3500-sq- A walkwayleadseastfromKok-Gumbazto KHAZRATI-IMAM COMPLEX buried init). it’snotclearwhetheranyareants (although 1438 asamausoleumforhisowndescend- whichof Ulugbekfinished in theSeyyids), was completed byTimur in1374. alsobeburiedhere).might Themausoleum Timur andhisfather,AmirTaragay (who ShamseddinKulyal of Sheikh Behind Kok-Gumbazwastheoriginal Behind In analleybehindthemausoleum (and On the right isthe On theright 8.30am-6pm) . It’s not uncommon to see 15weddings . It’snotuncommontosee Friday mosque Friday Tomb ofJehangir was completed byUlugbekin Gumbazi Seyidan (IpakYoli;admission2400S; , spiritualtutorto , Timur’s eldest lonelyplanet.com statue ofAmir Crypt ofTimur Mausoleum Mausoleum (Dome . picting Timur’s entire kingdom,fromEgypt it’s thebest. popular placeintown–usuallya signthat tapchan dinner) vodka shots. uptheusualshashlyk, serves tling caféhasagoodviewof Ak-Sarayand rooms. tion of thesimplebutserviceable planning anambitiousexpansionandrenova- from thegovernment whenwevisited andwas chainThe OrientStar hadjusttaken itover season. groups, sobookaheadinthehigh deal intownandit’soften occupiedbytour Yoli 26;s/dUS$25/44; Mountains. orHissar Zerafshon canalsotake youhikinginthe local. Staff will throwacouple ing, twobasicbedsandnotmuch Staff else. spaces withmosque-stylepatchwork carpet- but theyare positively unique–basicallyopen Aquarium café. of the fromthestaff ask aboutahomestay optionsareSleeping fails, limited. Ifallelse Sleeping &Eating an artgallery. wasplanningtoadd centuries. Themuseum artefacts here thatpredate Timur bymany there are someoldBuddhistandZoroastrian not worththepriceof admission,although interestdoesn’t isprobably you,themuseum andMoscow.Ifthat torates’, includingKiev kingdom, ayellowlineillustrates his‘protec- to Kashgar. theboundariesof the Beyond dressa isthissimple insidetherenovatedHoused ChubinMe- AMIR TIMURMUSEUM Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com accommodate bigger groups. three-hour detouraround the mountains. by snow fromJanuary to March, forcing a Pass.tan) Thepass isintermittently closed over the1788m Takhtakaracha (Amanku- isabout90kmfrom Samarkand,Shakhrisabz Getting There&Around ofmountains deliciousfruit. samsa, 2000S; r perperson10,000S) Kulolik Chaikhana Kulolik Chaikhana Aquarium In thebazaaryou’llfindvendors hawking Star Orient Tours&Travel Shakhrisabz This former mosque houses amassive Thisformermosquehouses h shashlyk,yummysoupsandtheusual under its octagonal roof.under itsoctagonal It’sthemost 9am-5pm)

( ( % % 522 3972;IpakYoli22) . Its highlight isamodelde- . Itshighlight There are afew roomshere 522 06 38; www.tour-orient.com; Ipak 522 0638;www.tour-orient.com; a (Ipak Yoli; kurpacha ) museum This isabout theonly

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(Ipak Yoli;admission The on thefloorto 522 0582;IpakYoli; breakfast, lunch& laghman CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Nurata place togo Thisbus- and century mosque and caravanserai. This isthe century mosque andcaravanserai. occupying apoolandwell nexttoa10th- counter theanomalyof hundred several trout whole way. on atleastafulldayifyouwant togothe humped 10km eastandlaunchon camel- anassault northeast of Navoi.) at SarmyshGorge, accessiblebycar40km theremiss these, are manymore petroglyphs there foracoupleof sum.(Ifyou thousand whowillwhiskyouout out nearthemuseum sometimes guyswithmotorcycleshanging find thetrail.Ifit’stoohottowalk,there are p236)howto (see the curatoratmuseum Petroglyphs the fortress, apathleads4kmtothe over thetownlike Behind agiantsandcastle. and clamberallover thefortress, which looms throwonyoursuitofahead, even armour– the Great anold tions, mostnotably but italsohasafew quirkytouristattrac- ofthousands dollars atinternational auctions, circle-patterned explorations there. their andstart public transporttoNurata travellers onabudget are totake advised Tashkent, oreven Bukhara butindividual launch tripsintothisarea fromSamarkand, ecotourism movement. Mosttouragencies north, thecentre of Uzbekistan’s growing Aidarkulfurtheralong withmanmadeLake at justover 2000m,butare rapidlybecoming, topoutsignificance. Mountains TheNurata fading unceremoniously in- intodesertified produce onefinalbliponthemapbefore ‘RoyalRd’,theTianBukhara Shan Mountains To thenorthof thefeatureless Samarkand– % NURATA 2000S, 1½hours) andchange there. take ashared toQarshiBukhara taxi (perseat 12000S,five hours). (perseat Togettaxis to hours) (4000S,eight andregularbuses shared thereIppodrom station are about sixdaily southofbus station, town.ToTashkent’s destinations leave fromthelong-distance see p230 . ongettingFor details here fromSamarkand, Beneath Alexander’sfortress you’llen- Beneath andshared toahandfulofBuses taxis other More experienced trekkers canget aride ismostfamousforitsold, Modest Nurata 436 /pop40,000 . Youcanmake like Alexander–go Oq Tog , which date totheBronzeAge. Ask (White Peak; 2169m).Plan suzani, which can sell for which cansell fortress of fortress Alexander Zukarnay Zukarnay

235 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN pishtak worth climbingthe116steps tothetopof the ‘import’ of manyof It’swell itsfinestartisans. ing asuccessfulcampaigninKhorezm andthe tious project, 24years inthemaking,follow- elsewhere. country’s over-sanitized restoration efforts 234 4 1 3 2 5 SHAKHRISABZ To Long-DistanceBus Ak-Saray wasprobably Timur’s mostambi- Katta Langar(75km); Qarshi (123km); Station (4.5km); Termiz (294km) ETA ZEITN • hkrsb CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Shakhrisabz EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Shakhrisabz Tours&Travel1...... (see11) Internet Café...... INFORMATION Kulolik Chaikhana...... Aquarium...... Shakhrisabz Tours&Travel...... Orient Star...... Tomb ofJehangir...... Statue ofTimur...... Sheikh ShamseddinKulyalMausoleum...... Kok-Gumbaz Mosque...... Gumbazi Seyidan...... Crypt ofTimur...... Amir TimurMuseum...... Ak-Saray Palace...... Uzbektourism...... (see 10) totrulyappreciate It’sstag- itsheight.

ὈὈ Ὀ Namatmon

Pushkin A 13

Gagarin

6 Ipak Yoli Abay

5 Sham Bazaar 7 1 siddin 0.2miles 300m 0 0 12 10

Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ Kulol

National BankofUzbekistan Ravnakhi

Hovuzi 11 8 (2.5km); Kitab(12km); Khazrati-Imam 9 Mardon 3 Post Office(500m); Complex 2 B Samarkand (90km) 13 12 11 10 4 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B3 B3 A5 A5 A5 B5 B3 A4 B3 B4 B3 B5 B4 Mosque Inside are twounidentified corpses. 1963) that thiscryptwas intended forhim. inferred (whentheroomwasdiscovered in inscriptions about Timur, from which itwas stone casket. Onthecasket are biographical tions onthearches, isnearlyfilledbyasingle The room,plainexceptforQuranic quota- ing toanunderground room,the siadat) isabunker withawoodendoorlead- within theperimeter of thelong-gone Dorus- Amir inSamarkand). (Timur’s othersonsare withhimatGuri resting placeforanotherson,UmarSheikh and favourite son,whodiedat22.It’salsothe crumbling isthetall,Saray Palace. Themainsurvivor which mayhave overshadowed theAk- even which TimurMight), finished in1392and of Powerand (Seat siadat orDorussaodat metre mausoleumcomplexcalledDorus- a few melancholy remnants of a3500-sq- A walkwayleadseastfromKok-Gumbazto KHAZRATI-IMAM COMPLEX buried init). it’snotclearwhetheranyareants (although 1438 asamausoleumforhisowndescend- whichof Ulugbekfinished in theSeyyids), was completed byTimur in1374. alsobeburiedhere).might Themausoleum Timur andhisfather,AmirTaragay (who ShamseddinKulyal of Sheikh left asyouenter thecomplexis burial complexof Timur’s forebears. Onthe designers. calling cardsof itsoriginal IndianandIranian palm trees painted ontheinterior wallsare of state constant renovation for years. The inanalmost means ‘bluedome’.Ithasbeen was Timur’s son).Thename,appropriately, 1437 inhonourof hisfatherShah (who Rukh h This large TILYOVAT DORUT KOK-GUMBAZ MOSQUE& creating quite amobscene. at atimeposinghere forphotosatweekends, Timur the palacecentre anew stands palace waslike, insizeandglory.Inwhatwas gering totryimaginewhattherest of the In analleybehindthemausoleum (and Kok-Gumbazwastheoriginal Behind On the right isthe On theright 8.30am-6pm) . It’s not uncommon to see 15weddings . It’snotuncommontosee Friday mosque Friday Tomb ofJehangir was completed byUlugbekin Gumbazi Seyidan (IpakYoli;admission2400S; , spiritualtutorto , Timur’s eldest lonelyplanet.com statue ofAmir Crypt ofTimur Mausoleum Mausoleum (Dome . picting Timur’s entire kingdom,fromEgypt it’s thebest. popular placeintown–usuallya signthat tapchan dinner) vodka shots. uptheusualshashlyk, serves tling caféhasagoodviewof Ak-Sarayand rooms. tion of thesimplebutserviceable planning anambitiousexpansionandrenova- from thegovernment whenwevisited andwas chainThe OrientStar hadjusttaken itover season. groups, sobookaheadinthehigh deal intownandit’soften occupiedbytour Yoli 26;s/dUS$25/44; Mountains. orHissar Zerafshon canalsotake youhikinginthe local. Staff accommodate bigger groups. will throwacouple ing, twobasicbedsandnotmuch Staff else. spaces withmosque-stylepatchwork carpet- but theyare positively unique–basicallyopen Aquarium café. of the fromthestaff ask aboutahomestay optionsareSleeping fails, limited. Ifallelse Sleeping &Eating an artgallery. wasplanningtoadd centuries. Themuseum artefacts here thatpredate Timur bymany there are someoldBuddhistandZoroastrian not worththepriceof admission,although interestdoesn’t isprobably you,themuseum andMoscow.Ifthat torates’, includingKiev kingdom, ayellowlineillustrates his‘protec- to Kashgar. theboundariesof the Beyond dressa isthissimple insidetherenovatedHoused ChubinMe- AMIR TIMURMUSEUM Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com three-hour detouraround the mountains. by snow fromJanuary to March, forcing a Pass.tan) Thepass isintermittently closed over the1788m Takhtakaracha (Amanku- isabout90kmfrom Samarkand,Shakhrisabz Getting There&Around ofmountains deliciousfruit. samsa, 2000S; r perperson10,000S) Kulolik Chaikhana Kulolik Chaikhana Aquarium In thebazaaryou’llfindvendors hawking Star Orient Tours&Travel Shakhrisabz This former mosque houses amassive Thisformermosquehouses h shashlyk,yummysoupsandtheusual under its octagonal roof.under itsoctagonal It’sthemost 9am-5pm)

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235 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN (s/d withshared bathroom1300/2500S) desperate. Theappallingbut cheap speak English. of not regional hedoes information,although trinkets. bestsource ThecuratorisNurata’s h grounds here isasmall spring andcanalsthatfeed it.Alsoonthe fish live themineral-ladenwaters off of the ‘holy’ drove intotheground.These hisstaff Prophet Mohammed’s son-in-lawHazrat Ali Chashma Spring 236 camps include one in Baimurat and another camps include oneinBaimurat (askforMurat). Otheryurt ahead to reserve nounced maywork, butyou’re bestoff calling here andyou’llbefed well.Showing upunan- there are camel-hair yurts comfortable eight north of it: Nurata. Youwon’tberoughing perpersonUS$25-30) yurt [email protected]; Camp Yurt Yangikazgan ingly, most of which offer fishing and,more intrigu- of thelake, there are fourorfive yurtcamps, Darya in1969.Onthewestandnorthbanks formed fromthediverted waters of theSyr- it to thismanmadelakewant tohightail you’ll sights, inNurata’s After brieflytaking AIDARKUL LAKE options, such asthe Navoithe Navoi stand. hasbetter taxi lodging what youcanbuyatthesmallmarket near are optionsare sporadic.Eating limited to is theonlygigintown.Water andelectricity Chashma Springontheroadtocentre, 21; HalqlarDustligi138;s/dUS$17/34; The best-knownandeasiesttoaccess isthe Spend the night in Nurata onlyifyou’re inNurata Spend thenight office ing informationanddetailsongettingthere, Elena Tours( contact p199 ) ortheproject great waytowardoffarchitecture burnoutifyou’ve seenonetoomanymedressas. Forbook- and sleepon tobreathe inmountainair lessonsandtheopportunity horseriding,traditionalcooking hiking, gramme–sponsored thatnumbertoclimb.The Expect familiesoffer ‘culturaltourism’project. families hadconverted theirhomesintorusticguesthousesunderthisUNDevelopment Pro- the guesthouses. 160km eastofNurata. Yangiqishloq agoodjumping-offpointforboththereserve and makes Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve Aidarkul,thereSouth ofLake andbird-watchinginthemountainsof isgreat hiking GOING LOCALINTHENURATA MOUNTAINS munity basedtourism 9am-5pm) ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara This tointeract isagreatwiththelocalethnicTajiks opportunity intheirelement–anda camel trekking

( % withsomeoldceramicsandother 72-452 1768/7,Russianonly) , formed, it is said, where, formed,itissaid, the tapchan . Yoshlik Hotel Yoshlik Hotel

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museum project in Navoi436-6614359; a

, 500mfrom (www.nuratau.com) ). – the only one of its kind in Uzbekistan. As ofthiswritingthree inUzbekistan. –theonlyoneofitskind (admission 500S; ( about 75km % Hotel Bahkri Bahkri Hotel 436-224 40 inYangiqishloq, and asmalltown80kmwestofJizzakh , whichisalsothesite ofanexcitingnew desert green. Mostcameltreksdesert are justafew spring rainsturnthefloorof theKyzylkum trekking isfromMarch toMay whenthe Thebesttimeforcamel in SaphozNurata. from strength tostrength. bay, and the city’saccommodation options go kept21st centuryhasstill been more orless at (‘Ye asonetraveller OldeBukhara’ putit),the centre hasbecomeabittooclean and quiet hauz money intorestoration, redigging even several complex. Thegovernment has pumpedalotof tress andtheremnants of aonce-vast market fullof medressas, amassive royalfor-serve, ofglimpse pre-Russian Turkestan. Asiaone of fora thebestplacesinCentral hasn’t changed much intwocenturies.Itis lived-ina thoroughly oldcentre thatprobably yearsings spanningathousand of history,and Asia’s holiestcity, Central hasbuild- Bukhara % BUKHARA (100km). rat (110km)andSaphoz Nurata Yangikazgan (70km),and25,000SforBaimu- at15,000Sfor Aidarkul. Negotiationsstart toLake attheNavoi stand an ordinarytaxi taxi it’seasytohire(2000S, onehour).InNurata to Navoi, fromwhere shared gotoNurata taxis 3000S, onehour)orbus(1000S)fromBukhara To get take ashared toNurata, (perseat taxi THERE&AWAYGETTING the amountof peopleinyourgroup. tiple-day treks are negotiableanddependon organise multiple-daytreks. Pricesformul- hours, Yangikazgan although can YurtCamp Most of the centre isanarchitectural pre- (3) 65/pop255,000 filled inbytheSoviets. the Although БУХАРА lonelyplanet.com Nuratau- com- field Road’s decline slowly pushed Bukhara outofRoad’s declineslowlypushed Bukhara and more than300mosques. than 100medressas (with10,000students) of specialistbazaars andcaravanserais, more wasavastmarketplaceBukhara withdozens khanate. ThecentreBukhara of Shaybanid ofthe capital whatcametobeknownasthe century whentheUzbek Shaybanids madeit fell undertheshadowof Timur’s Samarkand. cumbed in1220toJenghiz andin1370 Khan, suc- andKarakitay dynasties,Bukhara khanid speare enjoyedintheWest. world that,forexample,NewtonorShake- figures with stature inthePersian Islamic Ibn Sinaandthepoets Firdausi and Rudaki – nurtured here were thephilosopher-scientist with thePersian love of thearts.Amongthose brightened cultural heart,andsimultaneously Asia’s religiousblossomed asCentral and the‘Pillarofsharif (Noble Bukhara), Islam’– –Bukhoro-i- and 10thcenturiesthatBukhara ofIt wasascapital inthe9th theSamanidstate History its manyparts. protected buildingsandmiss thewholefor town; it’seasytooverdose onthe140-odd yourselfintheold Try toallowtimelose thesystem anddrainedthepools. ised died bytheage of modern- 32.TheBolsheviks average tohave issaid 19th-century Bukharan often, wasfamousforplagues;the Bukhara and washed.As thewater wasn’tchanged where peoplegathered andgossiped,drank a networkof canalsandsome200stonepools lonelyplanet.com Under theAstrakhanid dynasty,theSilk onlife lease cameinthe16thA second After twocenturiesunderthesmallerKara- atleasttwodaystolookaround. You’ll need waswateredUntil acenturyagoBukhara by South ofLyabi-Hauziswhat’sleft the oldtown’sunique JEWS BUKHARA’S Union’s collapse,buttodayonlyabout 800remain. populationatthetimeofSoviettutionalised discrimination.Jewsmade up7%ofBukhara’s Jewswhonowlive elsewhereJews stillspeakitasdoabout10,000 Bukhara (mainlyIsrael). whichisrelatedown language–Bukhori, toPersian butusestheHebrew alphabet.Bukhara’s sinceperhapsthe12thor13thcentury,evolvingintoauniqueculture withitsJews inBukhara The second synagogue islocated 300msouthofKukluk Bazaar. the corner. Acenturyagothere were atleastseven synagogues here, reduced after 1920to two. Jewishschooljustaround andalsosponsorsafunctioning from SalomInn,holds regular services The Jewishcommunity centre and commerceinspiteThey ofdeep-rooted, managedtobecomemajorplayersinBukharan insti- CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara synagogue

rather toomuch interest inPan-Turkism it People’sBukhara Republic,butafter showing Bukhara. andcapturedstormed theArk(citadel) and Tashkent under Frunze Mikhail General quest forhelp,RedArmytroopsfromKhiva andanequallypremeditatedBukharans, re- revolutionaries callingthemselves theYoung (nowTurkmenabat) bylocal ing’ inCharjou revenge. Followinganorchestrated ‘upris- Tashkent. packing,backtowards Russian detachment alargertion, andtheemir’sownarmysent mob thatslaughtered nearlythewholedelega- allow hisagents tostirupananti-Russian to longenough fully. Thewilydespotstalled persuade tosurrender EmirAlimKhan peace- Tashkent (bythenunder control)to Bolshevik the emirs stillnominallyincharge. and wasmadeaprotectorate of with thetsar, surrendered,mains). Soonafterward Bukhara do- Khan’s time waswithinEmirMuzaffar Kaufman occupiedSamarkand(which atthe p242). (see England after heexecuted twoBritish officers nameinVictorian ahousehold made himself his brothersoff and28otherrelatives. He who ascendedthethronein1826bykilling (also called‘theButcher’ behind hisback), theworst wasprobably shoes; Nasrullah Khan viks came. git dynastythatwastoruleuntiltheBolshe- emir,foundingtheMan-proclaimed himself thelocaldeputyof aPersianRahim, ruler, the mainstream. Thenin1753Mohammed ( % Bukhara wonashort ‘independence’asthe Bukhara hadtheirBut thehumiliated Bolsheviks In 1868,Russian troops underGeneral depraved rulersSeveral filledRahim’s In 1918apartyof arrived emissaries from 365-224 2380;Sarrafon 20) Jewish Quarter . There have been , isroughlyacross

237 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN camps include one in Baimurat and another camps include oneinBaimurat (askforMurat). Otheryurt ahead to reserve nounced maywork, butyou’re bestoff calling here andyou’llbefed well.Showing upunan- there are camel-hair yurts comfortable eight north of it: Nurata. Youwon’tberoughing perpersonUS$25-30) yurt [email protected]; Camp Yurt Yangikazgan ingly, most of which offer fishing and,more intrigu- of thelake, there are fourorfive yurtcamps, Darya in1969.Onthewestandnorthbanks formed fromthediverted waters of theSyr- it to thismanmadelakewant tohightail you’ll sights, inNurata’s After brieflytaking AIDARKUL LAKE options, such asthe Navoithe Navoi stand. hasbetter taxi lodging what youcanbuyatthesmallmarket near are optionsare sporadic.Eating limited to is theonlygigintown.Water andelectricity Chashma Springontheroadtocentre, (s/d withshared bathroom1300/2500S) desperate. Theappallingbut cheap speak English. of not regional hedoes information,although trinkets. bestsource ThecuratorisNurata’s h grounds here isasmall spring andcanalsthatfeed it.Alsoonthe fish live themineral-ladenwaters off of the ‘holy’ drove intotheground.These hisstaff Prophet Mohammed’s son-in-lawHazrat Ali Chashma Spring 236 21; HalqlarDustligi138;s/dUS$17/34; The best-knownandeasiesttoaccess isthe Spend the night in Nurata onlyifyou’re inNurata Spend thenight office ing informationanddetailsongettingthere, Elena Tours( contact p199 ) ortheproject great waytowardoffarchitecture burnoutifyou’ve seenonetoomanymedressas. Forbook- and sleepon tobreathe inmountainair lessonsandtheopportunity horseriding,traditionalcooking hiking, gramme–sponsored thatnumbertoclimb.The Expect familiesoffer ‘culturaltourism’project. families hadconverted theirhomesintorusticguesthousesunderthisUNDevelopment Pro- the guesthouses. 160km eastofNurata. Yangiqishloq agoodjumping-offpointforboththereserve and makes Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve Aidarkul,thereSouth ofLake andbird-watchinginthemountainsof isgreat hiking GOING LOCALINTHENURATA MOUNTAINS munity basedtourism 9am-5pm) ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara This tointeract isagreatwiththelocalethnicTajiks opportunity intheirelement–anda camel trekking

( % withsomeoldceramicsandother 72-452 1768/7,Russianonly) , formed, it is said, where, formed,itissaid, the tapchan . Yoshlik Hotel Yoshlik Hotel

( % (tea beds)underthestars.

museum project in Navoi436-6614359; a

, 500mfrom (www.nuratau.com) ). – the only one of its kind in Uzbekistan. As ofthiswritingthree inUzbekistan. –theonlyoneofitskind (admission 500S; ( about 75km % Hotel Bahkri Bahkri Hotel 436-224 40 inYangiqishloq, and asmalltown80kmwestofJizzakh , whichisalsothesite ofanexcitingnew from strength tostrength. bay, and the city’saccommodation options go kept21st centuryhasstill been more orless at (‘Ye asonetraveller OldeBukhara’ putit),the centre hasbecomeabittooclean and quiet hauz money intorestoration, redigging even several complex. Thegovernment has pumpedalotof tress andtheremnants of aonce-vast market fullof medressas, amassive royalfor-serve, ofglimpse pre-Russian Turkestan. Asiaone of fora thebestplacesinCentral hasn’t changed much intwocenturies.Itis lived-ina thoroughly oldcentre thatprobably yearsings spanningathousand of history,and Asia’s holiestcity, Central hasbuild- Bukhara % BUKHARA (100km). rat (110km)andSaphoz Nurata Yangikazgan (70km),and25,000SforBaimu- at15,000Sfor Aidarkul. Negotiationsstart toLake attheNavoi stand an ordinarytaxi taxi it’seasytohire(2000S, onehour).InNurata to Navoi, fromwhere shared gotoNurata taxis 3000S, onehour)orbus(1000S)fromBukhara To get take ashared toNurata, (perseat taxi THERE&AWAYGETTING the amountof peopleinyourgroup. tiple-day treks are negotiableanddependon organise multiple-daytreks. Pricesformul- hours, Yangikazgan although can YurtCamp green. Mostcameltreksdesert are justafew spring rainsturnthefloorof theKyzylkum trekking isfromMarch toMay whenthe Thebesttimeforcamel in SaphozNurata. Most of the centre isanarchitectural pre- (3) 65/pop255,000 filled inbytheSoviets. the Although БУХАРА lonelyplanet.com Nuratau- com- field Road’s decline slowly pushed Bukhara outofRoad’s declineslowlypushed Bukhara and more than300mosques. than 100medressas (with10,000students) of specialistbazaars andcaravanserais, more wasavastmarketplaceBukhara withdozens khanate. ThecentreBukhara of Shaybanid ofthe capital whatcametobeknownasthe century whentheUzbek Shaybanids madeit fell undertheshadowof Timur’s Samarkand. cumbed in1220toJenghiz andin1370 Khan, suc- andKarakitay dynasties,Bukhara khanid speare enjoyedintheWest. world that,forexample,NewtonorShake- figures with stature inthePersian Islamic Ibn Sinaandthepoets Firdausi and Rudaki – nurtured here were thephilosopher-scientist with thePersian love of thearts.Amongthose brightened cultural heart,andsimultaneously Asia’s religiousblossomed asCentral and the‘Pillarofsharif (Noble Bukhara), Islam’– –Bukhoro-i- and 10thcenturiesthatBukhara ofIt wasascapital inthe9th theSamanidstate History its manyparts. protected buildingsandmiss thewholefor town; it’seasytooverdose onthe140-odd yourselfintheold Try toallowtimelose thesystem anddrainedthepools. ised died bytheage of modern- 32.TheBolsheviks average tohave issaid 19th-century Bukharan often, wasfamousforplagues;the Bukhara and washed.As thewater wasn’tchanged where peoplegathered andgossiped,drank a networkof canalsandsome200stonepools lonelyplanet.com Under theAstrakhanid dynasty,theSilk onlife lease cameinthe16thA second After twocenturiesunderthesmallerKara- atleasttwodaystolookaround. You’ll need waswateredUntil acenturyagoBukhara by South ofLyabi-Hauziswhat’sleft the oldtown’sunique JEWS BUKHARA’S Union’s collapse,buttodayonlyabout 800remain. populationatthetimeofSoviettutionalised discrimination.Jewsmade up7%ofBukhara’s Jewswhonowlive elsewhereJews stillspeakitasdoabout10,000 Bukhara (mainlyIsrael). whichisrelatedown language–Bukhori, toPersian butusestheHebrew alphabet.Bukhara’s sinceperhapsthe12thor13thcentury,evolvingintoauniqueculture withitsJews inBukhara The second synagogue islocated 300msouthofKukluk Bazaar. the corner. Acenturyagothere were atleastseven synagogues here, reduced after 1920to two. Jewishschooljustaround andalsosponsorsafunctioning from SalomInn,holds regular services The Jewishcommunity centre and commerceinspiteThey ofdeep-rooted, managedtobecomemajorplayersinBukharan insti- CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara synagogue

237 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 238 0 500 m BUKHARA 0 0.3 miles ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara Suley A To Chor-Bakr ὇὇὇὇὇὇B Muslim C D mana E F Cemetery Mura (6km) Suleymana Muradova dova ὇὇὇὇὇὇ To North Bus Terminal (1.5km); Karvon Bazaar (3km); Emir's Summer Palace (5km); 1 71 ὇὇὇὇὇὇M Karimov Samarkand (250km); 1 To Turkmenabat 75 Tashkent (557km)

Samarkand (146km) Kolkhozny Bazaar

Haqiqat

42 72 Navoi 13 41 Presidential Hwy 35 16 Ark Gulshan Registan 12 22 69 40 38 2 Samani Park Ayni Uzbek Hoja Nurabad 2 (Kirov Park) Theatre of Drama 26 30 10 & Musical Comedy 21 25 19 Haqiqat Hoja Nurabad 46 67 To Buyan Khuli Khan & Saifuddin 31 Bukharzi Mausoleums (1.3km); ὈὈ11 ὈIslamov 15 Sharq Bus Station (3km); Crying Mother Airport (6km); Bakhautdin Monument 14 27 Naqshband Mausoleum (13km); 61 Anbar 37 Anbar Kagan (15km); Qarshi (161km) 2 Pushkin Bakha Haqiqat 29 58 56 20 34 74 57 utdin Post Bakhautdin50 Office 33 Lyabi-Hauz Naqshband 76 Naqshband32 28 6 66 Square 55 44 23 1 49 Gazzoli 18 60 36 3 43 54 Havzi Nav 5 Sufiyon 59 47 hnoi 53 45 3 Hoja Rus Sarrafon 3 Arabon52 39 Old Train Gazzoli Pir Mustaqillik Station Jubar Kukluk 17 Bazaar Jahangirov 48 Eshoni Shevchenko 68 24 51 Stadium 73 INFORMATION Tukaeva Bukhara Tourism Association & Khamza Small Farmers Market Information Centre (BTA)...... 1 D3 65 (Kryty Rynok) 62 East Line Tour...... 2 D3 Jubar Internet Klub...... 3 D3 ὇὇὇὇ ὈὈMuminova Komil Travel...... (see 48) Library 7 lonelyplanet.com Jewish National Bank of Uzbekistan...... 4 F4 Bukhara ὇὇὇὇Cemetery Hotel 9 Salom Travel...... 5 D3 Navoi S Aini 4 Taqi-Sarrafon...... 6 D3 63 4 ὇὇὇὇ 70 Telephone & Telegraph Office...... 7 E4 Namozgokh Tennis Hotel 8 Timur ...... 8 F4 Courts Varaksha 64 Uzbektourism...... 9 D4 M Ikbola Yog’ Du Bookshop...... (see 3) Remains of Bukhara Zerafshan 4 Town Walls Namozgokh University Hotel To OVIR (1km) Mosque To Uzbekistan Airways (500m) lonelyplanet.com

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Mir-i-Arab Medressa...... 30 C2 Lyabi House Hotel...... 49 D3 El Dorado...... 64 F4 Abdul Aziz Khan Medressa...... 10 D2 Modari Khan Medressa...... 31 B2 Mehtar Ambar...... 50 E3 Folklore and Fashion Show...... (see 34) Abdullah Khan Medressa...... 11 B2 Museum of Art...... 32 D3 Minzifa B&B...... 51 D3 Oscar...... 65 F4 5 Ark...... 12 C2 Nadir Divanbegi Khanaka...... 33 D3 Mubinjon's Bukhara House...... 52 D3 Puppet Theatre...... (see 33) 5 Bolo-Hauz Mosque & Minaret...... 13 B2 Nadir Divanbegi Medressa...... 34 D3 Nasruddin Navruz...... 53 D3 Borzi Kord...... 14 D2 Old Town Walls...... 35 A2 Salom Inn...... 54 D3 SHOPPING CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara Char Minar...... 15 E2 Taqi-Sarrafon Bazaar...... 36 D3 Sasha & Son B&B...... 55 E3 Bukhara Artisan Development Chashma-Ayub 'Mausoleum'...... 16 B2 Taqi-Telpak Furushon Bazaar...... 37 D2 Centre...... 66 D3 Faizullah Khojayev House...... 17 C3 Taqi-Zargaron Bazaar...... 38 D2 EATING Tim Abdulla Khan...... 67 D2 Gaukushan Medressa...... 18 C3 Turki Jandi Mausoleum...... 39 D3 Bella Italia...... 56 F3 Unesco Carpet Weaving Shop...... 68 D3 Hammon Kunjak...... 19 C2 Ulugbek Medressa...... 40 D2 Kochevnik...... 57 E3 Hoja Nasruddin Statue...... 20 D3 Water Tower...... 41 C2 Lyabi-Hauz ...... 58 D3 TRANSPORT Hoja Zayniddin Mosque...... 21 C2 Zindon...... 42 C2 Minzifa Restaurant...... 59 D3 Air & Rail Ticketing Office...... (see 1) Ismail Samani Mausoleum...... 22 B2 Ark Marshrutka Stop...... 69 C2 Jewish Community Centre & Synagogue....23 D3 SLEEPING DRINKING Gorgaz Bus Stop...... 70 F4 Jewish Synagogue...... 24 D3 Akhbar House...... 43 E3 Nughay Caravanserai wine tasting...... 60 D3 Kolkhozny Bazaar Bus Stop...... 71 B1 6 Kalon Minaret...... 25 C2 Amelia Boutique Hotel...... 44 E3 Silk Road Spices...... 61 D2 Kolkhozny Bazaar Bus Stop...... 72 A2 6 Kalon Mosque...... 26 C2 Emir B&B...... 45 D3 Kryty Rynok Bus Stop...... 73 F3 Kukeldash Medressa...... 27 D2 Hotel Zargaron...... 46 C2 ENTERTAINMENT Lyabi-Hauz Marshrutka Stop...... 74 E3 Lyabi-Hauz Square...... 28 D3 Hovli Poyon B&B...... 47 C3 Alyans...... 62 F4 Marshrutkas to Chor Bakr...... 75 B1 Maghoki-Attar Mosque...... 29 D3 K Komil Hotel...... 48 D3 Bukhara Palace...... 63 D4 Vokzal Bus Stop...... 76 F3 between SAiniandMIkbola. internetcaféslocated 11pm) Thisisthebestofseveral picture books and maps of Bukhara andUzbekistan. booksandmapsofBukhara picture cheques andgivescashadvancesonVisacards. M Ikbola3; staying inanofficialhotel. Airways;register here ifyouare not behind Uzbekistan International callsforstandardUztelekom rates( p264 ). Telephone office &telegraph Centre &Information Association Tourism Bukhara TELEPHONE &FAX OVIR REGISTRATION Taqi-Sarrafon National BankofUzbekistan and bediscreet. souvenirs indollars do yourvendor afavour wads of sum upon sostack season a problem inthehigh Changing more thanUS$50atatimecanbe MONEY Timur Klub Internet ACCESSINTERNET Yog’ Du BOOKSHOPS Information 9kmbeyondthatinKagan.train station tre. Theairportis6kmsoutheast of town,the North BusTerminal is2kmnorthof thecen- of thehistoricalcentre. Thelong-distance Bazaar. and themainfarmers market, Kolkhozny Ark five more. Furtherwestare SamaniPark Kalon Minaret isfive minutes further,the square calledLyabi-Hauz; thelandmark the River.kand ontheZerafshan Theheartof sits250kmdownstreamBukhara of Samar- An oasisintheenveloping Kyzylkumdesert, Orientation Uzbek SSR. was absorbedin1924intothenewlycreated Uzbek discountcallingcards. bazaar. to ‘moneychangers’ Mon-Sat) Exchangeboothnext h The bulkof themoderntownliessoutheast 9am-11pm) Slowbutcentral. shahristan ( % (Mustaqillik; perhr800S; (Mustaqillik; (see p240)Willhelpyou dialinternationallywith

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239 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN 238 0 500 m BUKHARA 0 0.3 miles ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara Suley A To Chor-Bakr ὇὇὇὇὇὇B Muslim C D mana E F Cemetery Mura (6km) Suleymana Muradova dova ὇὇὇὇὇὇ To North Bus Terminal (1.5km); Karvon Bazaar (3km); Emir's Summer Palace (5km); 1 71 ὇὇὇὇὇὇M Karimov Samarkand (250km); 1 To Turkmenabat 75 Tashkent (557km)

Samarkand (146km) Kolkhozny Bazaar

Haqiqat

before youarrive. Ifyoubuy (oldtown),isthepooland (Bakhautdin Naqshband 88) Sells Naqshband88)Sells (Bakhautdin h (Muminova 8) (Muminova ( % 10am- 223 6973; h 8.30-6pm

239 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN watching tours around Tudakul Lake and further afield. watching toursaroundTudakul andfurther Lake US$5). Alsorunsfullgamutoftours,butspecialisesinbird- thisistheonlyagencythatrents them(perday on bike, forexploring Ambar91)Inatownthat’sperfect Mekhtar Salom Travel Salom Travel Komil Travel East LineTour AGENCIES TRAVEL Uzbektourism Centre &Information Association Tourism Bukhara INFORMATION TOURIST 240 century. ury minister, who financedthem in the17th Both are namedforAbdul treas- AzizKhan’s time,isthe the same On thewestside of thesquare, andbuiltat it wasamedressa anditbecameonein1622. thought built asacaravanserai, butthekhan teaching-tales aroundtheworld. fool’whoappears ‘wise inSufi a semimythical succumbed. the glitztowhich has Samarkand’sRegistan old-world styleandhasmanaged tofend off the touristtrade.its Still,theplazamaintains local entrepreneurs bentoncashingin this cornerof townhave moved been onby clutching Uzbek menwhoonceinhabited the pool.Theoldtea-sipping, chessboard- town –shaded bymulberrytrees asold is themostpeacefulandinteresting spotin 1620 (thenameisTajik for‘aroundthepool’), Lyabi-Hauz, aplazabuiltaroundpoolin LYABI-HAUZ Sights &Activities when wewenttopress. bookshop. TheCentre’s new address wasundetermined InformationCentre, whichwilldoubleasa Tourism Central Asiawasgettingready toreopen theexcellent up intheairatpress time,travelmagazineDiscovery remained Association(www.dreambukhara.org) Tourism by thestateinearly2007.WhilefateofBukhara NGOwasabruptlyshutdown country, thisGerman-funded Paikent, 60km northwest ofBukhara. Paikent, 60kmnorthwest eracityof and theexcavatedremains ofthepre-Islamic Bazar;swimminginTudakul Lake; ofKaraul gazelles north Among Salom’suniqueexcursions:endangered Persian travelagentsandisoneofthebest. of thefirstprivate wasone Gareyeva travel.com; Sarrafon9)OwnerRaisa multilingual guides(perhourUS$5). 8)Usefulmainlyforitsstableof Hotel,Muminova Bukhara Further east,the ofOn theeastsideisastatue ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara The best and only genuine tourist officeinthe The bestandonlygenuinetourist ( ( p244) ( % ( % % 224 4148,3733;www.salom 223 12 36; [email protected]; 223 1236;[email protected]; 224 2269;www.eastlinetour.com; Nadir Divanbegi Medressa Nadir Divanbegi Nadir Divanbegi Khanaka Nadir Divanbegi Hoja Nasruddin was . , was the old herb-and-spice bazaar, is Central was theoldherb-and-spicebazaar,isCentral twocovered these Between bazaars, inwhat Area Taqi-Sarrafon &Taqi-Telpak Furushon designationstoday. faithfultothose loosely Taqi-Zargaron (jewellers). Theyremain only ers), Taqi-Telpak Furushon(capmakers) and in thetown–Taqi-Sarrafon (moneychang- were amongdozens of bazaars specialised bazaars, heavily renovated inSoviet times, to drawincoolair. Three remaining domed multidomedroofszaars whose were designed market lanes,arcadesandcrossroadminiba- north fromLyabi-Hauz wasavastwarren of From Shaybanid times,thearea westand COVERED BAZAARS Asia.biggest Islamicschool inCentral dressa student rooms here isareal treat. in the1920s. Peeking intothecool, abandoned the worse forwearafter theSoviets bombedit including oneof theKalon Minaret looking 500S; cupied bypigeons andasmall complex).Todayit’soc- markand’s Registan away ontheroadtoSamarkand,and inSa- Ulugbek (theothers are atGijduvan,45km UlugbekMedressa for manyothers –theunrestored, blue-tiled Asia’s oldestmedressa,Central andamodel zaar, onthenorthsideof Hoja Nurabad,is A few steps eastof theTaqi-Zargaron Ba- Taqi-Zargaron Area prayer mats. carpets andexhibiting beautifulBukhara a inside.left deliberately Alsohere exposed is oftown. Asection theexcavations hasbeen ofsurrounding itisthe12th-centurylevel the began;thepresent plazawhen thedigging ings asasynagogue. are tohave said themosqueineven- used temple. Jews Untilthe16thcentury,Bukhara’s ruined bytheArabsandanearlierBuddhist found bitsof a5th-centuryZoroastriantemple liest spot:underitinthe1930sarchaeologists struction. Thisisprobablyalsothetown’sho- of 9th-centuryfaçadeand16th-centuryrecon- Attar mosque,the Asia’s oldestsurviving museum Only thetopof themosquewasvisible North acrossthestreet, the h (pit of theherbalists),alovely mishmash , builtbyAbdullah II,wasatthetime 9am-4.30pm)

( % 224 1591;admission1200S; (1417),oneof three builtby withsomegreat oldphotos, lonelyplanet.com museum Kukeldash Me- Kukeldash h Maghoki- (admission 9am-6pm) over hisgrave. nobody cantread’, andthetowerwasbuilt oblige mebylayingmyheadonaspotwhere the imamtoldhim,‘Youhave killedme;now imam after aquarrel. inadream Thatnight Kalon Mosque. Its 105innerstairs are accessiblefromthe damage byFrunze’sartilleryin1920. caused patches,lighter markingtherestoration of and downthesoutheastsidesare faintly Asiawere tosaturate Central under Timur. Up clude thefirstof use theglazedbluetilesthat he ordered itspared. Jenghiz wassodumbfoundedbyitthat Khan anybutcosmeticrepairs. needed has never of earthquake-proofing), which in850years reeds stacked underneathinanearlyform foundations(including with10m-deep tall Tajik. It’sanincredible pieceof work,47m Asiaing inCentral – mission 3000S) Arslan in1127, the Khan When itwasbuiltbytheKarakhanid ruler &AROUNDKALON MINARET the NadirDivanbegiMedressa. medressa intownthatdepictslivingbeingsis left of themedressa’s tolivewho used inthenestontowerto Also floutingthatprohibition wasthestork wasaShiite).living beings(AdulAzizKhan Sunni Muslimprohibition againstdepicting hrab covertly embeddedintheprayerroom’smi- that Abdul Azizhadtheimage of hisface original spectacular wood carvings istheprayerroom,nowa light Medressa insizeandsplendour. Thehigh- built byitsnamesake tooutdotheUlugbek venir shops.Thisisanotherunrestored gem, dressa way atthe16th-century lonelyplanet.com brown, is theworking domes in sharpcontrastto thesurrounding (admission 1000S) the 16th-centurycongregational earlier mosquedestroyedbyJenghiz is Khan, reopened asaplaceof worship in1991. Used inSoviet timesas awarehouse, itwas By contrast,thestudentroomsacross Opposite themosque,itsluminousblue At thefootof theminaret, onthesite of an A legend thatArslan killedan says Khan bands,alldifferent,Its 14ornamental in-

(Mecca-facing niche) to get aroundthe are occupied,rathertypically,bysou- was probably the tallest build- was probably thetallest , big enough for10,000people. , bigenough (admission 1200S; CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara ghanch- pishtak kalon Mir-i-Arab Medressa Medressa Mir-i-Arab Abdul Aziz Khan Me- Khan Abdul Aziz h Kalon Minaret Kalon means‘great’ in . Theonlyother work. It is said work. Itissaid 9am-5pm) Kalon Mosque Kalon museum of , with . Es-

(ad- spark of life mustyexhibits. tothe otherwise departed Dutch Embassy inTashkent, adda colour photographs, donated bythenow- theemir’sthrone.room contains Enhanced heating water) madeinTula, Russia. Another cluding anenormous plays includeitems in- imported toBukhara, history fromtheShaybanids tothetsars. Dis- the mostinteresting of which covers Bukhara’s p247 ). Nowthere here, are museums several full-time residence atthesummer palace(see such disrepair thatthelasttwoemirs preferred apparentlyroyal apartments.These fell into the endof thecorridorare whatremain of the and anatural-historyexhibit. Nowthereing publicspectacles). are shops dur-for drumsandmusicalinstrumentsused andthe air royalstables and behindthisroomwastheharem. chamber wallwasthetreasury, ontheright here in1910.Thesubmerged wasAlimKhan’s bardment. Thelastcoronationtotake place Court part of theArk,vast around Bukhara. housing anexhibitonarchaeological finds the emir’s on theleftare theformerlivingquarters of corridor withcourtyardsoffbothsides.First century royal quarters, nowhousingseveral ruins insidenow,exceptforsomeremaining was bombedbytheRedArmy.It’sabout 80% upuntil1920,whenit the 5thcenturyright oldeststructure,is Bukhara’s occupiedfrom 3600S; The THE ARK&AROUND beneath thenortherndome. andsheikh arecomplex. Bothkhan buried andfinancedtheoriginal Ubaidullah Khan a stronginfluenceontheShaybanid ruler fromYemenNaqshbandi sheikh whohad ping-pong. studentsplaying yard, where see youmight agrated through doorintothecourt- peer go asfarthefoyer. Fromthere youmay most strikingmedressas, buttouristscanonly it’samongUzbekistan’specially atsunset, Around theSalamhona(ProtocolCourt)at ofTo theright thecorridorwere the open- At thetopof theentrancerampis17th- Second on the left is the oldest surviving ontheleftisoldestsurviving Second The medressa isnamedfora16th-century Ark , whose roof, whose fell induringthe1920bom- h

( Juma (Friday) Mosque Juma (Friday) % 9am-6pm) 224 13 49; Registan Sq;admission2400S,guide 224 1349;Registan kushbegi , aroyaltown-within-a-town, (primeminister), now samovar noghorahona Reception &Coronation Reception . Turn right intoa . Turnright (urn used for (urnused museums (aroom 241

. UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN watching tours around Tudakul Lake and further afield. watching toursaroundTudakul andfurther Lake US$5). Alsorunsfullgamutoftours,butspecialisesinbird- thisistheonlyagencythatrents them(perday on bike, forexploring Ambar91)Inatownthat’sperfect Mekhtar century. ury minister, who financedthem in the17th Both are namedforAbdul treas- AzizKhan’s time,isthe the same On thewestside of thesquare, andbuiltat it wasamedressa anditbecameonein1622. thought built asacaravanserai, butthekhan teaching-tales aroundtheworld. fool’whoappears ‘wise inSufi a semimythical succumbed. the glitztowhich has Samarkand’sRegistan old-world styleandhasmanaged tofend off the touristtrade.its Still,theplazamaintains local entrepreneurs bentoncashingin this cornerof townhave moved been onby clutching Uzbek menwhoonceinhabited the pool.Theoldtea-sipping, chessboard- town –shaded bymulberrytrees asold is themostpeacefulandinteresting spotin 1620 (thenameisTajik for‘aroundthepool’), Lyabi-Hauz, aplazabuiltaroundpoolin LYABI-HAUZ Sights &Activities Salom Travel Komil Travel East LineTour AGENCIES TRAVEL Uzbektourism Centre &Information Association Tourism Bukhara INFORMATION TOURIST 240 when wewenttopress. bookshop. TheCentre’s new address wasundetermined InformationCentre, whichwilldoubleasa Tourism Central Asiawasgettingready toreopen theexcellent up intheairatpress time,travelmagazineDiscovery remained Association(www.dreambukhara.org) Tourism by thestateinearly2007.WhilefateofBukhara NGOwasabruptlyshutdown country, thisGerman-funded Paikent, 60km northwest ofBukhara. Paikent, 60kmnorthwest eracityof and theexcavatedremains ofthepre-Islamic Bazar;swimminginTudakul Lake; ofKaraul gazelles north Among Salom’suniqueexcursions:endangered Persian travelagentsandisoneofthebest. of thefirstprivate wasone Gareyeva travel.com; Sarrafon9)OwnerRaisa multilingual guides(perhourUS$5). 8)Usefulmainlyforitsstableof Hotel,Muminova Bukhara Further east,the ofOn theeastsideisastatue ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara The best and only genuine tourist officeinthe The bestandonlygenuinetourist ( ( p244) ( % ( % % 224 4148,3733;www.salom 223 12 36; [email protected]; 223 1236;[email protected]; 224 2269;www.eastlinetour.com; Nadir Divanbegi Medressa Nadir Divanbegi Nadir Divanbegi Khanaka Nadir Divanbegi Hoja Nasruddin was . , student rooms here isareal treat. in the1920s. Peeking intothecool, abandoned the worse forwearafter theSoviets bombedit including oneof theKalon Minaret looking 500S; cupied bypigeons andasmall complex).Todayit’soc- markand’s Registan away ontheroadtoSamarkand,and inSa- Ulugbek (theothers are atGijduvan,45km UlugbekMedressa for manyothers –theunrestored, blue-tiled Asia’s oldestmedressa,Central andamodel zaar, onthenorthsideof Hoja Nurabad,is A few steps eastof theTaqi-Zargaron Ba- Taqi-Zargaron Area prayer mats. carpets andexhibiting beautifulBukhara a inside.left deliberately Alsohere exposed is oftown. Asection theexcavations hasbeen ofsurrounding itisthe12th-centurylevel the began;thepresent plazawhen thedigging ings asasynagogue. are tohave said themosqueineven- used temple. Jews Untilthe16thcentury,Bukhara’s ruined bytheArabsandanearlierBuddhist found bitsof a5th-centuryZoroastriantemple liest spot:underitinthe1930sarchaeologists struction. Thisisprobablyalsothetown’sho- of 9th-centuryfaçadeand16th-centuryrecon- Attar mosque,the Asia’s oldestsurviving was theoldherb-and-spicebazaar,isCentral twocovered these Between bazaars, inwhat Area Taqi-Sarrafon &Taqi-Telpak Furushon designationstoday. faithfultothose loosely Taqi-Zargaron (jewellers). Theyremain only ers), Taqi-Telpak Furushon(capmakers) and in thetown–Taqi-Sarrafon (moneychang- were amongdozens of bazaars specialised bazaars, heavily renovated inSoviet times, to drawincoolair. Three remaining domed multidomedroofszaars whose were designed market lanes,arcadesandcrossroadminiba- north fromLyabi-Hauz wasavastwarren of From Shaybanid times,thearea westand COVERED BAZAARS Asia.biggest Islamicschool inCentral dressa museum Only thetopof themosquewasvisible North acrossthestreet, the h (pit of theherbalists),alovely mishmash , builtbyAbdullah II,wasatthetime 9am-4.30pm)

. UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN of itisanow- worship, builtin1718. Beside Cheerful attractionsincludeatortureCheerful cham- 1200S; British officers StoddartandConolly( above ). venue forexecutions, of includingthose the mainsquare,Bukhara’s the 242 day as the shadows shift – disguises wallsday asthe shadowsshift – disguises gradually changes ‘personality’ the through intricate baked-terracotta brickwork–which nasty’s founder), his fatherandgrandson,its Built forIsmailSamani (theSamaniddy- and probablyitssturdiestarchitecturally. 905, isthetown’soldestMuslimmonument This ISMAIL SAMANI MAUSOLEUM &AROUND is around. else shepherd orwhoever are worththe1000S demandedbythelocal structures. Theviewsof the Arkandbeyond (as theauthoris)orrickety-looking Soviet author did),youbestnotbeafraidof heights in 1927.Ifyouare goingtoclimbthis(asthe 33m disused the scorpions andothervermin. languished inadarkchamber filledwithlice, some ‘bugpit’where StoddartandConolly dungeons, includingthegrue- ber andseveral Beside apoolopposite theArk’sgate isBeside theArkis Behind Outside, infrontof thefortress, ismedieval up inhisfullclericalregalia. Great Game, toverify thenews.gyman namedJosephWolff,toBukhara AccordingtoPeter in Hopkirk Furious friendsandrelatives raisedenoughmoneytosendtheirownemissary,anoddballcler- and havingreceived noreply toanearlierletter toQueenVictoria, hadbothmenexecuted. the disastrousBritishretreat theemir,convincedthatBritainwasasecond-rate power fromKabul, tossedConolly injailtoo. andKokand, After ofKhiva ofaBritishplotwiththekhans to bepart rodentsandscalycreatures. ‘bugpit’,inthecompanyofassorted the so-called hadhimthrownintojail,where hewastospendmuchofhistimeatthebottom Nasrullah The piqued uptotheArk. violated matters localprotocolbyriding,ratherthanwalking, Stoddart regarded asanequalsovereign),Nasrullah butfromthegovernor-general ofIndia. Tocompound megalomania, hadsenthimwithnogifts, andwithaletter notfromQueen Victoria (whom about Britain’sinvasionofAfghanistan. Buthissuperiors,underestimating theemir’svanityand were beheaded. dig theirowngraves and,tothesoundofdrumsandreed walls, pipesfromatopthefortress citadel,madetoa dungeoncellbefore ahugecrowdinfrontoftheArk,emir’sfortified Conollywere andCaptain marchedoutfrom Arthur On 24June1842ColonelCharlesStoddart STODDART & CONOLLY Bolo-Hauz Mosque Bolo-Hauz mausoleum ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara Despite publicoutragebackinEngland,theBritishgovernment chosetoletthematter drop. Captain Conollyarrived release. in1841totrysecure Stoddart’s Buttheemir,believinghim hadarrived threeColonel Stoddart yearsearlieronamissionto reassure Khan EmirNasrullah h 9am-4.30pm) water tower water Wolffhimselfonlyescapeddeathbecausetheemirthoughthimhilarious,dressed inSamaniPark, completed in , the jail, now a museum. , thejail,nowamuseum. Zindon , theemirs’ place official , builtbytheRussians

Registan ( % 224 9502;admission , afavourite Ubaidullah, awealthymerchant. Faizullah and finallyliquidation byStalin. cil of People’s Commissars of theUzbek SSR, People’s Republic, chairmanship of theCoun- warded withthepresidency of theBukhara FaizullahEmir AlimKhan. wasre- Khojaev todump man whoplotted withtheBolsheviks manyinfamous personalities, the Bukhara’s h guide800/12,000S; admission 2000S,Russian-/English-speaking The FAIZULLAH KHOJAEVHOUSE nextdoor.al-Bukhari new glass-walledmemorialtoImamIsmail overshadowedIt isnow,sadly, byaglistening peared. Insideyoucandrinkfromthespring. onthegroundhere andaspringap- his staff means ‘Springof Job’; legend Job struck says 12th to16thcenturiesover aspring.Thename leum’ Mosque. Namozgokh isabout 500mwestofanother bigsection the original 12km)of theShaybanid of (atotal 2kmoutofing, erodedsections an 11 centuries. restoration (exceptof thespiked dome)for without almost 2mthick,helpingitsurvive Nearby isthepeculiar The house was builtin1891by hisfather, The house theparkisoneof thefewBehind remain- 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) Faizullah Khojaev House Khojaev Faizullah

(admission 500S; h wasoncehometooneof 9am-4.30pm) Chashma Ayub‘mauso-

(Tukaeva; (Tukaeva; lonelyplanet.com , builtfromthe % town walls 224 4188; The The ; of the Russian Central Asianof (1912). theRussianCentral Bank ground floor. It’sintheformerheadquarters of which inagalleryonthe canbepurchased artists, some century paintingsbyBukharan ruler medressas, onenamedforthegreat Shaybanid the interior of the16th-century sion 600S; Nearby, the canal isalittlebrotherof theKalon Minaret. majolica onitsunrestored façade. Across the 16th-century and fixed anotherin1998. towers. Unescorestored tower onecollapsed aren’t strictlyminarets butsimplydecorative means ‘FourMinarets’ inTajik, they although a long-gone medressa builtin1807.Thename Thiswasthe gatehouse ofanything Bukharan. bears more relation toIndianstylesthan PushkinandHojaalleys between Nurabad, restoration whenwevisited. andwasclosed It’sunderslow,devoted 30mdeep! in stacks hundreds of othergraves aroundit–allegedly relations. issignalledbythe Itsimportance grandsonsandnumerousother sons, several of aholymanknownasTurkiJandi, histwo one’s prayers answered. It’stheresting place Jandi mausoleum intheoldtownistiny,decrepitDeep OTHER SIGHTS Tours includeasmallfashionshow. aheadtobookanEnglish guide.in 2007.Call newly restored bedroomopenedtothepublic goingonforyears;painted elm)hasbeen the un- (carved, ceilingbeams and Bukhara-style of theelegantfrescoes, ets converted itintoaschool. Slowrestoration lived hereKhojaev until1925,whentheSovi- Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com mosaic and mosaic anywhere. Mosque foreground and amassive cooking-oil factory Mausoleum Khan leum twin domesof the Naqshband,khautdin themammary-like crafts shops. latter islocked, yetmore theformercontains called Across fromtheArkonHoja Nurabad, West of Taqi-Sarrafon istheinteresting Photogenic little Southeast of SamaniPark are twomassive Two kilometres east of thecentre onBa- towerover thedelicate little Abdulla Khan Modari Khan Modari has someof thebestvery old,original h 9am-4.30pm Thu-Tue) ghanch- Museum ofArt Museum Gaukushan Medressa Medressa Gaukushan (Namozgokh) (Namozgokh) . With sheep grazing inthe. Withsheep (motherof The thekhan). , andoneforhismother work you’re going to see work you’re goingtosee Saifuddin Bukharzi Mauso- Saifuddin Bukharzi Char Minar Char Minar ghanch, favoured forgetting

( has mostly20th- % ,

224 5853;admis- in amazeof Hoja Zayniddin with chipped latticework CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara Buyan Khuli Buyan Khuli Turki Turki tional inahome datingfrom 1766. Tradi- housed r US$5-15perperson) House Bukhara Mubinjon’s BUDGET upgrade toaccommodate tourgroups. modation isbecomingscarceasbudget places Asia.Central Unfortunately, cheap accom- foraccommodationin thestandard B&Bs set wonderful,largelyBukhara’s traditional-style Sleeping in thestreets. and spices,withlotsof musicanddancing is acelebrationof localfolkartaswellsilk four-day The Festivals northofthe desert Bukhara. excursions toexcavations andpetroglyphs in archaeological specialistwhocanrecommend Maksuma, aguideattheArk( p241 ), isan Zinnat Ashurova Noila Kazidzanova Nellia Gulya Khamidova Ilkhom Aka following. tourism. Ourrecommendations includethe orUzbek-the TouristInformationCentre Guides canbebooked directly orthrough Tours behind Kalon Minaret. 5000S; it after hours formixed use. butgroupsofbathhouse, touristscanreserve h (Taqi-Telpak Furushon; admission3000S,massage7000S; momi Readers rave famed aboutBukhara’s Activities founder of aninfluentialSufiorder. of (1190–1261),poet SaifuddinBukharzi larger mausoleumwasbuiltover thegrave soleum, resting placeof The aMongolkhan. 14th-century majolica onthesmallermau- hereBogi’. Thearchitectural isthe highlight Fatoboddrivers knowthisplaceas‘Rayon Asia. forCentral as wellbeametaphor Taxi looming inthebackground,thisspotmight Hammom Kunjak 6am-7pm Wed-Mon). h ( % kurpacha (baths), the mostnotably 7am-6pm) 224 4148)FromSalomTravel;French. ( % Silk &SpicesFestival 224 4965)FromEmirTravel;German. ( % ( ( Is the women’s bathhouse Isthewomen’sbathhouse are spread on thefloorand Bukhara’s pioneer B&Bis pioneer Bukhara’s % % (Ibodov 4;admission3000S,massage 522 2037)English. 223 0124)English. It’s technically amen’s 228 2012)English.

( % 224 2005;Sarrafon4; in earlyMay Borzi Kord Borzi

ham-

243 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN of itisanow- worship, builtin1718. Beside Cheerful attractionsincludeatortureCheerful cham- day as the shadows shift – disguises wallsday asthe shadowsshift – disguises gradually changes ‘personality’ the through intricate baked-terracotta brickwork–which nasty’s founder), his fatherandgrandson,its Built forIsmailSamani (theSamaniddy- and probablyitssturdiestarchitecturally. 905, isthetown’soldestMuslimmonument This ISMAIL SAMANI MAUSOLEUM &AROUND is around. else shepherd orwhoever are worththe1000S demandedbythelocal structures. Theviewsof the Arkandbeyond (as theauthoris)orrickety-looking Soviet author did),youbestnotbeafraidof heights in 1927.Ifyouare goingtoclimbthis(asthe 33m disused the scorpions andothervermin. languished inadarkchamber filledwithlice, some ‘bugpit’where StoddartandConolly dungeons, includingthegrue- ber andseveral 1200S; British officers StoddartandConolly( above ). venue forexecutions, of includingthose the mainsquare,Bukhara’s the 242 Beside apoolopposite theArk’sgate isBeside theArkis Behind Outside, infrontof thefortress, ismedieval up inhisfullclericalregalia. Great Game, toverify thenews.gyman namedJosephWolff,toBukhara AccordingtoPeter in Hopkirk Furious friendsandrelatives raisedenoughmoneytosendtheirownemissary,anoddballcler- and havingreceived noreply toanearlierletter toQueenVictoria, hadbothmenexecuted. the disastrousBritishretreat theemir,convincedthatBritainwasasecond-rate power fromKabul, tossedConolly injailtoo. andKokand, After ofKhiva ofaBritishplotwiththekhans to bepart rodentsandscalycreatures. ‘bugpit’,inthecompanyofassorted the so-called hadhimthrownintojail,where hewastospendmuchofhistimeatthebottom Nasrullah The piqued uptotheArk. violated matters localprotocolbyriding,ratherthanwalking, Stoddart regarded asanequalsovereign),Nasrullah butfromthegovernor-general ofIndia. Tocompound megalomania, hadsenthimwithnogifts, andwithaletter notfromQueen Victoria (whom about Britain’sinvasionofAfghanistan. Buthissuperiors,underestimating theemir’svanityand were beheaded. dig theirowngraves and,tothesoundofdrumsandreed walls, pipesfromatopthefortress citadel,madetoa dungeoncellbefore ahugecrowdinfrontoftheArk,emir’sfortified Conollywere andCaptain marchedoutfrom Arthur On 24June1842ColonelCharlesStoddart STODDART & CONOLLY Bolo-Hauz Mosque Bolo-Hauz mausoleum ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara Despite publicoutragebackinEngland,theBritishgovernment chosetoletthematter drop. Captain Conollyarrived release. in1841totrysecure Stoddart’s Buttheemir,believinghim hadarrived threeColonel Stoddart yearsearlieronamissionto reassure Khan EmirNasrullah h 9am-4.30pm) water tower water Wolffhimselfonlyescapeddeathbecausetheemirthoughthimhilarious,dressed inSamaniPark, completed in , the jail, now a museum. , thejail,nowamuseum. Zindon , theemirs’ place official , builtbytheRussians

(admission 500S; h wasoncehometooneof 9am-4.30pm) Chashma Ayub‘mauso-

(Tukaeva; (Tukaeva; lonelyplanet.com , builtfromthe % town walls 224 4188; The The ; of the Russian Central Asianof (1912). theRussianCentral Bank ground floor. It’sintheformerheadquarters of which inagalleryonthe canbepurchased artists, some century paintingsbyBukharan ruler medressas, onenamedforthegreat Shaybanid anywhere. and mosaic Mosque the interior of the16th-century sion 600S; Nearby, the canal isalittlebrotherof theKalon Minaret. majolica onitsunrestored façade. Across the 16th-century and fixed anotherin1998. towers. Unescorestored tower onecollapsed aren’t strictlyminarets butsimplydecorative means ‘FourMinarets’ inTajik, they although a long-gone medressa builtin1807.Thename Thiswasthe gatehouse ofanything Bukharan. bears more relation toIndianstylesthan PushkinandHojaalleys between Nurabad, restoration whenwevisited. andwasclosed It’sunderslow,devoted 30mdeep! in stacks hundreds of othergraves aroundit–allegedly relations. issignalledbythe Itsimportance grandsonsandnumerousother sons, several of aholymanknownasTurkiJandi, histwo one’s prayers answered. It’stheresting place Jandi mausoleum intheoldtownistiny,decrepitDeep OTHER SIGHTS Tours includeasmallfashionshow. aheadtobookanEnglish guide.in 2007.Call newly restored bedroomopenedtothepublic goingonforyears;painted elm)hasbeen the un- (carved, ceilingbeams and Bukhara-style of theelegantfrescoes, ets converted itintoaschool. Slowrestoration lived hereKhojaev until1925,whentheSovi- Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com foreground and amassive cooking-oil factory Mausoleum Khan leum twin domesof the Naqshband,khautdin themammary-like crafts shops. latter islocked, yetmore theformercontains called Across fromtheArkonHoja Nurabad, West of Taqi-Sarrafon istheinteresting Photogenic little Southeast of SamaniPark are twomassive Two kilometres east of thecentre onBa- towerover thedelicate little Abdulla Khan Modari Khan Modari has someof thebestvery old,original h 9am-4.30pm Thu-Tue) ghanch- Museum ofArt Museum Gaukushan Medressa Medressa Gaukushan (Namozgokh) (Namozgokh) . With sheep grazing inthe. Withsheep (motherof The thekhan). , andoneforhismother work you’re going to see work you’re goingtosee Saifuddin Bukharzi Mauso- Saifuddin Bukharzi Char Minar Char Minar ghanch, favoured forgetting

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243 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN is negotiatingseason. equipped, withminibarandTV. Lowseason The 2nd-floor roomsare andbetter spiffier small butitis,afterall, it’sacaravanserai. oldercaravanserai. Roomsarethis even abit homes,consider oldclassicBukhara all those looking forsomethingalittledifferent from Naqshband91;s/d/trUS$20/40/50; khautdin Ambar Mehtar MIDRANGE forUS$5toUS$10. homestays offeringsometimes theNorthBusStation this attractive forthebackpacker set. pieces of furniture. Negotiablepricesmakes spaceinmostroomsforafewenough spare much buttheyare andthere’s comfortable around acourtyard.Thebedsdon’tlooklike has10roomsset but effective guesthouse 37;s/d/trUS$15/20/30; Babahanova painted onthegarage door. of SalomInn;lookfortheOlympicsymbols packer isabout 100msouth bliss.Thehouse which are unbearable insummer,it’sback- understood. Otherthanthemosquitoes, self speakmuch Englishdoesn’t butmakes him- direct youtotraditionalbaths. Mubinjon eccentric–can Mubinjon –atrueBukharan the bathroomsare basicbutthelegendary 244 Emir Ahad Khan, and thegrand Emir Ahad Khan, both character andhistory.Itwasagiftfor drippingwith ina19th-century house one, set B&BsareBukhara more memorable than this 13;s/d/tr/qUS$25/40/45/60; .ru; UsmonHodjaev Good vegetarian foodisanaddedbonus. an authentic19th-centuryrich person’s home. ern roomstocomplementpre-existing digs in Komil recently opened anannexe withmod- and runsanadventure-oriented travel agency. laid-back proprietorwhospeaksgoodEnglish B&B hasstunning 40;s/d/trUS$25/40/45; Barakiyon ( p240 ), which aroundthecorner. hasanoffice regardedIt’s runbythehighly SalomTravel including antiquesandcolourfulwallhangings. rooms withtraditionalinterior decorations, fon 3;rUS$25-40; lishment has small but classy wood-furnished lishment hassmallbutclassywood-furnished 62, 7186163) huge courtyardfestooned with fruittrees are Hovli PoyonB&B Hovli K KomilHotel Salom Inn Locals, including Nasruddin Navruz ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara , hangoutaroundLyabi-Hauz and

( % ai ( % ( 224 4148,www.salomtravel.com;Sarra- % 224 4168;www.mehtarambar.ws; Ba-

( ghanch- ( % ) % 223 8780;www.komiltravel.com; Thislong-runningestab- Madina Tordieva Madina 224 1865;hovli-poyon@mail 224 34 57; [email protected]; 224 3457;[email protected]; ai work andayoung, a ) ) Thisfriendly a This simple aivan

) ( Ifyou’re a % ) 224 61 Few Few and two buildings set aroundtwincourtyardsin two buildingsset encouraged todonold-styleUzbek outfitsfor oven inthemiddleof thecourtyard;guestsare Dinners, ifpre-ordered, are cooked inamud room, restored butnotrepainted, isjustright. and otherantiques.Theinterior of thedining quality of ownerAkhbar’s collectionof The mud-walledsuite downstairs isapearl. 19th-century ditional elementssuch asniched wallsanda wood furniture gives itaforesty feel, buttra- in placeatthiscosy,casualboutique. Pine- amelia.com; BozorHoja1;s/dUS$30/40; newbeds. but need ous sizes,are simplewithtraditionaltouches Therooms,ofcould easilybeamuseum. vari- emir-worthy.certainly Ifitwere notahotel it year-old a small ‘gym’. frontdoor andeven bar,a180- rooms. It alsohasacosy house uniquelydecoratedsized twinbedsand eight intown,ultracomfyover-friendliest service schemes. Atrueboutique,ithassomeof the is toneddownabitbysofter thanusualcolour faithfully ondisplayhere, thestyle although s/d US$35/50; professional thanfriendlyhere. ismore rooms withfinetilework.Thestaff andmodernbath- rooms have satellite TV colourful cushionsdotthecourtyards.All with sittingtables style. Comfortable Bukhara tastefully restored roomsdoneupinclassic smalledificeswith large,connecting several woodenfrontdoorisamaze tifully carved .ru; EshoniPir 3;s/dUS$35/50; without theBBC. ifyoucan’tsurvive Request aroomwithTV rooms are spaciousandacoupleare massive. niches, theotherisallmodernandshiny. All rooms filledwith runs atravel agency. Onehastraditional-style friendly andknowledgeable Milla,whoalso the heartof theoldJewish Quarter, runbythe 17; s/d/trUS$30/50/65; mud-walled buildingonyourleft. andit’sthe past Sasha&SonB&B,turnright, sitely adorned.It’shardtofind–walk50m their repast. Therooms,naturally,are exqui- also be a museum, especiallyconsideringthe also beamuseum, another 19th-centurybeauty,thisonecould [email protected]; EshoniPir 22;s/dUS$30/50; [email protected]; o Amelia BoutiqueHotel Minzifa Minzifa Emir B&B Sasha &SonB&B ( kbr House Akhbar % ( a Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com % aivan 224 5628;www.minzifa.com; EshoniPir 63; ) 224 49 65; www.emirtravel.com; Husainov 224 4965;www.emirtravel.com; The ubiquitouslocalstyleis ( % a bring you back to Bukhara. bringyoubacktoBukhara. ghanch 224 4966;www.sacholga.narod ) Thisplaceconsistsof (

% ( a % 224 2112;akhbarhouse- and trinket-laden ) 224 1263;www.hotel Behind abeau- Behind a ) Allhairs are a suzani ) Yet Yet 3000-5000S) European foodintheheartof thetouristyJew- upexcellent diningscene,serving to Bukhara’s isawelcomeaddition ery withrooftop seating Korean. its authenticity,it’sco-ownedbyanethnic youbescepticalabout with Russianfood.Lest Lyabi-Hauz andcomplements itsAsian fare This Korean eatery isideallysituated near andcoldAziabeer.meat andtomatosauce) shashlyk, serving ence. There are here, twochaikhanas both experi- Bukhara tourists isthequintessential beards, localfamiliesandplentyof other fresco aroundthevenerable poolwithgrey- alternatives. fare, has agrowingnumberof Bukhara for sustenance, butifyoutire of chaikhana Many visitors gonofurtherthanLyabi-Hauz Eating away fromthenoisyreception area. no object,lookfurther. Requestaroom Ifmoney’s columns where breakfast isserved. and adignified are Highlights thestunningrooms service. sign withmodernamenitiesandprofessional better de- combinesauthenticold-Bukhara Husainov 7;s/dUS$40/60; on its2nd-floor porch. consider adrinkintheshadowof theminaret across theroom.Even here, ifyoudon’tstay but someare theTV sobigyoucanhardlysee Arab’s sparklingdomes.Roomslackcharacter such primeviewsof Kalon Minaret andMir-i- happy,butit’shardtoignore preservationists holiest architectural monumentswon’tmake 3; s/dUS$35/50; lonelyplanet.com the Jewish Quarter. in and Thursday buried deep Kukluk Bazaar, andtheSunday Bazaar including Kolkhozny OK food( right ). and ElDoradodoubleasrestaurants andhave across thestreet fromtheArk.BothAlyans ish Quarter. Advancedbookingrequired. trip you’re undoubtedly ready forsome pasta. but norisittheworst andbythispointinyour Minzifa Minzifa Lyabi-Hauz Lyabi HouseHotel Zaragon Hotel For self-caterers thereFor self-caterers are farmers markets, There’s inthepark anothergoodchaikhana Bella Italia Kochevnik ( It’s not the world’s best Italian food, food, It’s nottheworld’sbestItalian % ( (Bakhautdin Naqshband;mains2000-3000S) (Bakhautdin a % 224 6175;setmealsUS$7) (Lyabi-Hauz; mains1200S) ( % CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara 224 33 46; Bakhautdin Naqshband; mains Naqshband;mains 224 3346;Bakhautdin ) plov, Its location amid Bukhara’s Its locationamidBukhara’s aivan ( % 224 5821;[email protected];Haqiqat ai

224 2484;www.lyabihouse.com; kovurma laghman with carved wooden withcarved ) No placeintown This cosyeat- Dining al- (with Two to sample areTwo tosample parties after dinner,often withfloorshows. intobacchanalian that devolve dance taurants exotic. ers are welcomebutwillmostdefinitely be draws ayoung,very localcrowd.Foreign- newer partof town. must headsoutheastof thecentre intothe are notourgroupsintown. Showspiggyback. are often cancelledifthere for thetour-bus crowdbutindividualscan instead.the TouristInformationCentre ner atapremium; bookatthegate orthrough tourism oryoumaybeforcedtobuythedin- Uzbek-and dancing.Donotbookthisthrough show withtraditionalmusicalperformances Nadir DivanbegiMedressa, thisisanightly by appointmentNov-Mar) dinner 5000S; Uzbek andEnglish. emony astheusualtheme,isheldinTajik, performance, withatraditionalweddingcer- option.Thethree-partentertainment amateur Hauz, reader thisistheconsensus favourite Held atatheatre onthewestern endof Lyabi- Nov,byappointmentJun-Aug) &Sep-early 7pm lateMar-May entertainment options. early-evening which ispartof itscharm, butthere are several silentbynight, oldtowniseerily Bukhara’s Entertainment good, inparticulartheCabernets. Thelocalwinesarevanserai. surprisingly roominthis18th-centurycara- and tasting Djamal Akhrarov hasaninformalwineshop Naqshband 78;per8largesamples4000S; and such withrich ashalvan localsweets served exactly sixspicyvarietiesof tea andcoffee, Ithas ful diversion fromallthatsightseeing. 2500S) Silk RoadSpices Drinking Dorado 3am) gravitate towards ‘dancebars’, basically res- on weekends. Oscar For anythingrowdierthanpuppetsyou &fashionshow Folklore Puppet performance winetasting Nughay Caravanserai Bukhara Palace Hotel Palace Hotel Bukhara Both of theabove showsare staged mainly As inmuch of thecountry,locals tend to The basement nightclub here nightclub getsThe basement going qandalat This boutique teahouse offers Thisboutiqueteahouse adelight- (M Ikbola). (Muminova; (Muminova; h 6.30pm Apr-May & Sep-Oct, 7.30pmJun-Aug, &Sep-Oct, 6.30pm Apr-May . (Halim Ibodov5;unlimitedtea&sweets h Across Lyabi-Hauz inthe Alyans 8pm-2am) ( (admission US$5; %

(admission US$5,optional 223 0024;Navoi8; (Muminova 33) (Muminova This smallclub h (Bakhautdin (Bakhautdin 11am-9pm) h and 6pm & h 245 till

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Emir Ahad Khan, and thegrand Emir Ahad Khan, both character andhistory.Itwasagiftfor drippingwith ina19th-century house one, set B&BsareBukhara more memorable than this 13;s/d/tr/qUS$25/40/45/60; .ru; UsmonHodjaev Good vegetarian foodisanaddedbonus. an authentic19th-centuryrich person’s home. ern roomstocomplementpre-existing digs in Komil recently opened anannexe withmod- and runsanadventure-oriented travel agency. laid-back proprietorwhospeaksgoodEnglish B&B hasstunning 40;s/d/trUS$25/40/45; Barakiyon ( p240 ), which aroundthecorner. hasanoffice regardedIt’s runbythehighly SalomTravel including antiquesandcolourfulwallhangings. rooms withtraditionalinterior decorations, is negotiatingseason. equipped, withminibarandTV. Lowseason The 2nd-floor roomsare andbetter spiffier small butitis,afterall, it’sacaravanserai. oldercaravanserai. Roomsarethis even abit homes,consider oldclassicBukhara all those looking forsomethingalittledifferent from Naqshband91;s/d/trUS$20/40/50; khautdin Ambar Mehtar MIDRANGE forUS$5toUS$10. homestays offeringsometimes theNorthBusStation this attractive forthebackpacker set. pieces of furniture. Negotiablepricesmakes spaceinmostroomsforafewenough spare much buttheyare andthere’s comfortable around acourtyard.Thebedsdon’tlooklike has10roomsset but effective guesthouse 37;s/d/trUS$15/20/30; Babahanova painted onthegarage door. of SalomInn;lookfortheOlympicsymbols packer isabout 100msouth bliss.Thehouse which are unbearable insummer,it’sback- understood. Otherthanthemosquitoes, self speakmuch Englishdoesn’t butmakes him- direct youtotraditionalbaths. Mubinjon eccentric–can Mubinjon –atrueBukharan the bathroomsare basicbutthelegendary 244 fon 3;rUS$25-40; lishment has small but classy wood-furnished lishment hassmallbutclassywood-furnished 62, 7186163) huge courtyardfestooned with fruittrees are Hovli PoyonB&B Hovli K KomilHotel Salom Inn Locals, including Nasruddin Navruz ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara , hangoutaroundLyabi-Hauz and

( % ai ( % ( 224 4148,www.salomtravel.com;Sarra- % 224 4168;www.mehtarambar.ws; Ba-

) ( Ifyou’re a % ) 224 61 Few Few and two buildings set aroundtwincourtyardsin two buildingsset year-old a small ‘gym’. frontdoor andeven bar,a180- rooms. It alsohasacosy house uniquelydecoratedsized twinbedsand eight intown,ultracomfyover-friendliest service schemes. Atrueboutique,ithassomeof the is toneddownabitbysofter thanusualcolour faithfully ondisplayhere, thestyle although s/d US$35/50; professional thanfriendlyhere. ismore rooms withfinetilework.Thestaff andmodernbath- rooms have satellite TV colourful cushionsdotthecourtyards.All with sittingtables style. Comfortable Bukhara tastefully restored roomsdoneupinclassic smalledificeswith large,connecting several woodenfrontdoorisamaze tifully carved .ru; EshoniPir 3;s/dUS$35/50; without theBBC. ifyoucan’tsurvive Request aroomwithTV rooms are spaciousandacoupleare massive. niches, theotherisallmodernandshiny. All rooms filledwith runs atravel agency. Onehastraditional-style friendly andknowledgeable Milla,whoalso the heartof theoldJewish Quarter, runbythe 17; s/d/trUS$30/50/65; mud-walled buildingonyourleft. andit’sthe past Sasha&SonB&B,turnright, sitely adorned.It’shardtofind–walk50m their repast. Therooms,naturally,are exqui- encouraged todonold-styleUzbek outfitsfor oven inthemiddleof thecourtyard;guestsare Dinners, ifpre-ordered, are cooked inamud room, restored butnotrepainted, isjustright. and otherantiques.Theinterior of thedining quality of ownerAkhbar’s collectionof The mud-walledsuite downstairs isapearl. 19th-century ditional elementssuch asniched wallsanda wood furniture gives itaforesty feel, buttra- in placeatthiscosy,casualboutique. Pine- amelia.com; BozorHoja1;s/dUS$30/40; newbeds. but need ous sizes,are simplewithtraditionaltouches Therooms,ofcould easilybeamuseum. vari- emir-worthy.certainly Ifitwere notahotel it also be a museum, especiallyconsideringthe also beamuseum, another 19th-centurybeauty,thisonecould [email protected]; EshoniPir 22;s/dUS$30/50; [email protected]; Minzifa Minzifa Emir B&B o Amelia BoutiqueHotel Sasha &SonB&B ( kbr House Akhbar % ( a Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com % aivan 224 5628;www.minzifa.com; EshoniPir 63; ) 224 49 65; www.emirtravel.com; Husainov 224 4965;www.emirtravel.com; The ubiquitouslocalstyleis ( % a bring you back to Bukhara. bringyoubacktoBukhara. ghanch 224 4966;www.sacholga.narod ) Thisplaceconsistsof (

(admission US$5,optional 223 0024;Navoi8; (Muminova 33) (Muminova This smallclub h (Bakhautdin (Bakhautdin 11am-9pm) h and 6pm & h 245 till

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN with gems fromhispersonal collectionfor buthemaybewillingtopart it isn’tforsale collection.Muchowner Akhbar’s fantastic of ( head toAkhbar House p244 of) foraglimpse ings, jewelleryboxes andchess sets. silk-embroidered miniature tapestries, paint- work onavarietyof handicraftsincluding Naqshband) (Bakhautdin in English. aheadtobookatour designs.Call Bukhara launch in2001),butuniquelyproducesonly thing todowithUnesco(which helpedthem 57; WeavingShop Unesco Carpet carpet weavers inactionhere, aswellatthe what’s machine-made. Youcanwatch silk- openly informyouonwhat’shandmadeand eral market). Vendors are notpushy andwill Telpaq (a Furushon Bazaar Tim AbdullaKhan and carpetcentre inthelate 16th-century shopping atmosphere thanatthesilk- weaving quality. Theyare,Bukhara. of of course, varying vendors, it’snothardtofindasouvenir in overflowingWith manytouristsights with Shopping 246 Shared congregate taxis inalot ontheless- zaar, departure pointforUrgench/Khiva. bus for800S. 2500S,45minutes), ortake aslower (per seat Shared toNavoi taxis alsodepartfromhere departures leaves andeverything whenfull. plus afew marshrutkas. There are plentyof three hours; Tashkent hours), 20,000S,seven shared 11,000S, Nexias(Samarkand perseat five hours; Tashkent 7000S,11hours) and plenty of (Samarkand3500S, private buses about 3kmnorthof thecentre. Here you’llfind markand leaves fromtheNorthBusStation, All vehicular transporttoTashkent andSa- LAND at leastdailyexceptSaturday). toTashkentfrom Bukhara (US$36,1½hours, Airways Uzbekistan AIR Getting There&Away price.the right 1km southeastof thetowncentre, Serious Serious At the For carpets,youcouldn’taskforabetter About 1.5kmnorthof Ba- here isKarvon h ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara 9am-5pm Mon-Sat). Bukhara Artisan Development Centre Centre Development Artisan Bukhara suzani (Haqiqat; and textile collectors should

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has flights has flights , about

on theTajik border(25,000S,sixhours). hours), Termiz (20,000S,sixhours) andDenau 6000S, 1½hours), (12,000S,four Shakhrisabz part fromacrossthestreet toQarshi (perseat shared However, de- buses. taxis has nouseful marshrutka stop). 2kmeastofold trainstation, theLyabi-Hauz stop(site67 or73,fromthetrainstation of the take publicbus2or21,marshrutkaBazaar Tashkent, which sporadically. comethrough originatingin andflagbuses of stand thetaxi you have towaitoutonthemainroadinfront toUrgenchFor buses hours), (5000S,eight Urgench fromthislotbefore noon(12,000S). Urgench. Afew marshrutkas allegedly headto you’refor Khiva; better transferring off in hours). Drivers demandupto5000Sextra forUrgenchrate is20,000Sperseat (4½ centre andtheairport. Marshrutka 100or bus the 1500S for a10-minute tripbetween taxi The airportis6kmeastof town.Figure on TO/FROM AIRPORT Getting Around is an the Lyabi-Hauz stop(300S,25minutes). There ond halfof 2007. train (12hours) wasdue tolaunch inthesec- urban traintoQarshi (850S,3½hours). ( not Bukhara p210 there’s). Lastly, adailysub- to Nukus,KungradandUrgench goviaNavoi, (1200S, sixhours). ThetrainsfromTashkent to Samarkandisthedaily‘suburban’train ( Samarkand through hours). Italsogoes at6.40pm( nightly blaring Russianpop. 2nd class,where islimited to thenuisance optfor movies andvideosonablaringTV, you have adesire towatch Russian action Samarkand (5700/9200S,3½hours). Unless class/1st class11,000/15,000S,7½hours) via to Tashkent morningat7.20am(2nd every The Train Turkmenabat. crowded southendof themarket. Thegoing band) platskartny A thrice weekly overnightA thriceweekly Kagan–Urgench trainrumblestoTashkentA slowerpassenger See p268 forinformationongetting to The ‘Sharq’ eastof busstation thecentre To get orKarvon totheNorthBusStation To get toKagan take marshrutka 68from right across fromLyabi-Hauz. right Sharq Air & Rail Ticketing Office Office Ticketing Air &Rail high-speed trainzipsfromKagan high-speed 7500S, six hours). A final option 7500S, sixhours). Afinaloption platskartny ( % lonelyplanet.com 11,000S, 12½ 11,000S, 12½ 224 6486;Naqsh- ( fon isoneof Sufism’smore important of inthevillage ofEast Bukhara Kasri Ori- Bakhautdin NaqshbandMausoleum at theendof theline. stop.Thepalaceis 70 fromthetrainstation bedmate. anappletohischosen tossed tourguide–theemir from which every – says frolicked, overlooked byawoodenpavilion front of theharem isapoolwhere thewomen In first electricitytheemirate seen. hadever A 50-wattRussiangenerator provided the finest andthegaudiestaspectsof bothstyles. punches were pulledinshowing boththe off (inside),andno (outside) andlocalartisans byRussianarchitects forAlimKhan effort of Bukhara. h den), nowa ace, SitoraiMohi (Star-and-Moon Hosa Gar- emir, goouttohissummer pal- Alim Khan, For alookatthekitsch lifestyle of thelast Emir’s SummerPalace AROUND BUKHARA Emir’s Palace andChor-Bakr. Naqshband Mausoleum andKagan; lessto shouldcostabout 3000StoBakhautdin taxi Lyabi-Hauz stop.Fromthecentre aone-way as youavoid thecheats whohangoutatthe forlessthan1500S,aslong town inataxi базар ( destinations are Bazaar Kolkhozny transport goingjustabout anywhere. Useful ful trainstation lik, whileboth52and68get youtotheuse- tothenewpartofgoes townviaMustaqil- From theLyabi-Hauz stop,marshrutka 52 PUBLIC TRANSPORT&TAXI Gorgaz stopstakes 15to20minutes. KrytyRynokor 10 to/fromthetrainstation, lonelyplanet.com mosque. Infront of itisaprecariously lean- a 16th-century Formore tron saint’. onSufism,see p65 . Asia, unofficial‘pa- and Bukhara’s in Central most influentialof manyancientSufiorders Naqshband (1318–89),thefounderof the ud-Din) (or Bakha the tombof Bakhautdin (admission free; Карвон You shouldbeable toget anywhere in The huge maindomeof thecomplexcovers To get here take bus 7 or21marshrutka The three-building compoundwasajoint 9am-5pm Wed-Mon,9am-2.30pmTue) ), theArkstop(

базар ). h museum khanaka, CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••AroundBukhara

8am-7pm), stop, where youcanpickup

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6km north Колхозный

(Friday) shrines

fallen victimtooverambitious restoration. thathas west of isyetanothersight Bukhara, German soldiers from the Luftwaffe base at soldiers base fromthe Luftwaffe German workers, archaeologists, oilprospectors and der-town feel. Theexpat crowdisamixof aid ing tomore glorioustimes. are someancient monumentsandsites attest- in attractive landscapesonthefringes of town set history.However, colourful cosmopolitan Modern-day Termiz bears few tracesof its % TERMIZ 107 labelled‘ MKarimov, justoff Bazaar, take marshrutka in Uzbekistan. look like somanyotherneat-and-tidysights in ruinbefore therecent restoration madeit the complex,much of which layhauntingly and aformer his family.Alarge Prophet Mohammed and later first caliph,and graves of Abu-Bakr, friendof devoted the h This 16th-century Chor-Bakr (300S,25minutes). stops inBukhara andArk compound fromthetrainstation only 350years old! there’s aproblem withthetree story–it’s The legend of thewellmayholdwater, but bring ithomebythejug-full forgoodluck. to pilgrims,whosplashtheirfaceswithitand tinue tosupplythiswell’sallegedly holywater nearby well.Faucets neartheminaret con- added dropsof holywater fromMecca toa turning fromapilgrimage toMecca. He then uponre- stuckhisstaff, where Bakhautdin fied tree. hasitthatthistree Legend sprouted aroundapetri- locals walkinganticlockwise tions of thetomb. complete three circumambula- anticlockwise thatit is auspiciousto post. Traditionsays hangingfroma by ahorse-manetalisman block,protected isasimple2m-high itself of thecountry’smostbeautiful.Thetomb left. Thelovingly restored tombinthecourtyardto Bakhautdin’s ing minaret. Twomore mosquessurround From thestoponeastsideof Kolkhozny It wasbuiltinShaybanid timesnearthe inthemaincourtyardyou’llspotmoreBack Termiz todayhasanedgy,WildWest bor- Marshrutkas tothe 125and60gostraight 8.30am-8pm) (3) 76/pop120,000elev380m ТЕРМЕЗ Чорбакр khanaka or ‘town’of mausoleums6km

Juma mosqueontheleft ’ necropolis (300S,10minutes). on the right dominate ontheright aivan

(admission 1000S, here isone

247 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Shared congregate taxis inalot ontheless- zaar, departure pointforUrgench/Khiva. bus for800S. 2500S,45minutes), ortake aslower (per seat Shared toNavoi taxis alsodepartfromhere departures leaves andeverything whenfull. plus afew marshrutkas. There are plentyof three hours; Tashkent hours), 20,000S,seven shared 11,000S, Nexias(Samarkand perseat five hours; Tashkent 7000S,11hours) and plenty of (Samarkand3500S, private buses about 3kmnorthof thecentre. Here you’llfind markand leaves fromtheNorthBusStation, All vehicular transporttoTashkent andSa- LAND at leastdailyexceptSaturday). toTashkentfrom Bukhara (US$36,1½hours, Airways Uzbekistan AIR Getting There&Away price.the right with gems fromhispersonal collectionfor buthemaybewillingtopart it isn’tforsale collection.Muchowner Akhbar’s fantastic of ( head toAkhbar House p244 of) foraglimpse ings, jewelleryboxes andchess sets. silk-embroidered miniature tapestries, paint- work onavarietyof handicraftsincluding Naqshband) (Bakhautdin in English. aheadtobookatour designs.Call Bukhara launch in2001),butuniquelyproducesonly thing todowithUnesco(which helpedthem 57; WeavingShop Unesco Carpet carpet weavers inactionhere, aswellatthe what’s machine-made. Youcanwatch silk- openly informyouonwhat’shandmadeand eral market). Vendors are notpushy andwill Telpaq (a Furushon Bazaar Tim AbdullaKhan and carpetcentre inthelate 16th-century shopping atmosphere thanatthesilk- weaving quality. Theyare,Bukhara. of of course, varying vendors, it’snothardtofindasouvenir in overflowingWith manytouristsights with Shopping 246 1km southeastof thetowncentre, Serious Serious At the About 1.5kmnorthof Ba- here isKarvon For carpets,youcouldn’taskforabetter h ETA ZEITN • uhr CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Bukhara 9am-5pm Mon-Sat). Bukhara Artisan Development Centre Centre Development Artisan Bukhara suzani (Haqiqat; and textile collectors should

( youcanwatch at artisans % 233 5060;Navoi15) It nolonger hasany- h

9am-6pm) ( % tim 223 6613;EshoniPir wasagen- , nearTaqi-

has flights has flights , about centre andtheairport. Marshrutka 100or bus the 1500S for a10-minute tripbetween taxi The airportis6kmeastof town.Figure on TO/FROM AIRPORT Getting Around is an the Lyabi-Hauz stop(300S,25minutes). There ond halfof 2007. train (12hours) wasdue tolaunch inthesec- urban traintoQarshi (850S,3½hours). ( not Bukhara p210 there’s). Lastly, adailysub- to Nukus,KungradandUrgench goviaNavoi, (1200S, sixhours). ThetrainsfromTashkent to Samarkandisthedaily‘suburban’train ( Samarkand through hours). Italsogoes at6.40pm( nightly blaring Russianpop. 2nd class,where islimited to thenuisance optfor movies andvideosonablaringTV, you have adesire towatch Russian action Samarkand (5700/9200S,3½hours). Unless class/1st class11,000/15,000S,7½hours) via to Tashkent morningat7.20am(2nd every The Train Turkmenabat. on theTajik border(25,000S,sixhours). hours), Termiz (20,000S,sixhours) andDenau 6000S, 1½hours), (12,000S,four Shakhrisabz part fromacrossthestreet toQarshi (perseat shared However, de- buses. taxis has nouseful marshrutka stop). 2kmeastofold trainstation, theLyabi-Hauz stop(site67 or73,fromthetrainstation of the take publicbus2or21,marshrutkaBazaar Tashkent, which sporadically. comethrough originatingin andflagbuses of stand thetaxi you have towaitoutonthemainroadinfront toUrgenchFor buses hours), (5000S,eight Urgench fromthislotbefore noon(12,000S). Urgench. Afew marshrutkas allegedly headto you’refor Khiva; better transferring off in hours). Drivers demandupto5000Sextra forUrgenchrate is20,000Sperseat (4½ crowded southendof themarket. Thegoing band) platskartny A thrice weekly overnightA thriceweekly Kagan–Urgench trainrumblestoTashkentA slowerpassenger See p268 forinformationongetting to To get toKagan take marshrutka 68from The ‘Sharq’ eastof busstation thecentre To get orKarvon totheNorthBusStation right across fromLyabi-Hauz. right Sharq Air & Rail Ticketing Office Office Ticketing Air &Rail high-speed trainzipsfromKagan high-speed 7500S, six hours). A final option 7500S, sixhours). Afinaloption platskartny ( % lonelyplanet.com 11,000S, 12½ 11,000S, 12½ 224 6486;Naqsh- ( transport goingjustabout anywhere. Useful fon isoneof Sufism’smore important of inthevillage ofEast Bukhara Kasri Ori- Bakhautdin NaqshbandMausoleum at theendof theline. stop.Thepalaceis 70 fromthetrainstation bedmate. anappletohischosen tossed tourguide–theemir from which every – says frolicked, overlooked byawoodenpavilion front of theharem isapoolwhere thewomen In first electricitytheemirate seen. hadever A 50-wattRussiangenerator provided the finest andthegaudiestaspectsof bothstyles. punches were pulledinshowing boththe off (inside),andno (outside) andlocalartisans byRussianarchitects forAlimKhan effort of Bukhara. h den), nowa ace, SitoraiMohi (Star-and-Moon Hosa Gar- emir, goouttohissummer pal- Alim Khan, For alookatthekitsch lifestyle of thelast Emir’s SummerPalace AROUND BUKHARA Emir’s Palace andChor-Bakr. Naqshband Mausoleum andKagan; lessto shouldcostabout 3000StoBakhautdin taxi Lyabi-Hauz stop.Fromthecentre aone-way as youavoid thecheats whohangoutatthe forlessthan1500S,aslong town inataxi базар ( destinations are Bazaar Kolkhozny ful trainstation lik, whileboth52and68get youtotheuse- tothenewpartofgoes townviaMustaqil- From theLyabi-Hauz stop,marshrutka 52 PUBLIC TRANSPORT&TAXI Gorgaz stopstakes 15to20minutes. KrytyRynokor 10 to/fromthetrainstation, lonelyplanet.com mosque. Infront of itisaprecariously lean- a 16th-century Formore tron saint’. onSufism,see p65 . Asia, unofficial‘pa- and Bukhara’s in Central most influentialof manyancientSufiorders Naqshband (1318–89),thefounderof the ud-Din) (or Bakha the tombof Bakhautdin (admission free; Карвон You shouldbeable toget anywhere in The huge maindomeof thecomplexcovers To get here take bus 7 or21marshrutka The three-building compoundwasajoint 9am-5pm Wed-Mon,9am-2.30pmTue) ), theArkstop(

базар ). h museum khanaka, CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••AroundBukhara

8am-7pm), stop, where youcanpickup

Арк (admission 3600S,guide3600S; ) and Karvon Bazaar Bazaar ) andKarvon nowaJuma thebirthplaceand ,

6km north Колхозный

(Friday) shrines

Juma mosqueontheleft ’ necropolis (300S,10minutes). on the right dominate ontheright aivan

(admission 1000S, here isone

247 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Located acrossfromtheclocktower. holders. advance forMasterCard most paranoid cops (see most paranoidcops(see above ) andyouhave on itswaytoEurope. ThrowinUzbekistan’s theAmu-Daryahere crosses from Afghanistan Termiz airport.Asteady flowof contraband 248 in Central Asia wherein Central you’llfindarchaeo- istheonlyregionmain city. ‘Surkhandarya provincekhandarya of which Termiz isthe ravaged thatpeppertheSur- civilisations trove of artefacts collected fromthemany Unveiled isatreasure in2001,themuseum isreason tovisitTermiz.train station, enough admission 2000S; Termizihttp://archaeomuseum.freenet.uz; Al-Hakim 29; The Sights Café Internet Bank Asaka arecal museum southof here. west of this.Mosthotels andthearchaeologi- central axisof is2km town.Thebusstation the cornerof Al-Termizi andNavoi marksthe atitsnorthernend.Theclocktoweron station The mainroadisAl-Termizi, withthetrain Orientation &Information all themakingsof aspynovel. areas suchasTermiz andtheFergana Valley. journalist. well thenyouneedapermit.Tominimize problems,stayinaregistered hotel anddon’tbea don’t technically needapermit,youare to their whims. subject Iftheysayyouneedapermit, Termiz Whileyou hassomeofthemostparanoidandunpredictable policeinUzbekistan. that somebodyhadblownthewhistleonmeforstayingthere. journalist. It’salsopossiblethatmyhotel, theOsiyo,wasnotregistered foreigners, totake and to have possiblethatIwasasuspected aspecialpermit,butIknewthistobeuntrue. It’scertainly myphotos,mostlyoftouristysights.checked ofnotes –instantproofthatIwaslying.two padsfilledwithamonth’sworth Instead theyjust tourist. China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, thePhilippines, Ukraine?WasIajournalist? What wasIdoinginTermiz? HowlongwasIhere? WhyhadIbeentoRussia?AndCambodia, hours inawhite interrogation roomatOVIRexchanging withthree courtesies plainclothescops. registration fromyourhotel, docket butseparate specialpermitsare nolongerrequired. registrationOfficially, lawsinTermiz are nodifferent thaninanyotherUzbekcity.Youneeda FEAR &LOATHING INTERMIZ Termiz Museum Archaeological ETA ZEITN • emz CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Termiz Another lesson is that it’s always a good idea for solo tourists to keep alowprofileinsensitiveAnother lessonisthatit’salwaysagoodideaforsolotouriststokeep Whatever thereason, there are lessonstobelearnedfrommyTermiz experience. First ofall, They letmegoeventually, butwhyhadtheygrabbedme?They hadinsisted thatIwasrequired theydidn’tsearchmybelongings.Shockingly, Hadtheydonesowouldhave discovered ofcourse,meansinstantexpulsion.No,Iwasjustahumble Being ajournalistinUzbekistan, Apparently somebodyforgot totell thattothepoliceinTermiz, where thisauthorspenttwo (Navoi 45)Currency exchangeandcash (Al-Termizi; perhr600S; h 9am-6pm) , 1kmsouthof the h ( % 8am-1am) Greg Bloom 227 5829; 3rd-century ADBuddhist monastery com- reverse someof thedamage at along withtherest of OldTermiz in1220. are byJenghiz Buddhistruins,levelled Khan (and isnowknownasOldTermiz). These in thecottonfieldsof tobeTermiz what used out here you’llnotice variouspilesof rubble west of thecityonroadtoQarshi. Driving 4000S perhour. lurknorth- The mainsights Figure onpayinga driver 3000S to half-week. hire themalloritcould take a acartosee Youshould that canbevisited inahalf-day. have discovered. been petroglyphs andawealthof StoneAge relics around Boysun,where Neanderthalbones, cave-strewnup tothemountainous, area to spendafew daysintheregion, heading willwant archaeological buffs Serious sights. which depicts themostimportant khandarya to visit,thanksanexcellentmodelof Sur- stop todetermine want whatsites youmight photo!’ president, IslamKarimov. Look,there’s his wasopenedby our proclaims. ‘Themuseum Asian curatortruthfully history’,themuseum logical sites fromallthemajor erasof Central Today archaeologists are busytrying to There aroundTermiz are sights several Whatever, the museum makesWhatever, themuseum agreat first lonelyplanet.com Fayoz-Tepe ,

a Gulya Tours their husband’smurder. cumbing totheirownambitionavenge nomadsbeforesex-crazed suc- eventually off husband wasslain,successfullyfighting in the11thcenturyafter theirnobleman- end hasitthat40youngwomenlived here mud-walled About totownisareal 5kmcloser ruin,the from the11thto15thcenturies,Say yids. members of thedynastythat ruled Termiz if you’ve toSamarkand.Buriedhere been are of mausoleumsprobably won’timpress you restored Timurid-style northeast of theairportroad.The townoff discreet. here; photographingitisforbiddensobe lunch. TheAmu-Daryaisonceagaininsight on Wednesdaywhenthefaithfulare served brick. Themausoleumgets packed tothegills moved theoriginal15th-century toexpose ‘beautification’ drive, isbeinggraduallyre- plaster theinterior’s cheap umph forpreservationists, Al-Hakim, Inatri- thecity’spatronsaint. century Sufiphilosopher,knownlocallyas al-TermiziAl-Hakim still quite sacred edifice,the nected travel agencies. sometimes visitwiththehelpof well-con- tourgroups border,although the Afghan west fromhere, theremains of aglasswindow.Lookingsouth- ible through protects themonastery’s originalstupa,vis- Unesco. Themodern-lookingteapot dome stored andpartiallyrebuilt withsupportfrom only in1968,recent years re- it’sbeen plex 9kmwestof Discovered thebusstation. Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com part of thegovernment’s general monument the Dostlyk Hotel andtherecently renovated soldiers,indefinitely by German including Entire wingsof somehotels are booked out Sleeping &Eating ing guide. 88 14,2275324) archaeological museum. friendly guidewhoworksparttime atthe monastery is off-limits because it’s right on it’sright because monastery isoff-limits banks of theAmu-Darya. Like theriver, the Buddhist cave monastery, are visibleonthe Termiz’ othermainsites are clustered younger totownisaslightly but Closer ( % ghanch 222 7125;[email protected]) is anothercapableEnglish-speak- Kyr Kyz -work, spuriously installed as -work, spuriouslyinstalled . Itsnamesake wasa9th- (Forty Girls)fortress. Leg- Sultan SaodatEnsemble Alisher Choriev Alisher Choriev Mausoleum of Mausoleum Kara-Tepe CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Termiz is avery ( % 222 , a Bazaar. reachable viamarshrutka 6from Yubileny or take ashared (25,000S, 9½hours). taxi Tashkent (12,000S, 14hours) viaSamarkand Qarshi. There are acoupleof to buses evening youmayhaveFor Bukhara, totransfer in daily bustoSamarkand(4500S,8½ hours). (20,000S,sixhours). There’sBukhara alsoa 16,000S,five hours)markand (perseat and Bazaar. town. Take marshrutka 11fromYubileny 1½ hours). Theairportis15kmnorthof three adayto/fromTashkent flights (US$40, Airways Uzbekistan Getting There&Around diers andworkinggirlsafter theireuros. attractsstein-bangingDisco Bar sol- German beyond theHotel Meridien. dish. It’sontheoutskirtsof townabout1.5km pancha, local eatery, thisistheplacetosample hotels. atthenearbyOsiyostaying orTennis Court ifyou’re that’suseful of andeggs sausages food intown,aswellacheap, greasy breakfast puted tohave someof thebestSurkhandarya facilities andamenitiesgo. hotel, leadsthepackasfar butitcertainly informalfora‘four-star’ thatisatad of service The cigarette-puffing receptionist isindicative that’sopentoallwellintotheevening. taurant huge roomsinpastel colours andadecentres- US$60/80; opposite thearchaeology museum. visited butisabudget-traveller favourite. It’s US$6/10) from Hotel Meridien. lems inthesummer. It’safive-minute walk leaky windowscouldcreate mosquitoprob- the linens,although rooms andcomfortable withspacious pricesthough, a steal atthese they canacceptforeigners (see opposite ). It’s found outthere issomequestionastowhether bargain-basement choice,aswe although the bestoptions: Hotel. ThatleavesSurkhon thefollowingas All of theabove leave fromthebusstation, Shared isthewaytogoto/fromSa- taxi theSurkhon On FridayandSaturdaynights Jasmin Boysun Meridien Hotel Osiyo Hotel Tennis Hotel Court It was closed forrenovationsIt wasclosed whenwe ( a % a Surkhandarya meat-and-potatoes meat-and-potatoes a Surkhandarya (Dostlyk Park, mains1000-2000S) Fifth Rayon; (Navoi, Fifth Rayon; 1000-2000S) (Navoi, Fifth Rayon; ) 222 8909;rperperson4500S) This newly opened high-rise has This newlyopenedhigh-rise ( % ( ( % % 227 2674;Alpomysh23;s/d 223 79 29; Gagarin 36) 223 7929;Gagarin 222 7933;Al-Termizi 29B;s/d This isyour A vintage A vintage

cho-

249 has Re- UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Located acrossfromtheclocktower. advance for MasterCard holders. advance forMasterCard in Central Asia wherein Central you’llfindarchaeo- istheonlyregionmain city. ‘Surkhandarya provincekhandarya of which Termiz isthe ravaged thatpeppertheSur- civilisations trove of artefacts collected fromthemany Unveiled isatreasure in2001,themuseum isreason tovisitTermiz.train station, enough admission 2000S; Termizihttp://archaeomuseum.freenet.uz; Al-Hakim 29; The Sights Café Internet Bank Asaka arecal museum southof here. west of this.Mosthotels andthearchaeologi- central axisof is2km town.Thebusstation the cornerof Al-Termizi andNavoi marksthe atitsnorthernend.Theclocktoweron station The mainroadisAl-Termizi, withthetrain Orientation &Information all themakingsof aspynovel. most paranoidcops(see above ) andyouhave on itswaytoEurope. ThrowinUzbekistan’s theAmu-Daryahere crosses from Afghanistan Termiz airport.Asteady flowof contraband 248 areas suchasTermiz andtheFergana Valley. journalist. well thenyouneedapermit.Tominimize problems,stayinaregistered hotel anddon’tbea don’t technically needapermit,youare to their whims. subject Iftheysayyouneedapermit, Termiz Whileyou hassomeofthemostparanoidandunpredictable policeinUzbekistan. that somebodyhadblownthewhistleonmeforstayingthere. journalist. It’salsopossiblethatmyhotel, theOsiyo,wasnotregistered foreigners, totake and to have possiblethatIwasasuspected aspecialpermit,butIknewthistobeuntrue. It’scertainly myphotos,mostlyoftouristysights.checked ofnotes –instantproofthatIwaslying.two padsfilledwithamonth’sworth Instead theyjust tourist. China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, thePhilippines, Ukraine?WasIajournalist? What wasIdoinginTermiz? HowlongwasIhere? WhyhadIbeentoRussia?AndCambodia, hours inawhite interrogation roomatOVIRexchanging withthree courtesies plainclothescops. registration fromyourhotel, docket butseparate specialpermitsare nolongerrequired. registrationOfficially, lawsinTermiz are nodifferent thaninanyotherUzbekcity.Youneeda FEAR &LOATHING INTERMIZ Termiz Museum Archaeological ETA ZEITN • emz CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN ••Termiz Another lesson is that it’s always a good idea for solo tourists to keep alowprofileinsensitiveAnother lessonisthatit’salwaysagoodideaforsolotouriststokeep Whatever thereason, there are lessonstobelearnedfrommyTermiz experience. First ofall, They letmegoeventually, butwhyhadtheygrabbedme?They hadinsisted thatIwasrequired theydidn’tsearchmybelongings.Shockingly, Hadtheydonesowouldhave discovered ofcourse,meansinstantexpulsion.No,Iwasjustahumble Being ajournalistinUzbekistan, Apparently somebodyforgot totell thattothepoliceinTermiz, where thisauthorspenttwo (Navoi 45)Currency exchangeandcash (Al-Termizi; perhr600S; h 9am-6pm) , 1kmsouthof the h ( % 8am-1am) Greg Bloom 227 5829; 3rd-century ADBuddhist monastery com- reverse someof thedamage at along withtherest of OldTermiz in1220. are byJenghiz Buddhistruins,levelled Khan (and isnowknownasOldTermiz). These in thecottonfieldsof tobeTermiz what used out here you’llnotice variouspilesof rubble west of thecityonroadtoQarshi. Driving 4000S perhour. lurknorth- The mainsights Figure onpayinga driver 3000S to half-week. hire themalloritcould take a acartosee Youshould that canbevisited inahalf-day. have discovered. been petroglyphs andawealthof StoneAge relics around Boysun,where Neanderthalbones, cave-strewnup tothemountainous, area to spendafew daysintheregion, heading willwant archaeological buffs Serious sights. which depicts themostimportant khandarya to visit,thanksanexcellentmodelof Sur- stop todetermine want whatsites youmight photo!’ president, IslamKarimov. Look,there’s his wasopenedby our proclaims. ‘Themuseum Asian curatortruthfully history’,themuseum logical sites fromallthemajor erasof Central Today archaeologists are busytrying to There aroundTermiz are sights several Whatever, the museum makesWhatever, themuseum agreat first lonelyplanet.com Fayoz-Tepe ,

a Gulya Tours their husband’smurder. cumbing totheirownambitionavenge nomadsbeforesex-crazed suc- eventually off husband wasslain,successfullyfighting in the11thcenturyafter theirnobleman- end hasitthat40youngwomenlived here mud-walled About totownisareal 5kmcloser ruin,the from the11thto15thcenturies,Say yids. members of thedynastythat ruled Termiz if you’ve toSamarkand.Buriedhere been are of mausoleumsprobably won’timpress you restored Timurid-style northeast of theairportroad.The townoff discreet. here; photographingitisforbiddensobe lunch. TheAmu-Daryaisonceagaininsight on Wednesdaywhenthefaithfulare served brick. Themausoleumgets packed tothegills moved theoriginal15th-century toexpose ‘beautification’ drive, isbeinggraduallyre- part of thegovernment’s general monument plaster theinterior’s cheap umph forpreservationists, Al-Hakim, Inatri- thecity’spatronsaint. century Sufiphilosopher,knownlocallyas al-TermiziAl-Hakim still quite sacred edifice,the nected travel agencies. sometimes visitwiththehelpof well-con- tourgroups border,although the Afghan west fromhere, theremains of aglasswindow.Lookingsouth- ible through protects themonastery’s originalstupa,vis- Unesco. Themodern-lookingteapot dome stored andpartiallyrebuilt withsupportfrom only in1968,recent years re- it’sbeen plex 9kmwestof Discovered thebusstation. Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com the Dostlyk Hotel andtherecently renovated soldiers,indefinitely by German including Entire wingsof somehotels are booked out Sleeping &Eating ing guide. 88 14,2275324) archaeological museum. friendly guidewhoworksparttime atthe monastery is off-limits because it’s right on it’sright because monastery isoff-limits banks of theAmu-Darya. Like theriver, the Buddhist cave monastery, are visibleonthe Termiz’ othermainsites are clustered younger totownisaslightly but Closer ( % ghanch 222 7125;[email protected]) is anothercapableEnglish-speak- Kyr Kyz -work, spuriously installed as -work, spuriouslyinstalled . Itsnamesake wasa9th- (Forty Girls)fortress. Leg- Sultan SaodatEnsemble Alisher Choriev Alisher Choriev Mausoleum of Mausoleum Kara-Tepe CENTRALUZBEKISTAN ••Termiz is avery ( % 222 , a Bazaar. reachable viamarshrutka 6from Yubileny or take ashared (25,000S, 9½hours). taxi Tashkent (12,000S, 14hours) viaSamarkand Qarshi. There are acoupleof to buses evening youmayhaveFor Bukhara, totransfer in daily bustoSamarkand(4500S,8½ hours). (20,000S,sixhours). There’sBukhara alsoa 16,000S,five hours)markand (perseat and Bazaar. town. Take marshrutka 11fromYubileny 1½ hours). Theairportis15kmnorthof three adayto/fromTashkent flights (US$40, Airways Uzbekistan Getting There&Around diers andworkinggirlsafter theireuros. attractsstein-bangingDisco Bar sol- German beyond theHotel Meridien. dish. It’sontheoutskirtsof townabout1.5km pancha, local eatery, thisistheplacetosample hotels. atthenearbyOsiyostaying orTennis Court ifyou’re that’suseful of andeggs sausages food intown,aswellacheap, greasy breakfast puted tohave someof thebestSurkhandarya facilities andamenitiesgo. hotel, leadsthepackasfar butitcertainly informalfora‘four-star’ thatisatad of service The cigarette-puffing receptionist isindicative that’sopentoallwellintotheevening. taurant huge roomsinpastel colours andadecentres- US$60/80; opposite thearchaeology museum. visited butisabudget-traveller favourite. It’s US$6/10) from Hotel Meridien. lems inthesummer. It’safive-minute walk leaky windowscouldcreate mosquitoprob- the linens,although rooms andcomfortable withspacious pricesthough, a steal atthese they canacceptforeigners (see opposite ). It’s found outthere issomequestionastowhether bargain-basement choice,aswe although the bestoptions: Hotel. ThatleavesSurkhon thefollowingas All of theabove leave fromthebusstation, Shared isthewaytogoto/fromSa- taxi theSurkhon On FridayandSaturdaynights Jasmin Boysun Meridien Hotel Osiyo Hotel Tennis Hotel Court It was closed forrenovationsIt wasclosed whenwe ( a % a Surkhandarya meat-and-potatoes meat-and-potatoes a Surkhandarya (Dostlyk Park, mains1000-2000S) Fifth Rayon; (Navoi, Fifth Rayon; 1000-2000S) (Navoi, Fifth Rayon; ) 222 8909;rperperson4500S) This newly opened high-rise has This newlyopenedhigh-rise ( % ( ( % % 227 2674;Alpomysh23;s/d 223 79 29; Gagarin 36) 223 7929;Gagarin 222 7933;Al-Termizi 29B;s/d This isyour A vintage A vintage

cho-

249 has Re- UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN to the guideisyourbestbetforexcursions Good English-speaking h 1200S; clock toweratitsintersection withAl-Beruni The town’saxisisAl-Khorezmi, withthe Orientation southern Karakalpakstan. for the‘GoldenRing’of ancientfortresses in 35km southwest.It’salsoagoodlaunch point Urgench mainlyasatransporthubforKhiva, anewtownhere.started Todaytravellers use wereTurkmenistan, leftwithoutwater and Urgench), 150kmdownriver inpresent-day the peopleof Konye-Urgench (thencalled Darya changed courseinthe16thcentury, WhentheAmu- across theKyzylkumdesert. empty squares, 450kmnorthwestof Bukhara Sovietstandard-issue gridof broadstreets and Urgench, of thecapital Khorezm province, isa % URGENCH KHOREZM p267. see will openinlate 2007attheearliest. NewlinestoTermizvisa. andGuzar fromKitab andadouble-entryUzbekTurkmen transitvisa Samarkand–Termiz trainsunlessyouhave a 250 Mahmud; s/dUS$20/40) Mahmud; Urgench Hotel Sleeping &Eating Airways Uzbekistan &Al-Beruni) Al-Khorezmi office &telegraph Post, telephone Café Internet Delia Madrashimova (US$100). to the tandemoffer all-dayexcursions father-and-son driving 5175133) English-speaking 41 06,5121241,Bakhtiyar Rakhamov &Bakhtiyar Bahadir Information tower. hotels andthemainbazaarare neartheclock Khorezmi, theairportis3kmnorth,andmost tion marking thecentre of things. Thetrainsta- For informationongetting toTajikistan Do notboardtheTashkent–Termiz or 8am-6pm) There’s a currency-exchange kiosk here. kiosk 8am-6pm) There’s acurrency-exchange (3) 62/pop140,000

qalas qalas is 600msouthof thecentre down Al- HRZ • Ugnh KHOREZM ••Urgench h 9am-11pm) or Khiva ifyou’re stayinginUrgench. or Khiva (fortresses; US$50percarload),andMoynaq (fortresses; (cnr Al-Khorezmi &Al-Beruni;perhr (cnrAl-Khorezmi УРГЕНЧ ( % 226 20 22; Al-Khorezmi & Pakhlavan &Pakhlavan 226 2022;Al-Khorezmi ( % ( Thisformerly notori- ХОРЕЗМ % 226 88 60; Al-Khorezmi 1; 226 8860;Al-Khorezmi 226 8834;perdayUS$30) ( % (Clocktower,cnr Bahadir 352 Bahadir leave fromalotjustsouthof thebazaar flights dailytoTashkentflights (onewayUS$55). Uzbekistan Airways( left ) hastwoorthree AIR Getting There&Away man avarietyof shashlyk, this caféserving 1500S) prices. these with alltheamenitiesyouwouldexpectat theflashestcertainly placewestof Bukhara, herestaying It’s andday-trippingtoKhiva. ture comforts,youmaywish toconsider you can’tgoaminute withoutyourcrea- .uz; Al-Beruni2;s/d/steUS$80/110/300; rooms. plays perfectly cleanSoviet-style acceptable, renovatedous hotel hasbeen andnowdis- through Turkmenistan. through and Samarkand. Thistrain nolonger goes nyy train toTashkent passenger weekly ( From the Train see Turkmenistan, p268 . 500/800S). (marshrutka/taxi perseat andchange there.Beruni hours). Ifnothing’sgoingtoNukus,go frequent 8000S,1½ inthemorning(perseat hours), aswellshared thatare taxis more are afew perdaytoNukus(2500S,2¼ buses a few headingeastaswell.There private buses andSamarkand.Therevia Bukhara are usually morning bustoTashkent (12,000S,19hours) bus toSamarkand(7500S,13hours) anda hours), (5000S,eight anevening to Bukhara north of hasanafternoon bus thetrainstation, ferred methodforgetting toSamarkand. –alsothepre-can alwaystransfer inBukhara Tashkent 35,000S,12hours), butyou (perseat frequent4½ hours). Less are shared to taxis 12,000/20,000S,(marshrutka/taxi perseat kas leave nearthebusstation fromastand ular shared andafew taxis morningmarshrut- andbeyond.Reg- toBukhara Kyzylkum desert Shared isthefavoured taxi wayacrossthe LAND Chaikhana Urgench Chaikhana Palace Khorezm For instructionsongetting toDashogus, Shared andmarshrutkas taxis toKhiva The 17,000S, 20 hours) via Zarafshan, Navoi Navoi 17,000S, 20hours) viaZarafshan, and LocatednexttotheHotel right Urgench, bus station train station plov Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com isthebestdealintown.

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(Al-Khorezmi)

224 9999;www.khorezmpalace (Al-Khorezmi 35/1;mains100- (Al-Khorezmi 227 5725;Al-Khorezmi) , there’s atwice- ais platskart- , just lagh- ) If an area Outdoorandnature nottobemissed. the signed tolure more Khiva-bound touriststo Khorezm’ andputoutasnazzybrochure de- of Khorezm the‘GoldenRingof Ancient tourism officials recently dubbedthisarea WithhelpfromUnesco,local rakalpakstan. east andnorthof Urgench insouthernKa- forts, somewellover 2000years old,stillstand also wasKhorezm (see Turkmenistan, p432 ). which includespartsof modern-daynorthern Thehistoricalnameof area,portant. thedelta long before Urgench were Khiva oreven im- ted oasis formillenniaandwasanimportant east of inhabi- hasbeen Urgench totheAralSea, stretchingThe Amu-Daryadelta, fromsouth- Khorezm Ancient AROUND URGENCH the hotels,enroute. bazaarandbusstation andtheairport,stoppingnear the trainstation Marshrutka 3runsalongAl-Khorezmi between Getting Around lonelyplanet.com Qala (FiftyFortresses). To (Qongirat) Kungrad Moscow Urgench Konye- & KARAKALPAKSTAN KHOREZM The ruinsof manyKhorezmian townsand For fansof thisis oldcastlesinthesand, To Ashgabat (375km) qalas Moynaq

Mizdakhan

Hojeli

- D - K ARLPSTN a ry a . Thearea’s traditionalnameisElliq Khgeyli South AralSea Dashogus Tahiatash Nukus KHOREZM••AroundUrgench Khalkabad Mangit T URKM ENISTA Chimbay 50miles 0 080 km Shobot Nature Reserve Khiva Badai-Tugai Gurlen KHOREZM Urgench Takhtakopir K AZHSTN Yurt Camp Qyzyl Ayaz-Qala Achka-Kul Lake Qala Beruni Hazarasp Qala Guldursun Ayaz Lake Topraq- Qala Kyzylkum Boston Qala Ayaz- Turtkul desert Pitnak To Bukhara Qyrylghan Qyrqqyz- (400km) Qala Qala Qoy Khorezm borders in the3rdand4th centuries. former is atemple complexof therulers of the the roadabout10km westof Boston.The 18km westof Guldursun Qala. until theMiddleAges. Qalais QoyQyrylghan Qala paved roadtowardsthemammoth south towardsTurtkulandturnnorth ona instead, drive via thepoorroadfromBeruni; Drivers willbereluctantBC. totake youhere asearlythe4thcentury plex. Itwasinuse com- as apagantemple andanobservatory Qala to-pronounce fortiscircular discuss transportoptions. yurts andcamels,to ahead toreserve you won’treally itouthere. beroughing Call generator byUnesco ensures installed that per personUS$30) ( centuries. Initsshadow is of Boston.Itsheydaywasthe6thand7th mud-walled be accessiblebythetimeyourread this. Thatandnewerdiscoveries century BC. might a large todate townthought fromthe4th- Achka-Kul nearLake discoveredteam digging are active inthisarea; in2006anAustralian moniker isanapproximation). Archaeologists have yettobediscovered (the‘FiftyFortresses’ here today,andwhoknowshowmanythat There are about20fortsthatyoucanexplore ELLIQ-QALA in which theylie. Karakalpak, language theofficial of theregion centres. touristinformation orKhiva the Bukhara considering anexcursion here; lookforitin brochure iswellworthpickingupifyou’re TheUnesco TugaiNaturein Badai Reserve. camel trekking nearAyaz-Qala,tohiking from scramblingamongthe enthusiasts willalsofindplentytodohere, rk Qala prak complex of three fortsabout 25kmnorth US$5/30) ing innearbyAyaz or justrelax. Agoodchef andasolarpanel attractions outhere is to holdfive people. Oneof toeight themain % The oldest,mostunique,anddifficult- arePlace namesinthissection given in Two othernot-to-be-missed The mostwell-known 361-350 59 09, 361-532 43 61; [email protected]; 361-350 5909,361-5324361;[email protected]; , built as early as the 1st century but in use , builtasearlythe1stcenturybut inuse , which archaeologists doubled believe . Youcanalsogoswimmingorfish- and , with several yurts big enough yurtsbigenough , withseveral Qyzyl Qala Ayaz-Qala qol , which isactuallya , onopposite sidesof camel trekking camel trekking (lake), hiking desert qala Ayaz-Qala qala is impressive, Qoy Qyrylghan qalas

Yurt Camp Camp Yurt Guldursun ruins, to (per hr/day are 251 To-

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN to the guideisyourbestbetforexcursions Good English-speaking h 1200S; Mahmud; s/dUS$20/40) Mahmud; Urgench Hotel Sleeping &Eating Airways Uzbekistan &Al-Beruni) Al-Khorezmi office &telegraph Post, telephone Café Internet Delia Madrashimova (US$100). to the tandemoffer all-dayexcursions father-and-son driving 5175133) English-speaking 41 06,5121241,Bakhtiyar Rakhamov &Bakhtiyar Bahadir Information tower. hotels andthemainbazaarare neartheclock Khorezmi, theairportis3kmnorth,andmost tion marking thecentre of things. Thetrainsta- clock toweratitsintersection withAl-Beruni The town’saxisisAl-Khorezmi, withthe Orientation southern Karakalpakstan. for the‘GoldenRing’of ancientfortresses in 35km southwest.It’salsoagoodlaunch point Urgench mainlyasatransporthubforKhiva, anewtownhere.started Todaytravellers use wereTurkmenistan, leftwithoutwater and Urgench), 150kmdownriver inpresent-day the peopleof Konye-Urgench (thencalled Darya changed courseinthe16thcentury, WhentheAmu- across theKyzylkumdesert. empty squares, 450kmnorthwestof Bukhara Sovietstandard-issue gridof broadstreets and Urgench, of thecapital Khorezm province, isa % URGENCH KHOREZM p267. see will openinlate 2007attheearliest. NewlinestoTermizvisa. andGuzar fromKitab andadouble-entryUzbekTurkmen transitvisa Samarkand–Termiz trainsunlessyouhave a 250 For informationongetting toTajikistan Do notboardtheTashkent–Termiz or 8am-6pm) There’s a currency-exchange kiosk here. kiosk 8am-6pm) There’s acurrency-exchange (3) 62/pop140,000

qalas qalas is 600msouthof thecentre down Al- HRZ • Ugnh KHOREZM ••Urgench h 9am-11pm) or Khiva ifyou’re stayinginUrgench. or Khiva (fortresses; US$50percarload),andMoynaq (fortresses; (cnr Al-Khorezmi &Al-Beruni;perhr (cnrAl-Khorezmi УРГЕНЧ ( % 226 20 22; Al-Khorezmi & Pakhlavan &Pakhlavan 226 2022;Al-Khorezmi ( % ( Thisformerly notori- ХОРЕЗМ % 226 88 60; Al-Khorezmi 1; 226 8860;Al-Khorezmi 226 8834;perdayUS$30) ( % (Clocktower,cnr Bahadir 352 Bahadir leave fromalotjustsouthof thebazaar through Turkmenistan. through and Samarkand. Thistrain nolonger goes nyy train toTashkent passenger weekly ( From the Train see Turkmenistan, p268 . 500/800S). (marshrutka/taxi perseat andchange there.Beruni hours). Ifnothing’sgoingtoNukus,go frequent 8000S,1½ inthemorning(perseat hours), aswellshared thatare taxis more are afew perdaytoNukus(2500S,2¼ buses a few headingeastaswell.There private buses andSamarkand.Therevia Bukhara are usually morning bustoTashkent (12,000S,19hours) bus toSamarkand(7500S,13hours) anda hours), (5000S,eight anevening to Bukhara north of hasanafternoon bus thetrainstation, ferred methodforgetting toSamarkand. –alsothepre-can alwaystransfer inBukhara Tashkent 35,000S,12hours), butyou (perseat frequent4½ hours). Less are shared to taxis 12,000/20,000S,(marshrutka/taxi perseat kas leave nearthebusstation fromastand ular shared andafew taxis morningmarshrut- andbeyond.Reg- toBukhara Kyzylkum desert Shared isthefavoured taxi wayacrossthe LAND dailytoTashkentflights (onewayUS$55). Uzbekistan Airways( left ) hastwoorthree AIR Getting There&Away man avarietyof shashlyk, this caféserving 1500S) prices. these with alltheamenitiesyouwouldexpectat theflashestcertainly placewestof Bukhara, herestaying It’s andday-trippingtoKhiva. ture comforts,youmaywish toconsider you can’tgoaminute withoutyourcrea- .uz; Al-Beruni2;s/d/steUS$80/110/300; rooms. plays perfectly cleanSoviet-style acceptable, renovatedous hotel hasbeen andnowdis- For instructionsongetting toDashogus, Shared andmarshrutkas taxis toKhiva Urgench Chaikhana Palace Khorezm The 17,000S, 20 hours) via Zarafshan, Navoi Navoi 17,000S, 20hours) viaZarafshan, and LocatednexttotheHotel right Urgench, bus station train station plov Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com isthebestdealintown.

( ( % %

(Al-Khorezmi)

224 9999;www.khorezmpalace (Al-Khorezmi 35/1;mains100- (Al-Khorezmi 227 5725;Al-Khorezmi) , there’s atwice- ais platskart- , just lagh- ) If an area Outdoorandnature nottobemissed. Qala (FiftyFortresses). the signed tolure more Khiva-bound touriststo Khorezm’ andputoutasnazzybrochure de- of Khorezm the‘GoldenRingof Ancient tourism officials recently dubbedthisarea WithhelpfromUnesco,local rakalpakstan. east andnorthof Urgench insouthernKa- forts, somewellover 2000years old,stillstand also wasKhorezm (see Turkmenistan, p432 ). which includespartsof modern-daynorthern Thehistoricalnameof area,portant. thedelta long before Urgench were Khiva oreven im- ted oasis formillenniaandwasanimportant east of inhabi- hasbeen Urgench totheAralSea, stretchingThe Amu-Daryadelta, fromsouth- Khorezm Ancient AROUND URGENCH the hotels,enroute. bazaarandbusstation andtheairport,stoppingnear the trainstation Marshrutka 3runsalongAl-Khorezmi between Getting Around lonelyplanet.com To (Qongirat) Kungrad Moscow Urgench Konye- & KARAKALPAKSTAN KHOREZM The ruinsof manyKhorezmian townsand For fansof thisis oldcastlesinthesand, To Ashgabat (375km) qalas Moynaq

Mizdakhan

Hojeli

- D - K ARLPSTN a ry a . Thearea’s traditionalnameisElliq Khgeyli South AralSea Dashogus Tahiatash Nukus KHOREZM••AroundUrgench Khalkabad Mangit T URKM ENISTA Chimbay 50miles 0 080 km Shobot Nature Reserve Khiva Badai-Tugai Gurlen KHOREZM Urgench Takhtakopir K AZHSTN Yurt Camp Qyzyl Ayaz-Qala Achka-Kul Lake Qala Beruni Hazarasp Qala Guldursun Ayaz Lake Topraq- Qala Kyzylkum Boston Qala Ayaz- Turtkul desert Pitnak To Bukhara Qyrylghan Qyrqqyz- (400km) Qala Qala Qoy Khorezm borders in the3rdand4th centuries. former is atemple complexof therulers of the the roadabout10km westof Boston.The Qala prak 18km westof Guldursun Qala. until theMiddleAges. Qalais QoyQyrylghan Qala paved roadtowardsthemammoth south towardsTurtkulandturnnorth ona instead, drive via thepoorroadfromBeruni; Drivers willbereluctantBC. totake youhere asearlythe4thcentury plex. Itwasinuse com- as apagantemple andanobservatory Qala to-pronounce fortiscircular discuss transportoptions. yurts andcamels,to ahead toreserve you won’treally itouthere. beroughing Call generator byUnesco ensures installed that per personUS$30) ( centuries. Initsshadow is of Boston.Itsheydaywasthe6thand7th complex of three fortsabout 25kmnorth mud-walled be accessiblebythetimeyourread this. Thatandnewerdiscoveries century BC. might a large todate townthought fromthe4th- Achka-Kul nearLake discoveredteam digging are active inthisarea; in2006anAustralian moniker isanapproximation). Archaeologists have yettobediscovered (the‘FiftyFortresses’ here today,andwhoknowshowmanythat There are about20fortsthatyoucanexplore ELLIQ-QALA in which theylie. Karakalpak, language theofficial of theregion centres. touristinformation orKhiva the Bukhara considering anexcursion here; lookforitin brochure iswellworthpickingupifyou’re TheUnesco TugaiNaturein Badai Reserve. camel trekking nearAyaz-Qala,tohiking from scramblingamongthe enthusiasts willalsofindplentytodohere, US$5/30) or justrelax. Agoodchef andasolarpanel ing innearbyAyaz attractions outhere is to holdfive people. Oneof toeight themain % The oldest,mostunique,anddifficult- arePlace namesinthissection given in Two othernot-to-be-missed The mostwell-known 361-350 59 09, 361-532 43 61; [email protected]; 361-350 5909,361-5324361;[email protected]; , built as early as the 1st century but in use , builtasearlythe1stcenturybut inuse , which archaeologists doubled believe . Youcanalsogoswimmingorfish- and , with several yurts big enough yurtsbigenough , withseveral Qyzyl Qala Ayaz-Qala qol , which isactuallya , onopposite sidesof camel trekking camel trekking (lake), hiking desert qala Ayaz-Qala qala is impressive, Qoy Qyrylghan qalas

Yurt Camp Camp Yurt Guldursun ruins, to (per hr/day are 251 To-

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN to visitunlimited fortsand,ifyoudesire, the to payabout US$50foranall-dayexcursion map of thearea) andnegotiate hard.Look withtheUnescobrochureself (which hasa absolutely sure theyknowthisarea, armyour- driversyour luckwithtaxi inUrgench. Make guide anddriver. Iftheyaren’t available, try vate transport.See p250 forarecommended The onlywaytoexplore ElliqQalaiswithpri- Getting There&Away in theresident breeding station. hangingout deer any animalsbesidesBukhara and badgers, youare although unlikely tosee Karakal cats,jackals,wildboar,foxes desert Syr-Darya’s Only aboutafifthof theAmu-Darya’sand Asia’s riverunique toCentral desert valleys. and pricklysalt-resistant plantsandcreepers, very junglelike dense, forest of trees, shrubs is oneof thefew areas preserved. schemes cleared out most forest area, andthis the 1960sand’70sSoviet cotton-growing Darya, around60kmnorthof Urgench. In of This RESERVE NATURE BADAI-TUGAI cotton fieldsintheautumn. studentsworkingthe Near thelatter you’llsee 252 tique, bustle andsqualor. of imaginationto get its mys- need asense palaces, alleysand atleast16medressas, you packedamong itsdensely mosques,tombs, Evensqueaky-clean official ‘city-museum’. programme inthe1970sand’80s, it’snowa out of it.As aresult of aSoviet conservation thatthelife squeezed has almostbeen served initsentirety –but sowellpre-preserved unlike Asian thatof cities,is other Central fruit trees. southwest of Urgench, pastcottonbushes and century hearts.Nowadaysit’samere 35km men, struckfear intoallbuttheboldest19th- andsteppes infesteddeserts withwildtribes- barbaric crueltyandterrible journeysacross name,redolentKhiva’s of slave caravans, % KHIVA you insistonit! butfewclockwise, drivers willdothisunless is tovisitGuldursun Qalafirst andgoanti- Thebeststrategy NatureBadai-Tugai Reserve. The historicheartof (Uzbek: Khiva Xiva), tugai (3) 62/pop50,000 HRZ • Kia KHOREZM ••Khiva reserve forest ontheeastbankof theAmu- ХИВА tugai

(admission perpersonUS$7) has survived. Fauna includes hassurvived. isastrip Tugai isa to bederived. issaid fromwhichKheivak, thenameKhiva discovered awellhere; hispeoplecalledit that itwasfoundedwhenShem, sonof Noah, old butitsexactage has isnotknown.Legend the southernfringe of maybevery thedelta, on in themidstof SoKhiva, broaddeserts. large, fertile Amu-Daryariver isolated delta four, perhaps six,millenniainKhorezm, the Agriculture goback andhumansettlement History alleyways, worktheirmagic. columns andmedressas, viewedfromtwisting when themoonlitsilhouettes of thetilting longer.by staying isatitsbestbynight Khiva trip fromUrgench, butyou’lltake itinbetter itallinaday most are Youcansee museums. Qala are functioningmosquesorshrines, but Bekovich, arrived in1717. inKhiva force of about4000, ledbyPrince Alexandr marauding tribes. Inabelated response, a the Great of Russiainreturn forhelpagainst hadearlierofferedKhiva tosubmit toPeter RUSSIAN INTERESTAWAKENS ing themlandandmoneyinreturn. with theTurkmenagainstKazakhs, grant- resorted eventually door, Khiva toanalliance keep bothof tribesawayfromitsown these toliveunlucky enough ortravel nearby. To Kazakh tribesof thesteppes, whoraidedthose men tribesmenfromtheKarakum or desert centuries. Mostslaves were byTurk- brought wasknown,formore state Khiva thanthree to shapethedestinyof asthe thekhanate, in 1592. theircapitalin Khorezm andmadeKhiva 16th century,onebranch foundedastate into thedecayingTimurid empire intheearly came. WhentheUzbek Shaybanids moved byTimur finishedoff timebeen thatKhiva’s It wasn’tuntilwellafter Konye-Urgench had THE KHANATE p251 formore onAncientKhorezm. remained andKhiva abitplayer.stan), See (present-day Konye-Urgench inTurkmeni- wasatOldUrgench14th centuries,itscapital prospered onandofffromthe10thto branch of theSilkRoad,butwhileKhorezm as aminorfortandtradingpostonside Khiva certainly existed certainly bythe8thcentury Khiva The townranabusyslave market thatwas A few of thehistoricbuildingsinIchon- lonelyplanet.com came out to meet them,suggesting theydis- came outtomeet lost interest of inbeingavassal thetsar. He news. The khan sent Bekovich’s headtohis sent news. Thekhan just ahandfultomake theirwaybackwith the annihilated theinvaders,the Khivans leaving more accommodated. comfortably Thisdone, tooutlyingvillagesperse where theycouldbe lonelyplanet.com the Bukhara and Kokand khanates. Its slave andKokand khanates. the Bukhara share Russia and inthegrowing tradebetween century itwasrebuilt asmall andbegantaking of thePersian empire. Bytheendof the18th rezm becamefor awhilenorthernoutpost lible invader,NadirShah of Persia, andKho- kept the rest of himondisplay. Asian rival,theEmirofCentral and Bukhara, 4 1 3 2 KHIVA (ICHON-QALA) Unfortunately, the khan hadbythattime Unfortunately, thekhan In 1740, Khiva waswreckedIn 1740,Khiva byalessgul- Islom-Hoja Medressa...... Mirzoboshi B&B...... Mirzoboshi Annexe...... Juma Mosque...... Juma Minaret...... Aq Mosque...... Anusha KhanBaths...... Tourist InformationOffice...... Alloquli KhanBazaarand Hotel Khiva(Mohammed Zarafbek...... Zindon...... Tosh-Hovli Palace...... Pahlavon MahmudMausoleum.... Mohammed RakhimKhan Kuhna Ark...... Islom-Hoja Minaret...... Isfandiyar Palace...... Camel Pen...... Alloquli KhanMedressa...... Caravanserai...... Abdulla KhanMedressa...... Tourist InformationOffice...... Khiva BusinessCentre...... (see24) Information &ServiceCentre.....(see19) SIGHTS INFORMATION SLEEPING Shaherezada Khiva...... Otabek...... Meros GuestHouse...... Islambek...... Ganijon Afandi...... Sayid AlauddinMausoleum...... Qozi-Kalon Medressa...... Medressa...... Matpana BayMedressa...... Kutlimurodinok Medressa...... (see2) Kalta MinorMinaret...... AminKhanMedressa)...... AC KHOREZM••Khiva 9

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253 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN tique, bustle andsqualor. of imaginationto get its mys- need asense palaces, alleysand atleast16medressas, you packedamong itsdensely mosques,tombs, Evensqueaky-clean official ‘city-museum’. programme inthe1970sand’80s, it’snowa out of it.As aresult of aSoviet conservation thatthelife squeezed has almostbeen served initsentirety –but sowellpre-preserved unlike Asian thatof cities,is other Central fruit trees. southwest of Urgench, pastcottonbushes and century hearts.Nowadaysit’samere 35km men, struckfear intoallbuttheboldest19th- andsteppes infesteddeserts withwildtribes- barbaric crueltyandterrible journeysacross name,redolentKhiva’s of slave caravans, % KHIVA you insistonit! butfewclockwise, drivers willdothisunless is tovisitGuldursun Qalafirst andgoanti- Thebeststrategy NatureBadai-Tugai Reserve. to visitunlimited fortsand,ifyoudesire, the to payabout US$50foranall-dayexcursion map of thearea) andnegotiate hard.Look withtheUnescobrochureself (which hasa absolutely sure theyknowthisarea, armyour- driversyour luckwithtaxi inUrgench. Make guide anddriver. Iftheyaren’t available, try vate transport.See p250 forarecommended The onlywaytoexplore ElliqQalaiswithpri- Getting There&Away in theresident breeding station. hangingout deer any animalsbesidesBukhara and badgers, youare although unlikely tosee Karakal cats,jackals,wildboar,foxes desert Syr-Darya’s Only aboutafifthof theAmu-Darya’sand Asia’s riverunique toCentral desert valleys. and pricklysalt-resistant plantsandcreepers, very junglelike dense, forest of trees, shrubs is oneof thefew areas preserved. schemes cleared out most forest area, andthis the 1960sand’70sSoviet cotton-growing Darya, around60kmnorthof Urgench. In of This RESERVE NATURE BADAI-TUGAI cotton fieldsintheautumn. studentsworkingthe Near thelatter you’llsee 252 The historicheartof (Uzbek: Khiva Xiva), tugai (3) 62/pop50,000 HRZ • Kia KHOREZM ••Khiva reserve forest ontheeastbankof theAmu- ХИВА tugai

(admission perpersonUS$7) has survived. Fauna includes hassurvived. isastrip Tugai isa Bekovich, arrived in1717. inKhiva force of about4000, ledbyPrince Alexandr marauding tribes. Inabelated response, a the Great of Russiainreturn forhelpagainst hadearlierofferedKhiva tosubmit toPeter RUSSIAN INTERESTAWAKENS ing themlandandmoneyinreturn. with theTurkmenagainstKazakhs, grant- resorted eventually door, Khiva toanalliance keep bothof tribesawayfromitsown these toliveunlucky enough ortravel nearby. To Kazakh tribesof thesteppes, whoraidedthose men tribesmenfromtheKarakum or desert centuries. Mostslaves were byTurk- brought wasknown,formore state Khiva thanthree to shapethedestinyof asthe thekhanate, in 1592. theircapitalin Khorezm andmadeKhiva 16th century,onebranch foundedastate into thedecayingTimurid empire intheearly came. WhentheUzbek Shaybanids moved byTimur finishedoff timebeen thatKhiva’s It wasn’tuntilwellafter Konye-Urgench had THE KHANATE p251 formore onAncientKhorezm. remained andKhiva abitplayer.stan), See (present-day Konye-Urgench inTurkmeni- wasatOldUrgench14th centuries,itscapital prospered onandofffromthe10thto branch of theSilkRoad,butwhileKhorezm as aminorfortandtradingpostonside to bederived. issaid fromwhichKheivak, thenameKhiva discovered awellhere; hispeoplecalledit that itwasfoundedwhenShem, sonof Noah, old butitsexactage has isnotknown.Legend the southernfringe of maybevery thedelta, on in themidstof SoKhiva, broaddeserts. large, fertile Amu-Daryariver isolated delta four, perhaps six,millenniainKhorezm, the Agriculture goback andhumansettlement History alleyways, worktheirmagic. columns andmedressas, viewedfromtwisting when themoonlitsilhouettes of thetilting longer.by staying isatitsbestbynight Khiva trip fromUrgench, butyou’lltake itinbetter itallinaday most are Youcansee museums. Qala are functioningmosquesorshrines, but The townranabusyslave market thatwas existed certainly bythe8thcentury Khiva A few of thehistoricbuildingsinIchon- lonelyplanet.com came out to meet them,suggesting theydis- came outtomeet lost interest of inbeingavassal thetsar. He news. The khan sent Bekovich’s headtohis sent news. Thekhan just ahandfultomake theirwaybackwith the annihilated theinvaders,the Khivans leaving more accommodated. comfortably Thisdone, tooutlyingvillagesperse where theycouldbe lonelyplanet.com the Bukhara and Kokand khanates. Its slave andKokand khanates. the Bukhara share Russia and inthegrowing tradebetween century itwasrebuilt asmall andbegantaking of thePersian empire. Bytheendof the18th rezm becamefor awhilenorthernoutpost lible invader,NadirShah of Persia, andKho- kept the rest of himondisplay. Asian rival,theEmirofCentral and Bukhara, 4 1 3 2 KHIVA (ICHON-QALA) Unfortunately, the khan hadbythattime Unfortunately, thekhan In 1740, Khiva waswreckedIn 1740,Khiva byalessgul- Islom-Hoja Medressa...... Mirzoboshi B&B...... Mirzoboshi Annexe...... Juma Mosque...... Juma Minaret...... Aq Mosque...... Anusha KhanBaths...... Tourist InformationOffice...... Hotel Khiva(Mohammed Alloquli KhanBazaarand Zarafbek...... Zindon...... Tosh-Hovli Palace...... Pahlavon MahmudMausoleum.... Mohammed RakhimKhan Kuhna Ark...... Islom-Hoja Minaret...... Isfandiyar Palace...... Camel Pen...... Alloquli KhanMedressa...... Caravanserai...... Abdulla KhanMedressa...... Tourist InformationOffice...... Khiva BusinessCentre...... (see24) Information &ServiceCentre.....(see19) SLEEPING SIGHTS INFORMATION Shaherezada Khiva...... Otabek...... Meros GuestHouse...... Islambek...... Ganijon Afandi...... Sayid AlauddinMausoleum...... Qozi-Kalon Medressa...... Medressa...... Matpana BayMedressa...... Kutlimurodinok Medressa...... (see2) Kalta MinorMinaret...... AminKhanMedressa)...... AC KHOREZM••Khiva 9

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253 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN north of the North Gate. of theNorth north 1% commission).It’s250mwestoftheSayutHotel. only, option intownforcashadvancesoncredit cards(Visa Promestroy Bank BusinessCentre Khiva Centre Information &Service Information facilities are located. into thenewtown,where bankingandpostal Ichon-Qala’sthrough NorthGate bringsyou Gates. Walking theWestandEast between its mainaxis,Pahlavon Mahmud, running (inner-walled are city).Mostsights around the compactanduser-friendly Ichon-Qala There’s notmuch reason tostraytoofarfrom Orientation the newUzbek SSR. and in1924theirrepublic wasabsorbed into away fromsocialismtowardsPan-Turkism, Butitsleaderspendent of swung theUSSR. republic wastheoretically inBukhara, inde- ple’s Republicinitsplace. This,like thesimilar theKhorezm Peo- Frunzeinstalled Mikhail general on until1920whentheBolshevik throne waspacked toRussia. off of andhissilver becameavassal thetsar khan 254 Akshaikh Baba ComplexinKuhna Ark. Baba Akshaikh the Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum and the Ichon-Qala besidestheIslom-Hoja Minaret, inthe and museums access toallthesights wrecked in1920.Thetwo-dayticket gives you a 1970sreconstruction –theoriginalwas literally ‘Father Gate’),Gate (Ota-Darvoza, sights 9am-6pm) sion The mainentrancetothe ICHON-QALA GATES &WALLS Sights informationoffice Tourist office Post &telephone ( hours are sporadicatbest. 1) BestbetforchangingmoneyintheIchon-Qala,although reliable publicinternetaccesspointintheIchon-Qala. perhr1500S; Mahmud; Pahlavon sultant leavestown,openinghoursmiraculouslyshrink. and sellmapsinformationbooklets. Whenthecon- Japanese consultant.Itarrangesguides(US$5perhour) mannedbya Medressa another branchatAlloquliKhan centre hasitsmainbranchinfrontoftheKuhnaArk,and .com.uz; % The enfeebled khanate of Khiva struggled The enfeebled of khanate struggled Khiva

7200S, camera5000S,video7000S; 375 2455; HRZ • Kia KHOREZM ••Khiva h 9am-7pm); Quasi-independenttourist isthetwin-turreted brickWest h 9am-7pm); ( % (Hotel Khiva, Pahlavon Mahmud Mahmud Pahlavon (HotelKhiva, 357 3181;Feruz 87)Theonly (Amir Timur 23)Located650m Alloquili KhanMedressa Kuhna Ark Ichon-Qala h (Qozi-Kalon Medressa, Medressa, (Qozi-Kalon 9am-6pm) Theonly h (bccxor@bcc ticket booth& ticket

(2-day admis- 12th centurybyoneOqShihbobo, thenex- own fortress andresidence, first builtinthe the stands rulers’Kuhna Ark–theKhiva To yourleftafter youenter theWestGate KUHNA ARK after beingdestroyedbythePersians. mud wallsdate fromthe18thcentury,rebuilt ticket isthe (StoneGate). and Tosh-Darvoza (Strongman’sGate) Gate), Polvon-Darvoza (Bukhara as, respectively, theBuhoro-Darvoza andSouthGates areThe North,East known walk tooneof theothergates andenter there. Ifyougetaccess toanysights. hassled,simply Qala withoutaticket, youjustwon’thave Rakhim Khan Medressa Khan isnamed afterRakhim the of execution), the19th-century Mohammed that wasonceabusy palacesquare (andplace ofEast theKuhna Ark,acrossanopenspace MOHAMMED RAKHIMKHAN MEDRESSA Ichon-Qala. pavilion withgoodviewsover theArkand massive westwall. Atthetopisanopen-air againsttheIchon-Qala’s right Kuhna Ark,set Oq Shihbobobastion ofin thewallleadstoaflight steps uptothe no-longer-nomadic still liked khans touse. the groundwasforroyalyurt,which the judgement (if not justice).Thecirculararea on restored money printed onsilk. thatexhibitsthingssuch as now amuseum orange itistheold andgoldroof. Beside blue-and-white plant-motiftilingandared, Mosque takesright youintothe19th-century full of wildcatsetc. being chucked minarets, off intosacks stuffed manacles andweapons,pictures of people don on theeastsideof thebuilding,is mosque andjailwere allhere. harem, barracks, arsenal, khans’ mint,stables, inthe17thcentury.The panded bythekhans say, youaresay, free towalkaroundtheIchon- stairs are attheNorthGate. The2.5km-long The tion of orsunset. thewall,bestatsunrise One highlight forwhicha youdonotneed One highlight To the right ofTo theright thethroneroom,adoor aheadfromtheArkentranceis Straight Inside theArk,first passage tothe The squatprotuberancebytheentrance, Despite whattheguardsatWestGate (Khans’ Jail), (Khans’ withadisplayof chains, , open-airandbeautifulwithsuperb throne room walk along thenorthwestern sec- , theoriginalpartof the , where khans dispensed , where dispensed khans lonelyplanet.com Summer mint Zin- , 1657, the same yearasthe 1657, thesame ture Thelittle museum. the 1855 of East theJumaMosque,medressa itself. tonature,devoted history,religion andthe BayMedressa Matpana steps of the47m From inside,youcanclimbthe81very dark present buildingdates fromthe18thcentury. the the original10th-centurymosque,though The few finelydecorated columnsare from to bederived fromancientArabian mosques. umns supportingitsroof –aconceptthought Mosque isinteresting forthe218woodencol- of thelargeEast theMusicMuseum, Juma JUMA MOSQUE&AROUND Medressa Qozi-Kalon agus. Totheeastisa ing infrontof the19th-centurytiledsarcoph- Mongol empire. findpeoplepray- Youmight wasundertheGoldenHordeofKhiva the Sayid AlauddinMausoleum isthesmall,plain housing RestoranKhiva, finished. and itwasnever droppeddeadin1855 building, buttheKhan it surely wouldhave theworld’stallest been Hadall thewaytoBukhara. completed itbeen wanted tobuildaminaret hecouldsee sohigh whoaccordingtolegendmed AminKhan, ished minaret wasbegunin1851byMoham- turquoise-tiled Just southof thefat, theKuhnaArkstands KALTA MINORMINARET dressa’s southwall. withheroutsidetheme- ists torideorpose under thepennameFeruz. dedicated whowasalsoapoet tothiskhan, A hotchpotch of withinispartly amuseum pendent afew years longer than Bukhara). hehad,atleast,kept inde- (although Khiva whosurrenderedkhan toRussiain1873 lonelyplanet.com teresting buildings, mostof themcreated by some of mostin- Mosque contains Khiva’s The street leading northopposite the Aq CARAVANSERAI ALLOQULI KHAN MEDRESSA, BAZAAR & tunnel of Gate. the East and islocated bytheentrancetolong (Anushahon Hammomi; admission 3000S) Opposite theJumaMosqueis1905 ofEast theminaret, besidethemedressa tokenKhiva’s camel,Katya, waitsfortour- Abdulla Khan Medressa Abdulla Khan Kalta Minor Minaret Minor Kalta KHOREZM••Khiva Juma Minaret . Music Museum Music , containing a museum amuseum , containing , datingto1310when Aq Mosque Anusha Khan Baths Anusha Khan holdsatinyna-

(1000S) . Thisunfin- inthe1905 dates from .

quli Khan between 1832and1841asamore between quli Khan beside themedressa. Thebazaarisadomed woodengates tall trance tobothisthrough school, brought long-distance telegraphschool, long-distance brought hefounded aEuropean-stylestandards): century grandvizier andaliberal(byKhivan food underground. ries); andlarge pots called in Khorezm fromthe8thto20thcentu- withArabic script(which wasinuse carved lery; Uzbek andTurkmen carpets;stone jewel- metalwork; ages –finewoodcarving; the exhibiting Khorezm handicraftsthrough to 1000S. probably enduppayingoneof them500S of climbingthe118steps tothetop;you’ll to collectmoneyfromyoufortheprivilege street cleaners orrandomscallywagswilltry it’s Uzbekistan’s Ahostof highest. vendors, uncommonly lovely At57mtall, lighthouse. andredturquoise tiling,looksratherlike an built in1910.The newestIslamicmonuments, bothKhiva’s it totheIslom-Hoja Medressa andminaret – dressa andtake thelanetosouthbeside was held,gobacktotheAbdulla Me- Khan Gate, whereFrom the East theslave market ISLOM-HOJA MEDRESSA two years. executed forfailingtocomplete thejobin hurry –theTosh-Hovli’s first architect was catch anybreeze. Alloquliwasamanin ceilingsdesignedtocourtyards, withhigh tohavesaid more nine than150roomsoff splendid alternative totheKuhnaArk,it’s stone andwood, decoration, includingceramictiles,carved mostsumptuousinterior Khiva’s contains This palace,which means ‘StoneHouse’, PALACE TOSH-HOVLI its eastend. modern opens ontoKhiva’s market arcade,stillcatering totraders, which the façades. other acrossthestreet, withmatching tiled KutlimurodinokMedressa Medressa Alloquli Khan in the1830sand’40s.First comethetall – –knownasthe‘builderkhan’ Alloquli Khan Islom Hoja wasanearly-20th- himself The medressa holds Khiva’s best museum, bestmuseum, The medressa holdsKhiva’s North of Medressa theAlloquliKhan are Alloquli Khan Bazaar&Caravanserai Alloquli Khan minaret minaret (1835)andtheearlier ghanch (1809),facingeach , withbandsof hum Dekhon Bazaar Dekhon . BuiltbyAllo- forstoring . Theen-

255

at UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN north of the North Gate. of theNorth north 1% commission).It’s250mwestoftheSayutHotel. only, option intownforcashadvancesoncredit cards(Visa Akshaikh Baba ComplexinKuhna Ark. Baba Akshaikh the Pahlavon Mahmud Mausoleum and the Ichon-Qala besidestheIslom-Hoja Minaret, inthe and museums access toallthesights wrecked in1920.Thetwo-dayticket gives you a 1970sreconstruction –theoriginalwas literally ‘Father Gate’),Gate (Ota-Darvoza, sights 9am-6pm) sion The mainentrancetothe ICHON-QALA GATES &WALLS Sights informationoffice Tourist office Post &telephone Promestroy Bank BusinessCentre Khiva Centre Information &Service Information facilities are located. into thenewtown,where bankingandpostal Ichon-Qala’sthrough NorthGate bringsyou Gates. Walking theWestandEast between its mainaxis,Pahlavon Mahmud, running (inner-walled are city).Mostsights around the compactanduser-friendly Ichon-Qala There’s notmuch reason tostraytoofarfrom Orientation the newUzbek SSR. and in1924theirrepublic wasabsorbed into away fromsocialismtowardsPan-Turkism, Butitsleaderspendent of swung theUSSR. republic wastheoretically inBukhara, inde- ple’s Republicinitsplace. This,like thesimilar theKhorezm Peo- Frunzeinstalled Mikhail general on until1920whentheBolshevik throne waspacked toRussia. off of andhissilver becameavassal thetsar khan 254 sultant leavestown,openinghoursmiraculouslyshrink. and sellmapsinformationbooklets. Whenthecon- Japanese consultant.Itarrangesguides(US$5perhour) mannedbya Medressa another branchatAlloquliKhan centre hasitsmainbranchinfrontoftheKuhnaArk,and .com.uz; ( hours are sporadicatbest. 1) BestbetforchangingmoneyintheIchon-Qala,although reliable publicinternetaccesspointintheIchon-Qala. perhr1500S; Mahmud; Pahlavon % The enfeebled khanate of Khiva struggled The enfeebled of khanate struggled Khiva

(2-day admis- Rakhim Khan Medressa Khan isnamed afterRakhim the of execution), the19th-century Mohammed that wasonceabusy palacesquare (andplace ofEast theKuhna Ark,acrossanopenspace MOHAMMED RAKHIMKHAN MEDRESSA Ichon-Qala. pavilion withgoodviewsover theArkand massive westwall. Atthetopisanopen-air againsttheIchon-Qala’s right Kuhna Ark,set Oq Shihbobobastion ofin thewallleadstoaflight steps uptothe no-longer-nomadic still liked khans touse. the groundwasforroyalyurt,which the judgement (if not justice).Thecirculararea on restored money printed onsilk. thatexhibitsthingssuch as now amuseum orange itistheold andgoldroof. Beside blue-and-white plant-motiftilingandared, Mosque takesright youintothe19th-century full of wildcatsetc. being chucked minarets, off intosacks stuffed manacles andweapons,pictures of people don on theeastsideof thebuilding,is mosque andjailwere allhere. harem, barracks, arsenal, khans’ mint,stables, inthe17thcentury.The panded bythekhans 12th centurybyoneOqShihbobo, thenex- own fortress andresidence, first builtinthe the stands rulers’Kuhna Ark–theKhiva To yourleftafter youenter theWestGate KUHNA ARK after beingdestroyedbythePersians. mud wallsdate fromthe18thcentury,rebuilt ticket isthe (StoneGate). and Tosh-Darvoza (Strongman’sGate) Gate), Polvon-Darvoza (Bukhara as, respectively, theBuhoro-Darvoza andSouthGates areThe North,East known walk tooneof theothergates andenter there. Ifyougetaccess toanysights. hassled,simply Qala withoutaticket, youjustwon’thave say, youaresay, free towalkaroundtheIchon- stairs are attheNorthGate. The2.5km-long The tion of orsunset. thewall,bestatsunrise To the right ofTo theright thethroneroom,adoor aheadfromtheArkentranceis Straight Inside theArk,first passage tothe The squatprotuberancebytheentrance, forwhicha youdonotneed One highlight Despite whattheguardsatWestGate (Khans’ Jail), (Khans’ withadisplayof chains, , open-airandbeautifulwithsuperb throne room walk along thenorthwestern sec- , theoriginalpartof the , where khans dispensed , where dispensed khans lonelyplanet.com Summer mint Zin- , 1657, the same yearasthe 1657, thesame ture Thelittle museum. the 1855 of East theJumaMosque,medressa itself. tonature,devoted history,religion andthe BayMedressa Matpana steps of the47m From inside,youcanclimbthe81very dark present buildingdates fromthe18thcentury. the the original10th-centurymosque,though The few finelydecorated columnsare from to bederived fromancientArabian mosques. umns supportingitsroof –aconceptthought Mosque isinteresting forthe218woodencol- of thelargeEast theMusicMuseum, Juma JUMA MOSQUE&AROUND Medressa Qozi-Kalon agus. Totheeastisa ing infrontof the19th-centurytiledsarcoph- Mongol empire. findpeoplepray- Youmight wasundertheGoldenHordeofKhiva the Sayid AlauddinMausoleum isthesmall,plain housing RestoranKhiva, finished. and itwasnever droppeddeadin1855 building, buttheKhan it surely wouldhave theworld’stallest been Hadall thewaytoBukhara. completed itbeen wanted tobuildaminaret hecouldsee sohigh whoaccordingtolegendmed AminKhan, ished minaret wasbegunin1851byMoham- turquoise-tiled Just southof thefat, theKuhnaArkstands KALTA MINORMINARET dressa’s southwall. withheroutsidetheme- ists torideorpose under thepennameFeruz. dedicated whowasalsoapoet tothiskhan, A hotchpotch of withinispartly amuseum pendent afew years longer than Bukhara). hehad,atleast,kept inde- (although Khiva whosurrenderedkhan toRussiain1873 lonelyplanet.com teresting buildings, mostof themcreated by some of mostin- Mosque contains Khiva’s The street leading northopposite the Aq CARAVANSERAI ALLOQULI KHAN MEDRESSA, BAZAAR & tunnel of Gate. the East and islocated bytheentrancetolong (Anushahon Hammomi; admission 3000S) Opposite theJumaMosqueis1905 ofEast theminaret, besidethemedressa tokenKhiva’s camel,Katya, waitsfortour- Abdulla Khan Medressa Abdulla Khan Kalta Minor Minaret Minor Kalta KHOREZM••Khiva Juma Minaret . Music Museum Music , containing a museum amuseum , containing , datingto1310when Aq Mosque Anusha Khan Baths Anusha Khan holdsatinyna-

(1000S) . Thisunfin- inthe1905 dates from .

quli Khan between 1832and1841asamore between quli Khan school, brought long-distance telegraphschool, long-distance brought hefounded aEuropean-stylestandards): century grandvizier andaliberal(byKhivan food underground. ries); andlarge pots called in Khorezm fromthe8thto20thcentu- withArabic script(which wasinuse carved lery; Uzbek andTurkmen carpets;stone jewel- metalwork; ages –finewoodcarving; the exhibiting Khorezm handicraftsthrough to 1000S. probably enduppayingoneof them500S of climbingthe118steps tothetop;you’ll to collectmoneyfromyoufortheprivilege street cleaners orrandomscallywagswilltry it’s Uzbekistan’s Ahostof highest. vendors, uncommonly lovely At57mtall, lighthouse. andredturquoise tiling,looksratherlike an built in1910.The newestIslamicmonuments, bothKhiva’s it totheIslom-Hoja Medressa andminaret – dressa andtake thelanetosouthbeside was held,gobacktotheAbdulla Me- Khan Gate, whereFrom the East theslave market ISLOM-HOJA MEDRESSA two years. executed forfailingtocomplete thejobin hurry –theTosh-Hovli’s first architect was catch anybreeze. Alloquliwasamanin ceilingsdesignedtocourtyards, withhigh tohavesaid more nine than150roomsoff splendid alternative totheKuhnaArk,it’s stone andwood, decoration, includingceramictiles,carved mostsumptuousinterior Khiva’s contains This palace,which means ‘StoneHouse’, PALACE TOSH-HOVLI its eastend. modern opens ontoKhiva’s market arcade,stillcatering totraders, which beside themedressa. Thebazaarisadomed woodengates tall trance tobothisthrough the façades. other acrossthestreet, withmatching tiled KutlimurodinokMedressa Medressa Alloquli Khan in the1830sand’40s.First comethetall – –knownasthe‘builderkhan’ Alloquli Khan Islom Hoja wasanearly-20th- himself The medressa holds Khiva’s best museum, bestmuseum, The medressa holdsKhiva’s North of Medressa theAlloquliKhan are Alloquli Khan Bazaar&Caravanserai Alloquli Khan minaret minaret (1835)andtheearlier ghanch (1809),facingeach , withbandsof hum Dekhon Bazaar Dekhon . BuiltbyAllo- forstoring . Theen-

255

at UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN yet anothercreation of the‘builderkhan’ outer town,The Dishon-QalawasoldKhiva’s DISHON-QALA outside thecourtyard. marked eastandwestof themainbuilding, un- the tomb.Tombsof stand otherkhans thegrillethatshields coins andnotes through andthewalls.Pilgrimspressthe sarcophagus ber, hassomeof loveliest Khiva’s tilingon Mahmud’s tomb,totheleftofffirst cham- attheentrance.Leave yourshoes Pahlavon IIwhoruledfrom1865to1910. med Rakhim courtyard holdsthetombof Moham- Khan domeatthenorthendofthe turquoise the mausoleum. of1913 bythekhan thedayasfamily the 19thcenturyandthenrequisitioned in His1326tombwasrebuiltpatron saint. in and legendary wrestler whobecameKhiva’s Pahlavon Mahmud philosopher wasapoet, is oneof spots. thetown’smostbeautiful with itslovely courtyardandstately tilework, This revered PAHLAVON MAHMUD MAUSOLEUM assassinated. andclergypopularity, thekhan hadhim Forhisto thecity,andbuiltahospital. 256 enjoy adrink atthelittlecafé nearby. views of thesurrounding flatness andthen climb uptheslender four-storey tower for nobleman. Youcan a 19th-centuryKhivan find mud wall11kmeastof you’ll centralKhiva some day. It’s undergoing renovation andmayopen behind thehuge walltothewestof the palace. The harem, you’re incase wondering, was mirrorsas 4m-high anda50kgchandelier. embroidered ceilingsandlavish touches such allowing onetofullyappreciate thegold- andWest.TheroomsareEast largely bare, overdone decorationsin amessycollisionof Palace displayssomefascinatingly inBukhara 1906 and1912,like theemir’sSummer h Gate. Qala’s wallremains, 300msouthof theSouth ern townnow,butpartof theDishon- wall. Mostof itisburiedbeneaththemod- Alloquli, andsurroundedbyitsown6km Beyond Dishon-Qala, surroundedbyalow Beyond The The beautifulPersian-style chamber under 9am-6pm) Chaudra Hauli HRZ • Kia KHOREZM ••Khiva Isfandiyar Palace on Mustaqillik wasbuiltbetween on Mustaqillik mausoleum , thesummerresidence of

(Mustaqillik; admission1000S; (Mustaqillik; (Islom Hoja;admission500S) , rooms getthejobdone. 28; s/dUS$15/30 fromreaders. good reports US$6-7) Wasrepeatedly closedwhenwevisitedbutgets yahoo.com) German &English. German yahoo.com) 76) English. planning toexpandtheplaceby2008. for dinner–often intheowners’ fridge,your stuff orpayUS$3 andstore good English. Youcanself-cater speaks carpeting, andperkydaughter Barno triples andonequadhave cosybedsandwarm plaints atthissmallfamily-runB&B. Thetwo per personUS$7) Otabek BUDGET Sleeping Alayarova Marina Gulimkhan Khojamuratova Elena Alayarova Amon Our recommended guidesare listed below. Tours clean new Juma Minaret. Formore privacyoptfortheir the courtyard,which hasamagicalviewof the bagonthe floorofand sleeping the travellers are welcometorollout amattress cupying oneof thetwodormrooms.Budget moveessentially inwiththefamilybyoc- lair; theentranceisaroundback. You the Ichon-Qala acrossfromKatya thecamel’s brick-walled B&Blocated intheheartof right 1;2-bed&4-beddmUS$10) Mahmud Mirzoboshi Zafarbek Afandi Ganijon where theview’smuch better. probably tea better ontheroof, taking off inyourroom.Thenagainyou’retea session spaceandfurnitureenough foranafternoon goodvalue,withnicelinensand indisputably rooms here are abitoverdone butrepresent an Toshpolatov 60;s/dUS$15/20; price. –isbeyondwhatyou’dexpectforthis tables what’s here –nicetwinbedswithbedside bathrooms. There aren’t manyamenities,but are asteal consideringtheyallhave private 57; s/dUS$10/20) from US$15/30; Meros GuestHouse Meros Islambek Also recommended: ( % ( % ( % 225 4245,71945)French. ( 375 6177;IslomHoja68;rwithshared bathroom % annexe annexe Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( ai % 375 7185;[email protected];Toshpolatov Backpackers willhave few com- ai 375 27 53; [email protected]; Pahlavon Pahlavon 375 2753;[email protected]; ( Thesixsimpleroomshere ( % 375 30 23; www.islambekhotel.nm.ru; 375 3023;www.islambekhotel.nm.ru; % ( % plov 211 40 69; Pahlavon Mahmud; dm Mahmud; 211 4069;Pahlavon ( ) % 229 4622,5177832)German. . ) Not thrilling butthepink ) Notthrilling 226 5306;marina_allayarova@ ( % and salad. Owners andsalad. were 375 9188;Toshpolatov 24;s/d ai 375 76 42; Abdulla Boltaev 375 7642;AbdullaBoltaev ( % 375 9596,51340 Isamud-and ) The 20 bright The 20bright aivan over over of theNorthGate. aroundan The rooms, set hotel, located justathree-minute walknorth and a half-decent and ahalf-decent Medressa withsuperbatmosphere isblessed intheoldstoneTolibMaksumchaikhana Chaikhana Zerafshan ICHON-QALA Qala andpricessuddenlyhalve. on foodandespeciallybeer. Leave theIchon- in theIchon-Qala are OKbutgouge you abit The choices are limited, frankly.Thechaikhanas Eating price.the same a yurtcamponlake for 20kmfromKhiva beds thatcanbeshoved together. Italsoruns interior courtyard,are cleanandincludetwin no service. complete lackof pooror amenities.Expect funare bedsandthe the fun.Less thesaggy hujra potential. OK,sothecrampedrooms,former owner totake itover its immense andtap Medressa,Amin Khan foraprivate isbegging which isinfactthe19th-centuryMohammed per personUS$26; we assure you. do thesuperlatives end?Notwiththisreview, intheworkshop of theowner.carved Where the trulymemorablefrontdoor–washand- exquisiteevery pieceof woodhere –including out inB&B-rich Thekicker Bukhara. isthat and porcelain,theShaherezada wouldstand and large roomsstrewn withbeautifulcarpets tapchan With beautifulwoodenbedsandfurniture, fromtheunimaginativepack. itself Khivan a classy,midrange B&Bthattrulydistinguishes IslomHoja35;s/dUS$25/40; shaherezada.com; o MIDRANGE Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Matniyaz DivanbegMedressa, thisisprobably cated inthespacious nexttothe Hotel Khiva decorated yurts. the atmosphere, which consists of colourfully sive forachaikhana butyou’re payingfor and itsartist’sviewof Kalta Minor. minutive chaikhana, soups it’sknownfortasty yakovov 19A;s/dUS$35/50) Hotel Khiva Hotel Restoran Khiva Restoran Farruh Bir Gumbaz Malika (studycells),are tobepartof supposed Shaherezada Khiva Khiva Shaherezada

dining inaremarkable diningroom, (Pahlavon Mahmud; mains2000S) Mahmud; (Pahlavon ( %

375 26 65; www.malika-khiva.com; Kadri- 375 2665;www.malika-khiva.com; (Pahlavon Mahmud; mains2000S) Mahmud; (Pahlavon

ai ( %

(Pahlavon Mahmud; mealsUS$7-8) Mahmud; (Pahlavon plov 375 49 45; Pahlavon Mahmud 1; Mahmud 375 4945;Pahlavon (Islom Hoja;mains1500S) ) This is Khiva’s besttrue This isKhiva’s This state-run oddity, Thisstate-run . ( % 375 9565;www.khiva a KHOREZM••Khiva It’sexpen- ) Finally, Adi- This Lo- serving nationaldishes. serving Council andOperationMercy helped this outside the NorthGate (marshrutka/taxi per bythetrolleybus stop,just from the stand isbymarshrutka orsharedand Khiva taxi The easiestwaytotravel Urgench between Getting There& Away runs westfromIslom-Hoja Minaret. isthenarrowalleythat drag forcraftstalls into manyIchon-Qala attractions.Themain made silkand pendent centre churns outwonderfulhand- centre get itswingsin2004.Thenow-inde- other handicraftworkshopsaswell. Kutlimurodinok Medressa, where there are for atour. There workshop inthe isasecond personable English-speaking manager Jalol and it’snowoperatingonitsown.Ask the looms. Unescosponsored itslaunch in2001 around andyoucanwatch womenworkthe shop there’s lotsof natural-dyedsilkhanging doors andminiature paintings.Atthiswork- rugs patterned majolica after Khiva-style tiles, Apprentice carpetmakers hand-weave silk Mahmud; Pahlavon .info/khivasilk; Workshop SilkCarpet Khiva Shopping often granted totourists. and besure toaskforadiscount,which is the touristinformationoffice oratthegate, request atothertimes.Booktickets through MedressaKhan by season, inthehigh nightly h shows without/withdinner7000/10,000S,to1show5000S; Fashion &traditionaldanceshow Entertainment into a the WestGate, crossthestreet andyou’llbump side theNorthGate, afew metres away. athalfthepriceyou’llpayin- with Aziabeer manty, overlooking a Ichon-Qala toattend thisupscalechaikhana worth escapingthehallowedwallsof the Parvoz DISHON-QALA it’s often booked outtotourgroups. the pickof thebunch. Butit’snotcheap and Other souvenir andcraftshopsare wedged SuzaniCentre Khiva Rustamboy Chaikhana dusk)

hauz hauz (Mustaqillik 5; chicken shashlyk1000S) 5;chicken (Mustaqillik shashlyk, soup and other staples, along shashlyk,soupandotherstaples, This showtakes placeintheAlloquli flanked bythislarge chaikhana, hauz adras . It serves fillingmealsof . Itserves creations. (Islom Hoja) (A Kariy; mains1000S) (A Kariy;

( % h 375 7264;www.khiva

9am-6pm Mon-Sat) (admission toboth The British It’s well- Exit Exit 257

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN enjoy adrink atthelittlecafé nearby. views of thesurrounding flatness andthen climb uptheslender four-storey tower for nobleman. Youcan a 19th-centuryKhivan find mud wall11kmeastof you’ll centralKhiva some day. It’s undergoing renovation andmayopen behind thehuge walltothewestof the palace. The harem, you’re incase wondering, was mirrorsas 4m-high anda50kgchandelier. embroidered ceilingsandlavish touches such allowing onetofullyappreciate thegold- andWest.TheroomsareEast largely bare, overdone decorationsin amessycollisionof Palace displayssomefascinatingly inBukhara 1906 and1912,like theemir’sSummer h Gate. Qala’s wallremains, 300msouthof theSouth ern townnow,butpartof theDishon- wall. Mostof itisburiedbeneaththemod- Alloquli, andsurroundedbyitsown6km yet anothercreation of the‘builderkhan’ outer town,The Dishon-QalawasoldKhiva’s DISHON-QALA outside thecourtyard. marked eastandwestof themainbuilding, un- the tomb.Tombsof stand otherkhans thegrillethatshields coins andnotes through andthewalls.Pilgrimspressthe sarcophagus ber, hassomeof loveliest Khiva’s tilingon Mahmud’s tomb,totheleftofffirst cham- attheentrance.Leave yourshoes Pahlavon IIwhoruledfrom1865to1910. med Rakhim courtyard holdsthetombof Moham- Khan domeatthenorthendofthe turquoise the mausoleum. of1913 bythekhan thedayasfamily the 19thcenturyandthenrequisitioned in His1326tombwasrebuiltpatron saint. in and legendary wrestler whobecameKhiva’s Pahlavon Mahmud philosopher wasapoet, is oneof spots. thetown’smostbeautiful with itslovely courtyardandstately tilework, This revered PAHLAVON MAHMUD MAUSOLEUM assassinated. andclergypopularity, thekhan hadhim Forhisto thecity,andbuiltahospital. 256 Beyond Dishon-Qala, surroundedbyalow Beyond The The beautifulPersian-style chamber under 9am-6pm) Chaudra Hauli HRZ • Kia KHOREZM ••Khiva Isfandiyar Palace on Mustaqillik wasbuiltbetween on Mustaqillik mausoleum , thesummerresidence of

(Mustaqillik; admission1000S; (Mustaqillik; (Islom Hoja;admission500S) , rooms getthejobdone. 28; s/dUS$15/30 fromreaders. good reports US$6-7) Wasrepeatedly closedwhenwevisitedbutgets yahoo.com) German &English. German yahoo.com) 76) English. clean new Juma Minaret. Formore privacyoptfortheir the courtyard,which hasamagicalviewof the bagonthe floorofand sleeping the travellers are welcometorollout amattress cupying oneof thetwodormrooms.Budget moveessentially inwiththefamilybyoc- lair; theentranceisaroundback. You the Ichon-Qala acrossfromKatya thecamel’s brick-walled B&Blocated intheheartof right 1;2-bed&4-beddmUS$10) Mahmud Mirzoboshi Zafarbek Afandi Ganijon where theview’smuch better. probably tea better ontheroof, taking off inyourroom.Thenagainyou’retea session spaceandfurnitureenough foranafternoon goodvalue,withnicelinensand indisputably rooms here are abitoverdone butrepresent an Toshpolatov 60;s/dUS$15/20; price. –isbeyondwhatyou’dexpectforthis tables what’s here –nicetwinbedswithbedside bathrooms. There aren’t manyamenities,but are asteal consideringtheyallhave private 57; s/dUS$10/20) planning toexpandtheplaceby2008. for dinner–often intheowners’ fridge,your stuff orpayUS$3 andstore good English. Youcanself-cater speaks carpeting, andperkydaughter Barno triples andonequadhave cosybedsandwarm plaints atthissmallfamily-runB&B. Thetwo per personUS$7) Otabek BUDGET Sleeping Alayarova Marina Gulimkhan Khojamuratova Elena Alayarova Amon Our recommended guidesare listed below. Tours from US$15/30; Islambek GuestHouse Meros Also recommended: ( % ( % ( % 225 4245,71945)French. ( 375 6177;IslomHoja68;rwithshared bathroom % annexe annexe Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( ai % 375 7185;[email protected];Toshpolatov Backpackers willhave few com- ai 375 27 53; [email protected]; Pahlavon Pahlavon 375 2753;[email protected]; ( Thesixsimpleroomshere ( % 375 30 23; www.islambekhotel.nm.ru; 375 3023;www.islambekhotel.nm.ru; % ( % plov 211 40 69; Pahlavon Mahmud; dm Mahmud; 211 4069;Pahlavon ( ) % 229 4622,5177832)German. . ) Not thrilling butthepink ) Notthrilling 226 5306;marina_allayarova@ ( % and salad. Owners andsalad. were 375 9188;Toshpolatov 24;s/d ai 375 76 42; Abdulla Boltaev 375 7642;AbdullaBoltaev ( % 375 9596,51340 Isamud-and ) The 20 bright The 20bright aivan over over of theNorthGate. aroundan The rooms, set hotel, located justathree-minute walknorth and a half-decent and ahalf-decent Medressa withsuperbatmosphere isblessed intheoldstoneTolibMaksumchaikhana Chaikhana Zerafshan ICHON-QALA Qala andpricessuddenlyhalve. on foodandespeciallybeer. Leave theIchon- in theIchon-Qala are OKbutgouge you abit The choices are limited, frankly.Thechaikhanas Eating price.the same a yurtcamponlake for 20kmfromKhiva beds thatcanbeshoved together. Italsoruns interior courtyard,are cleanandincludetwin no service. complete lackof pooror amenities.Expect funare bedsandthe the fun.Less thesaggy hujra potential. OK,sothecrampedrooms,former owner totake itover its immense andtap Medressa,Amin Khan foraprivate isbegging which isinfactthe19th-centuryMohammed per personUS$26; we assure you. do thesuperlatives end?Notwiththisreview, intheworkshop of theowner.carved Where the trulymemorablefrontdoor–washand- exquisiteevery pieceof woodhere –including out inB&B-rich Thekicker Bukhara. isthat and porcelain,theShaherezada wouldstand and large roomsstrewn withbeautifulcarpets tapchan With beautifulwoodenbedsandfurniture, fromtheunimaginativepack. itself Khivan a classy,midrange B&Bthattrulydistinguishes IslomHoja35;s/dUS$25/40; shaherezada.com; o MIDRANGE Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Matniyaz DivanbegMedressa, thisisprobably cated inthespacious nexttothe Hotel Khiva decorated yurts. the atmosphere, which consists of colourfully sive forachaikhana butyou’re payingfor and itsartist’sviewof Kalta Minor. minutive chaikhana, soups it’sknownfortasty yakovov 19A;s/dUS$35/50) Hotel Khiva Hotel Restoran Khiva Restoran Farruh Bir Gumbaz Malika (studycells),are tobepartof supposed Shaherezada Khiva Khiva Shaherezada

dining inaremarkable diningroom, (Pahlavon Mahmud; mains2000S) Mahmud; (Pahlavon ( %

375 26 65; www.malika-khiva.com; Kadri- 375 2665;www.malika-khiva.com; (Pahlavon Mahmud; mains2000S) Mahmud; (Pahlavon

ai ( %

( % h 375 7264;www.khiva

9am-6pm Mon-Sat) (admission toboth The British It’s well- Exit Exit 257

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Amu-Darya were beingfelt. Buttodaythe the fruitsof expandedirrigationfromthe prosperous inthe1960sand’70swhen toKazakh andlessclose sotoUzbek. the officiallanguage of therepublic, isTurkic, inSoviet orurbanised ised times.Karakalpak, ture anationalidentityafter beingcollectiv- century. Todaytheyare torecap- struggling and fishingpeople,first recorded inthe16th 300,000 Kazakhs), are aformerlynomadic also hometoabout 400,000Uzbeks and of therepublic’s 1.2millionpopulation(it’s lpaks, whotodaynumberonlyabout 400,000 the Republicof Karakalpakstan. TheKaraka- If you’re attracted todesolation,you’lllove KARAKALPAKSTAN there taxi (see p250 ). bet istogoUrgench andpickupashared of thecity.Ifyouare headingeastyourbest Gate, east fromtheKoy-Darvoza and Bukhara Tashkent (13,000S, 19hours) viaSamarkand perdaydepartwhenfullto noon private buses terminates inconveniently short of Urgench. minable trolleybus(250S,twohours), which 500/800S,45minutes). Keepseat theinter- off 258 to the fast-disappearing Aral Sea and hometo AralSea to thefast-disappearing nondescript Soviet architecture, isthegateway Nökis), aquietcity of tree-lined avenues and of mosttouristbuses. Nukus (Karakalpak: northwest of Urgench, wellbeyondthereach The isolated Karakalpak lies166km capital % NUKUS prove. jaunt intotheKarakalpak countrysidewill fields isalive andwellhere, asanyautumn practice of children sending intothecotton the region’s mainindustries.Thegovernment inthefirst place–isnowone ofAral Sea thecotton –thevery cropthatdevastated that inthe sense forced toembracethedevil landscapes. reveals aregion of dyingtownsandblighted for theregion, butadrive intooutlyingareas Tashkent amodelcity subsidiestokeep itself pressed regions. Nukus,gains Thecapital, oneofrakalpakstan Uzbekistan’s mostde- has rendereddestruction of theAralSea Ka- A coupleof late-morning toearly-after- In acruelirony,Karakalpaks have been Karakalpakstan wasprobablyatitsmost (3) 61/pop230,000 AAAPKTN • uu KARAKALPAKSTAN ••Nukus НУКУС agency, run bythehelpfulTazabay isyour best Uteuliev, [email protected]; UYusupov 16)This newtravel Bes Qala Nukus Bes QalaNukus Information 6km southof thecentre onBerdakha. is bus station south endandthelong-distance about 3kmfromthecentre atDosnazarov’s the centre onDosnazarov, thetrainstation ment buildings.Theairportis6km northof ending eastatasquare surroundedbygovern- are Karakalpakstan andGharezsizlik, both The maincentralstreets (Karakalpak: Orientation lers isworththehardshipof getting here. a remarkable thatforsometravel- artmuseum Bazaar

Moynaq (210km) Mizdakhan (19km); Hojeli (15km); To AmuDarya(3km);

4 1 3 2 NUKUS Yernazar Alaköz Yernazar 12 7 Shared TaxiStand...... Buses toAirportandTrainStation...... Airline BookingOffice...... Sheraton Café...... Mona Lisa...... Hotel Tashkent...... Hotel Nukus...... Savitsky KarakalpakstanArtMuseum...... Natural HistoryMuseum...... Savitsky Museum...... (see5) Post &TelephoneOffice...... National BankofUzbekistan...... Jupiter...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION 11

Rashidova (Lenina) A

Nukus (500m) 8

ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ To BesQala Berdakha

( Pushkin 1 %

224 5169;www.kr.uz/besqala,

Bus Station(5km); Gharezsizlik Tatibayev To Long-Distance 0.3miles 500m 0 0

Urgench (166km) Karakalpakstan Rzaev Park 5

10 Lumumba To Airport lonelyplanet.com

6 (5km)

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region. Themuseumalsocanarrangeshomestays. MoynaqandtheElliqQala arrange tourstoMidakhan, The multilingualstaffhere knowstheregion wellandcan informationcentres. oneofthebest tourist effectively museuminCentralAsia,butit’salso is thisthebestart Museum (see below). Same ideahere (see –the Museum to 4%). Express cardholders(3% advances forVisaandAmerican 4pm Sat&Sun) mission 2000S,guide2000S; the Savitsky hasan Museum themaincollection– time ormoneytosee as welllocallymadehandicrafts. booksonthemuseum giftshop sells museum forthe‘lostart’.The the 3rdfloorisreserved ethnographicexhibitsand 2nd floorcontains newworks.The times andcontinuetosee fewevery months, soyoucouldvisitmany isolatedprotection backwaters. inthese Realism, were bannedbyMoscow,butfound paintings, which didnotconformtoSoviet sky. Many of theearly-20th-centuryRussian renegade artistandethnographerIgorSavit- them were here brought inSoviet timesby which are actuallyondisplay.About halfof some 90,000piecesof art,onlyafractionof the formerSoviet owns Union.Themuseum one of themostremarkable artcollectionsin building onthenorthpartof town,andhouses opened in2002anew,marble-fronted tos 18,000S; global.net; The MUSEUM ART KARAKALPAKSTAN SAVITSKY Sights Savitsky Museum office Post &telephone National BankofUzbekistan Jupiter also visitsMoynaqandthe and PlateauandtheAralSea, totheUstyurt bet fortrips Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com league compared to theSavitsky, butstillcon- US$1; This NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM disappointed. butyou’ll rarelywhat you’re be going tosee, quite soyounever paintings rotate know h Internet. Located next toTsentr Internet. Locatednext Bank. If youcrave more –orifdon’thave the itshuge rotates collectionThe museum 7am-7pm) Savitsky Museum h museum (Karakalpakstan; perhr400S; (Karakalpakstan; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri & 10am-4pmSat) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri

Rzaev 127;admission7000S,guide 3000S,pho- Rzaev h on the2ndfloorof theHistory 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pmSat&Sun) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, (Karakalpakstan; admission US$2, guide (Karakalpakstan; ( %

( 222 88 83; Rzaev 127)Notonly 222 8883;Rzaev qalas % (Karakalpakstan 7; (Karakalpakstan h 222 2556;www.museum.set . 9am-5pm Mon-Fr,10am- (Gharezsizlik 52)Cash h extension extension 8am-11pm) KARAKALPAKSTAN ••Nukus isminor (ad- along Yernazar Alaköz. Tashkent andthecentral bazaar,500mnorth ful of good,cheap theHotel cafésbetween There and salads. sandwiches isalsoahand- on theEnglishmenu. Russian menu,where thepricesare halfthose charging tourists.Insistonorderingfromthe NGOs inUzbekistan. Nowitresorts toover- whenthere werepopular withNGOstaff still 5000S) kalpaks unable toholdtheirliquor. smoke andfullof wavering, bloodshot Kara- atmosphereevening thatcanget cloudedwith Russian andUzbek influences.Ithasalively up anexcitingarrayof Europeandishes with hotel namesake, buttheSheraton stillserves 2000-3000S) room witha‘view’of Nukus. down. Mostroomshave balconies–askfora ing price,butyoucanprobablybargain them down, roomsthatare poorvalueattheask- end of Karakalpakstan offers spacious,ifrun- US$15) great sourceof regional transporttips. isa fast isincluded.Themanager, Zerafshon, are abetter value. Break-rooms withcableTV are for‘tourists’.Thecheaper upstairs reserved vated 1st-floor rooms,atUS$20perperson, sprucedup.Thereno-this oldhotel hasbeen a Nukus Hotel Sleeping &Eating (9 May; formerlyVictoryDay). (21 March) oronDayof Memory &Honour sportson alsowitnessthose You might wrestling, ram-fighting andcock-fighting. titions are heldintraditionalsportssuch as late November orearlyDecember. Compe- usuallyin its cotton-pickingquota, meets on thefirst Sundayafter Karakalpakstan The annual Festivals &Events also ondisplay. decorations andlocalarchaeological findsare jewellery, costumes,musicalinstruments,yurt andmountedstuffed inacorner. Traditional tiger, killedin1972,stands Turan (Caspian) of theKarakalpakstan region. Thevery last astrongexhibitionoftains faunaandflora The Savitsky Museum has a café serving hasacaféserving The Savitsky Museum Sheraton Café Tashkent Hotel Mona Lisa ) Conveniently located intheheartof town, ThisGeorgian homerestaurant was Thisdecrepit atthewestern high-rise Itmaynotlive uptoitsinternational

(

% ( Pakhta-Bairam Pakhta-Bairam % 222 8838;Lumumba 4;s/dfromUS$10/20;

224 0632;Gharezsizlik 107;mains3000- ( ( % % 222 8781;Gharezsizlik 53;mains 224 18 28; Berdakha 59;perperson 224 1828;Berdakha festival takes place Navruz 259

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN to the fast-disappearing Aral Sea and hometo AralSea to thefast-disappearing nondescript Soviet architecture, isthegateway Nökis), aquietcity of tree-lined avenues and of mosttouristbuses. Nukus (Karakalpak: northwest of Urgench, wellbeyondthereach The isolated Karakalpak lies166km capital % NUKUS prove. jaunt intotheKarakalpak countrysidewill fields isalive andwellhere, asanyautumn practice of children sending intothecotton the region’s mainindustries.Thegovernment inthefirst place–isnowone ofAral Sea thecotton –thevery cropthatdevastated that inthe sense forced toembracethedevil landscapes. reveals aregion of dyingtownsandblighted for theregion, butadrive intooutlyingareas Tashkent amodelcity subsidiestokeep itself pressed regions. Nukus,gains Thecapital, oneofrakalpakstan Uzbekistan’s mostde- has rendereddestruction of theAralSea Ka- Amu-Darya were beingfelt. Buttodaythe the fruitsof expandedirrigationfromthe prosperous inthe1960sand’70swhen toKazakh andlessclose sotoUzbek. the officiallanguage of therepublic, isTurkic, inSoviet orurbanised ised times.Karakalpak, ture anationalidentityafter beingcollectiv- century. Todaytheyare torecap- struggling and fishingpeople,first recorded inthe16th 300,000 Kazakhs), are aformerlynomadic also hometoabout 400,000Uzbeks and of therepublic’s 1.2millionpopulation(it’s lpaks, whotodaynumberonlyabout 400,000 the Republicof Karakalpakstan. TheKaraka- If you’re attracted todesolation,you’lllove KARAKALPAKSTAN there taxi (see p250 ). bet istogoUrgench andpickupashared of thecity.Ifyouare headingeastyourbest Gate, east fromtheKoy-Darvoza and Bukhara Tashkent (13,000S, 19hours) viaSamarkand perdaydepartwhenfullto noon private buses terminates inconveniently short of Urgench. minable trolleybus(250S,twohours), which 500/800S,45minutes). Keepseat theinter- off 258 In acruelirony,Karakalpaks have been Karakalpakstan wasprobablyatitsmost A coupleof late-morning toearly-after- (3) 61/pop230,000 AAAPKTN • uu KARAKALPAKSTAN ••Nukus НУКУС agency, run bythehelpfulTazabay isyour best Uteuliev, [email protected]; UYusupov 16)This newtravel Bes Qala Nukus Bes QalaNukus Information 6km southof thecentre onBerdakha. is bus station south endandthelong-distance about 3kmfromthecentre atDosnazarov’s the centre onDosnazarov, thetrainstation ment buildings.Theairportis6km northof ending eastatasquare surroundedbygovern- are Karakalpakstan andGharezsizlik, both The maincentralstreets (Karakalpak: Orientation lers isworththehardshipof getting here. a remarkable thatforsometravel- artmuseum Bazaar

Moynaq (210km) Mizdakhan (19km); Hojeli (15km); To AmuDarya(3km);

Rashidova (Lenina) A

Nukus (500m) 8

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( Pushkin 1 %

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Bus Station(5km); Gharezsizlik Tatibayev To Long-Distance 0.3miles 500m 0 0

Urgench (166km) Karakalpakstan Rzaev Park 5

10 Lumumba To Airport lonelyplanet.com

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Amir Timur Doslyk 9 4 B 3 Government Station (3km) Buildings köshesi 12 11 10

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Rzaev 127;admission7000S,guide 3000S,pho- Rzaev h on the2ndfloorof theHistory 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pmSat&Sun) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, (Karakalpakstan; admission US$2, guide (Karakalpakstan; ( %

(

% ( Pakhta-Bairam Pakhta-Bairam % 222 8838;Lumumba 4;s/dfromUS$10/20;

224 0632;Gharezsizlik 107;mains3000- ( ( % % 222 8781;Gharezsizlik 53;mains 224 18 28; Berdakha 59;perperson 224 1828;Berdakha festival takes place Navruz 259

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN through Nukus( through northwest of Nukus)toTashkent comes trainfromKungrad(100km A twice-weekly Train Hotel Nukuslot(US$50,twodays). toAlmatyfromthe weekend buses several There AllgoviaBukhara. bus station. are also toTashkentbuses leave fromthelong- distance Samarkand (10,000S,15hours). Additional there (12,000S,20hours), plusonebusto There are toTashkent twobuses perdayfrom private-bus lotinfrontof theHotel Nukus. Turkmen border,see p268 . on getting toMoynaq,see opposite . Forthe (2500S,2¼hours).station Forinformation perdaytoUrgencheral buses fromthebus southern Karakalpakstan. There are alsosev- in 8000S,1½hours). AllgoviaBeruni seat town) andfromopposite thebazaar(per (6kmsouthof busstation long-distance Shared departforUrgench taxis fromthe LAND office Book tickets attheairport orthe daily to/fromTashkent (US$51,1½hours). There are Uzbekistan twice Airwaysflights AIR Getting There&Away 260 ruined, some intact. Themostimpressiveruined, some intact. is mosques andmausoleums, some with those up tothe20thcentury. and mosquescontinued tobebuilthere right afterplace even Timur destroyedit;tombs remainedcentury AD,Mizdakhan asacred untilthe14th ited fromthe4thcenturyBC the second-largest cityinKhorezm. Inhab- are theremains of ancient once Mizdakhan, On ahillnearHojeli, 19kmwestof Nukus Mizdakhan AROUND NUKUS the centre isunder2000S. to fromtheairport,trainorbusstation taxi marshrutka 20fromopposite thebazaar. A take andtrainstation, For thebusstation theairportandbazaar.Bus 3runsbetween Getting Around day traintoAlmaty(twodays). Samarkand ontheway.There isalsoaMon- hours), withstopsinUrgench, Navoi and For buses toTashkent,For buses yourbestbetisthe Today themainattraction isahilllittered AAAPKTN • rudNks KARAKALPAKSTAN ••AroundNukus ( % 222 79 95; Pushkin 43; 222 7995;Pushkin platskartny h 9am-5pm) airline booking airline booking 20,000S, 22 . MOYNAQ is 3500Seach way. main gate. to/fromNukus Anordinarytaxi on thehilltop.Theentranceis500mpast dome –lookfortheturquoise is Mizdakhan cemetery onyourleft;another2kmfurther About 2kmalongyou’llpass ahoney-coloured the roadtoKonye-Urgench (Turkmenistan). Hojeli (300S,30minutes). FromHojeli, take there)19 goes andhoponamarshrutka to busstop(marshrutkaor gotothestadium 1000S,20minutes), from thebazaar(perseat Qala ( p251 ) tothesouth. checking thefortsof outifyoumissed Elliq- fortress calledGyaur-Qala, which isworth are theremains of a4th-to3rd-centuryBC neighbouring hilltowardsKonye-Urgench ing fromthe12thto14thcenturies.On the restored minute walksouthof theOybek Hotel, across toask around. Theyaremay need afive- the area prosperingbefore thedisaster. in thecityhallhas someinteresting photosof near Government Thelocalmuseum House. a kindof monumentonamakeshift pedestal as town hasafishonit;fishing boatstands everywhere: thesignatentrance tothe Poignant reminders of Moynaq’stragedy are Sights Kazakh residents are thetown. deserting lems (see p77 ). Notsurprisingly,themostly storms,andagamutofsalt-dust healthprob- summers, colderwinters, sand- debilitating disaster, with hotter full forceof theAralSea is about3kmnorth. above thesurrounding land.Theformershore approach tothetown,where theroadisraised to theshore. Youcanappreciate thisonthe necting theUsh Say(Tiger’s Tail) peninsula channels opentotheshore. intheearly1980stokeep last futileefforts besidedepressionssand, markingthetown’s of liesrustingonthe Moynaq’sfishing fleet than 150kmfromthewater. Whatremains two major more fishing ports,itnowstands tragedy Onceoneof of thesea’s theAralSea. lates more visiblythananywhere theabsurd Moynaq, 210kmnorthof Nukus,encapsu- % Moynaq’s shrinking populacesuffers the tobeonanisthmuscon- Moynaq used To get here fromNukus,take ashared taxi The (3) 61/pop8000 beached ships

МУЙНАК Mausoleum of Mazlum Khan Slu Khan ofMazlum Mausoleum are hardtofindandyou lonelyplanet.com , dat- has noaddress and nosign. the bathroom.Ask fordirections it because they keep thelarge roomsmuch cleanerthan brunch isjustdivine. Notreally. Fortunately the shared bathroom. Butthechampagne it lookslike agiantpoovolcanoerupted in There’s noelectricity,runningwater, and Oybek Sleeping locals asourceof recreation. didn’t quite work,butit’satleastgiven the to restore theformerlymildlocalclimate. It lake southeastof town, created inanattempt great youcanspota viewsof theAralSea, Earth thesatellitethe shipsyourself, images on 1km away,acrossthegrassysteppe. andyou’llspotsomeshipsabout former sea you reach outover thewarmemorial,peer the the roadthatis250mbefore thehotel. Before more turn up ships,takehomes. Tosee aright the mainroadandbeyondcollectionof Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Oybek can whipup,ortry tofinagleaninvite arrangements. himafewcontact days in advancetomake Hefor homestays. inNukusso isbased 72 12;[email protected]; AmirTimur 2;perpersonUS$25) From the Eating can be a problem. See what theHotel canbe aproblem.See Eating Readers recommend If you can’t make it out to Moynaq to see If youcan’tmake itouttoMoynaqsee to getlostifyouhire atravel agency,suchasBesQalaNukus( p258 ). courseyouare fromMoynaqandKungrad.Of muchlesslikely edge ofthetracksheadingnorth water. Andthe seabed isimpassableifitrains. tough, 185kmslogalongtheAral’sformerseabedjusttoreach thefirsttracesofmurky,shallow tothesouthern shoreline ofthesea’seastern youduenorth to take half. This route involves a including, wehave thetriponRussianUralmotorcycles–willtry heard,someguyswhomake Plateau toMoynaq. from thetopofdescent,loopsoutheastalongUstyurt tricky tofindsoyourdriver bestknowwhathe’sdoing. Youcanreturn thewayyoucameor, from theplateau andontothenewshoreline, where youcanswimandcamp.This descentis line oftheAral’snewshoreline inthedistance. Afew east,roughtracksleaddown kilometres ofKublaUstyurt. about 40kmnorth Plateauthe tawny,treeless totheAral’sextreme southwestern moonscapeoftheUstyurt shore, along Fromthere, backwater headnorth ofKublaUstyurt. tothedesert laden SudochieLake, tracksfromKungradviabird- It’s easierandmore alongnavigabledirt scenictodrive northwest appeal foradventurous travellers. It’spossible,buttheleastrigourousroute isnotfromMoynaq! Catching aglimpseofthenotoriousAralSea’snewsouthernshoreline holdsnosmallamountof SEA ARAL THE VISITING (www.earth.google.com) (www.earth.google.com) No matter howyougo,it’sessentialthatyourdriver have a4WDvehicle andintimate knowl- It’s alsopossibletodothisloopinreverse, fromMoynaq.Butmostdrivers inMoynaq– starting formerseabedandthethinblueYour reward willbesuperb,clifftopviewsofthedesertified

( % 222 1868;rwithshared bathroom6000S) war memorial Aitjanov Sagitjan Sagitjan Aitjanov are almostaseerie. , which oncehad UZBEKISTAN ••Accommodation DIRECTORY ( Google % 351 consultants haveconsultants calledintopromote been lic. Thebest are where inBukhara European Asianmore than inanyotherCentral repub- The B&Bscenein Uzbekistan hastaken off stated.private bathroom unlessotherwise All accommodation rates are forroomswith ACCOMMODATION UZBEKISTAN DIRECTORY costs about US$60,US$100fromUrgench. you twohours of drivingtime. andsavewill cost8000Sto10,000Sintotal fer inKungradtoanothershared This taxi. from opposite thebazaarinNukus,andtrans- rat) andchange there. moreeven crowdedbustoKungrad(Qongi- also at9amand3pm.Youcantake an utes later. Thereturn fromMoynaqare buses passing bytheHotel Tashkent about10min- at9amand3pm, busstation the long-distance (2000S, 3¾hours). TheydepartNukusfrom MoynaqandNukus rundailybetween buses main street. Twodecrepit andover-crowded isatthesouthendofThe busstation thelong Getting There&Away some snacksalong. into alocal’shome. It’snotabadideatobring It’s swifter totake ashared toKungrad taxi A day trip from Nukus in an ordinary taxi A daytripfromNukusinanordinarytaxi

261 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ruined, some intact. Themostimpressiveruined, some intact. is mosques andmausoleums, some with those up tothe20thcentury. and mosquescontinued tobebuilthere right afterplace even Timur destroyedit;tombs remainedcentury AD,Mizdakhan asacred untilthe14th ited fromthe4thcenturyBC the second-largest cityinKhorezm. Inhab- are theremains of ancient once Mizdakhan, On ahillnearHojeli, 19kmwestof Nukus Mizdakhan AROUND NUKUS the centre isunder2000S. to fromtheairport,trainorbusstation taxi marshrutka 20fromopposite thebazaar. A take andtrainstation, For thebusstation theairportandbazaar.Bus 3runsbetween Getting Around day traintoAlmaty(twodays). Samarkand ontheway.There isalsoaMon- Nukus( through northwest of Nukus)toTashkent comes trainfromKungrad(100km A twice-weekly Train Hotel Nukuslot(US$50,twodays). toAlmatyfromthe weekend buses several There AllgoviaBukhara. bus station. are also toTashkentbuses leave fromthelong- distance Samarkand (10,000S,15hours). Additional there (12,000S,20hours), plusonebusto There are toTashkent twobuses perdayfrom private-bus lotinfrontof theHotel Nukus. Turkmen border,see p268 . on getting toMoynaq,see opposite . Forthe (2500S,2¼hours).station Forinformation perdaytoUrgencheral buses fromthebus southern Karakalpakstan. There are alsosev- in 8000S,1½hours). AllgoviaBeruni seat town) andfromopposite thebazaar(per (6kmsouthof busstation long-distance Shared departforUrgench taxis fromthe LAND office Book tickets attheairport orthe daily to/fromTashkent (US$51,1½hours). There are Uzbekistan twice Airwaysflights AIR Getting There&Away 260 hours), withstopsinUrgench, Navoi and Today themainattraction isahilllittered toTashkent,For buses yourbestbetisthe AAAPKTN • rudNks KARAKALPAKSTAN ••AroundNukus ( % 222 79 95; Pushkin 43; 222 7995;Pushkin platskartny h 9am-5pm) airline booking airline booking 20,000S, 22 . minute walksouthof theOybek Hotel, across toask around. Theyaremay need afive- the area prosperingbefore thedisaster. in thecityhallhas someinteresting photosof near Government Thelocalmuseum House. a kindof monumentonamakeshift pedestal as town hasafishonit;fishing boatstands everywhere: thesignatentrance tothe Poignant reminders of Moynaq’stragedy are Sights Kazakh residents are thetown. deserting lems (see p77 ). Notsurprisingly,themostly storms,andagamutofsalt-dust healthprob- summers, colderwinters, sand- debilitating disaster, with hotter full forceof theAralSea is about3kmnorth. above thesurrounding land.Theformershore approach tothetown,where theroadisraised to theshore. Youcanappreciate thisonthe necting theUsh Say(Tiger’s Tail) peninsula channels opentotheshore. intheearly1980stokeep last futileefforts besidedepressionssand, markingthetown’s of liesrustingonthe Moynaq’sfishing fleet than 150kmfromthewater. Whatremains two major more fishing ports,itnowstands tragedy Onceoneof of thesea’s theAralSea. lates more visiblythananywhere theabsurd Moynaq, 210kmnorthof Nukus,encapsu- % MOYNAQ is 3500Seach way. main gate. to/fromNukus Anordinarytaxi on thehilltop.Theentranceis500mpast dome –lookfortheturquoise is Mizdakhan cemetery onyourleft;another2kmfurther About 2kmalongyou’llpass ahoney-coloured the roadtoKonye-Urgench (Turkmenistan). Hojeli (300S,30minutes). FromHojeli, take there)19 goes andhoponamarshrutka to busstop(marshrutkaor gotothestadium 1000S,20minutes), from thebazaar(perseat Qala ( p251 ) tothesouth. checking thefortsof outifyoumissed Elliq- fortress calledGyaur-Qala, which isworth are theremains of a4th-to3rd-centuryBC neighbouring hilltowardsKonye-Urgench ing fromthe12thto14thcenturies.On the restored Moynaq’s shrinking populacesuffers the tobeonanisthmuscon- Moynaq used The To get here fromNukus,take ashared taxi (3) 61/pop8000 beached ships

261 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Uzbekistan onitswebsite isOrexca.com. community-based tourismprogramsacross (below). too in2006( tains p236 are). Yurtstays possible programme openedintheNuratinskyMoun- Uzbekistan’s first community-based tourism the expansionandimprovement of B&Bs. 262 the Uzbek missions abroad isonthe website of ( and Turkmenistan p436 (p392) Tajikistan). Acomplete list of (p345), Kyrgyzstan ( p178), Uzbekistan hasembassies inKazakhstan Uzbek EmbassiesinCentralAsia EMBASSIES &CONSULATES sible fromTashkent (see p91 and p213 ). king Asia.in Central which Uzbekistan ismeanttooffer thebest bird-watching for ideas( p240 ). Itisalsotheauthorityon ask.Talkmight LineTours inBukhara toEast isanothermatter, butyoufor ahomestay can befound.Whetherthey’llinvite youin mads lurkinginthatthere andthey desert, ( p236 ) orAyaz-Qala( p251 one of Aidarkul theyurtcampsinLake ). There are no- most tripsare relatively shortjauntsaround isthemostintriguingactivity,though stay, trekking Camel ACTIVITIES Another organisation thatadvertises Other popularoutdooractivitiesare old name. doesn’t knowthenewstreet name,trythe new namesonmaps. Ifyourtaxidriver have tothe includedtheoldnamesnext out thischapter, butwhere relevant we Samarkand. least inbigcitiessuchasTashkent and new namesstillhaven’t really stuck,at all themapshave beenchanged,butthe latercourse Gagarin).Adecade-and-a-half Pushkin, Tolstoyandofsuch asChekhov, revered Russianwriters andcosmonauts, (the exceptionswere streets namedafter after independencebek namesshortly everywhere were given new,suitablyUz- In tryingtoerasetheSoviet period,streets NAMESTREET CHANGES Ministry of Foreign Affairs Affairs ofForeign Ministry , ZEITNDRCOY • ciiis UZBEKISTAN ••Activities DIRECTORY We usethenewstreet namesthrough- rafting rafting and (www.birdwatching-uzbekistan.com) , usuallycombinedwithayurt- skiing , allremarkably acces- (www.mfa.uz). trek- , of 2pm Mon-Fri) 2pm Mon-Fri) h Consulate inÎstanbul. Ankara) 3,06550Yildiz-Cankaya, 211,Sokak mahallesi 21st St,F8/3,KohistanRd,Islamabad)ConsulateinKarachi. pereulok 12,Moscow,109017) Chekhov 23; Chekhov 15) Rashidova h 41HollandParkconsular section, W113RP,London; 100600, Sanlitun,Beixiaogie11) h Ave 1746Massachusetts section, NW,WashingtonDC20036; 15-16; Samatova 30; UK Turkey Russia Pakistan Malaysia Germany France China 370021,Baku) 9th Alley437,Batamdart, Azerbaijan Afghanistan Uzbek Embassies&Consulates Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Japan Italy Israel Iran Indonesia India Germany Georgia 25) Akhunbabayev France China Azerbaijan Afghanistan travel see p265 . foronward only. Forinformationonvisas operation listed beloware applications forvisa ( The followingare alllocated inTashkent Embassies &ConsulatesinUzbekistan USA DarulEhsan,Malaysia) 68000Ampang,Selangor Abdul Razak, Perleberger Strasse62,Berlin10559)ConsulateinFrankfurt. d’Aguesseau, 75008,Paris) Qahhor 4) Qahhor Khan, 13thSt,3rdRow,House14) Khan, % ( 10am-noon Mon-Fri) Consulate-General in New York. inNewYork. Consulate-General 10am-noon Mon-Fri) 9am-noon Mon, Wed & Fri) 9am-noon Mon,Wed&Fri) 10am-1pm Mon,Wed&Fri) % ( 371 or 71; see Map371 or71;see pp196–7 ). Hours of ( ( % ( % ( ( % ( h ( ( % ( ( % % % % ( % 44-020-7229 7679; www.uzbekembassy.org; 44-020-7229 7679;www.uzbekembassy.org; % % % ( 1-202-887 5300; www.uzbekistan.org; consular consular 1-202-887 5300;www.uzbekistan.org; ( 68 6968;Parkent 20; ( ( % ( 152 11 19; Yusuf Khos Khodjib 40) 152 1119;Yusuf Khodjib Khos 9.30am-noon Mon-Fri) 9.30am-noon Mon-Fri) % % 140 09 83; www.indembassy.uz; Kara-Bulak 140 0983;www.indembassy.uz;Kara-Bulak % % 120 5808;www.tashkent.mfa.gov.il; Abdulla ( 133 8088,consul4718;Gulomova79; 86-10-6532 6304/5;fax65326304;Beijing 120 8060;1-28Azimova) h ( ( % 7-095-230 00 76; fax 238 8 18; Pogorelskiy 7-095-230 0076;fax238818;Pogorelskiy ( main 133 53 84, citizens’ services 1330583; main 1335384,citizens’services 331-5330 0353;fax53300354;22rue 90-312-441 3871;fax4427058;Sancak ( h % % % ( 162 62 43; Mukhitdinova 6) 162 6243;Mukhitdinova ( % 603-42-53 2406;N.2,Jalan12,Taman Tun % 92-51-226 4746;fax2261737;House2, % 49-30-394 09 80; www.uzbekistan.de; 49-30-394 0980;www.uzbekistan.de; 120 84 40; www.taschkent.diplo.de; 120 8440;www.taschkent.diplo.de; 9am-noon Mon-Fri) 9am-noon Mon-Fri) 132 0236;Gulomova73) 9-11.30am & 3-4pmMon-Fri) 173 9465;HalqlarDustligi25) 99-412-97 2549;fax9748;1stHwy, 133 8941;[email protected]; 152 15 54; [email protected]; 152 1554;[email protected]; 134 84 32; Murtazayev 6/84; 134 8432;Murtazayev 93-20-230 01 24; Kabul, Vazir Akbar 93-20-230 0124;Kabul, h 9am-noon Mon-Thu) lonelyplanet.com h 9am- h Wed &Fri) Market. Wed11am)Take10-11am, pickup trolleybus2fromChorsu Abdur Rakhmonov [Sofiyskaya] 15; [Sofiyskaya] Abdur Rakhmonov Gulomova 67) is probablytheUnesco-supported festival in has agoodone( p228 ), but themostfamous recent government initiative free brought outside ahandfulof spotsinTashkent. A ellers accessisannoyingly slow go,although Internet cafés are foundinmostplacestrav- INTERNET ACCESS Asia, in Central see p449 . For informationonIslamicholidaysobserved December 8 1 October 1 September 9 May 21 March 8 March 1 January HOLIDAYS covered in thisbook). TermizBoysun, between andSamarkand(not places aroguegameof ing inthestreets, plentyof foodandinsome typically involve parades,fairs, music,danc- of the countryduringvernal equinox festival There are colourfulcelebrationsthroughout FESTIVALS &EVENTS USA UK Turkmenistan Turkey Tajikistan Russia Pakistan lonelyplanet.com www.sairamtour.com. below. Fornews,see Another good site withlots of travel articles is and p199 of travel agencies For tourist informationthebestsites are those INTERNET RESOURCES Tashkent. Wi-fi israre outsideof Tashkent. wi-fi accesstoaboutadozen restaurants in TV Tower. TV ofthe V3)Bus95goesnearitsnewlocationnorth katta h Navrus ( 11am-1pm Mon-Fri) 10am-noon Mon-Fri) ( % % Day of Memory and Honour (formerly Victory Day). andHonour(formerlyVictory DayofMemory ( ( % 120 78 52; www.britishembassy.gov/uzbekistan; 120 7852;www.britishembassy.gov/uzbekistan; InternationalWomen’sDay. % 120 5450;www.usembassy.uz;Moyqorghon ( Navruz. ; NewYear’s Day. % (

Teachers’ Day. (celebrated on21March). Festivities % 120 35 19; Nukus 83; 120 3519;Nukus Silk/Sogda Tour 113 0300;Gulomova87) ConstitutionDay. IndependenceDay. 398 21 73; www.geocities.com/pakembtash; 398 2173;www.geocities.com/pakembtash; ( 54 99 66; Abdulla Qahhor katta VI61; katta 54 9966;AbdullaQahhor % UZBEKISTAN ••Festivals &Events DIRECTORY 120 52 78; Katta Mirobod 10; Mirobod 120 5278;Katta Advantour

kupkari (www.silktour.uz) h h

(www.advantour.com) applications Tue 9.30am-1pm Mon, . Samarkand p225 . , ,

focuses primarily onpolitics. focuses primarily Institute was kicked outofUzbekistan. Institute waskicked sitesponsorOpenSociety plummetedafter of articles hard newsonUzbekistan. plenty. Euros andpounds warrantpoorer form oryouwon’t beabletocashthem. travellers cheques onyourcustomsdeclaration cashing travellers sure cheques. to listyour Be /branches) Bank ofUzbekistan always) beabletoget cashadvancedat andAmexholdersVisa willusually (butnot look forAsaka forcashadvances,while Bank ( p199). fewselect ATMs canbefoundinTashkent number of midrange andtop-endhotels. A of corruptpolice,whomaydemand‘fines’. the bazaars. Ifyouhave togothis route, bewary find black-market moneyswappers working especially intheprovinces. Youcanusually (or only)wayof getting sumforUSdollars, black market, thismay bethequickest although no longer tochange anydesperate need onthe ket andbankrates sothere tosimilarlevels, is tied together witharubberband. fullofturns intoasatchel ragged bills,usually is worthonlyabout US$0.80.OneUS$100bill the Uzbek Uzbek sum.Thehighest note (1000S) Few currencies burnaholeinyourpocket like MONEY www.rferl.org www.eurasianet.org/resource/uzbekistan www.enews.fergana.ru www.crisisgroup.org http://uzbekistan.neweurasia.net cept neweurasiafromUzbek internet cafés. should beable toaccessallof thefollowingex- of politicalbent,fromwithinthecountry.You access mostEnglish-language sites, regardless tive Uzbek-language websites, butyoucan with Uzbekistan isonlineand offshore. going public.Anythingindependentdealing coverage isgovernment before sanctioned andradio wherebekistan, allnewspaper,TV ofNo level independentmediaexistsinUz- MEDIA the latestUzbekpoliticaldevelopments. other usefulsites. linksto discussing hottopicsoftheday,withextensive In theprovinces, MasterCard should users Reform policieshave theblackmar- brought The government blockspoliticallysensi- The USdollar iskinginUzbekistan; bring Credit cardsare accepted atanincreasing . The NBU is also usually the best bet for . TheNBU isalsousually thebestbetfor Probably the best source of objective Probably thebestsourceofobjective (NBU; fullbranchlistathttp://eng.nbu.com Analysis and lengthy reports on Analysis andlengthyreports Watchdogwebsitethat Excellent blog National National Volume

263 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN the Uzbek missions abroad isonthe website of ( and Turkmenistan p436 (p392) Tajikistan). Acomplete list of (p345), Kyrgyzstan ( p178), Uzbekistan hasembassies inKazakhstan Uzbek EmbassiesinCentralAsia EMBASSIES &CONSULATES king Asia.in Central which Uzbekistan ismeanttooffer thebest bird-watching for ideas( p240 ). Itisalsotheauthorityon ask.Talkmight LineTours inBukhara toEast isanothermatter, butyoufor ahomestay can befound.Whetherthey’llinvite youin mads lurkinginthatthere andthey desert, ( p236 ) orAyaz-Qala( p251 one of Aidarkul theyurtcampsinLake ). There are no- most tripsare relatively shortjauntsaround isthemostintriguingactivity,though stay, trekking Camel ACTIVITIES Uzbekistan onitswebsite isOrexca.com. community-based tourismprogramsacross (below). too in2006( tains p236 are). Yurtstays possible programme openedintheNuratinskyMoun- Uzbekistan’s first community-based tourism the expansionandimprovement of B&Bs. 262 sible fromTashkent (see p91 and p213 ). Another organisation thatadvertises Other popularoutdooractivitiesare old name. doesn’t knowthenewstreet name,trythe new namesonmaps. Ifyourtaxidriver have tothe includedtheoldnamesnext out thischapter, butwhere relevant we Samarkand. least inbigcitiessuchasTashkent and new namesstillhaven’t really stuck,at all themapshave beenchanged,butthe latercourse Gagarin).Adecade-and-a-half Pushkin, Tolstoyandofsuch asChekhov, revered Russianwriters andcosmonauts, (the exceptionswere streets namedafter after independencebek namesshortly everywhere were given new,suitablyUz- In tryingtoerasetheSoviet period,streets NAMESTREET CHANGES Ministry of Foreign Affairs Affairs ofForeign Ministry , ZEITNDRCOY • ciiis UZBEKISTAN ••Activities DIRECTORY We usethenewstreet namesthrough- rafting rafting and (www.birdwatching-uzbekistan.com) , usuallycombinedwithayurt- skiing , allremarkably acces- (www.mfa.uz). trek- , of 2pm Mon-Fri) 2pm Mon-Fri) h pereulok 12,Moscow,109017) Chekhov 23; Chekhov 15) Rashidova Consulate inÎstanbul. Ankara) 3,06550Yildiz-Cankaya, 211,Sokak mahallesi 21st St,F8/3,KohistanRd,Islamabad)ConsulateinKarachi. h Ave 1746Massachusetts section, NW,WashingtonDC20036; h 41HollandParkconsular section, W113RP,London; 15-16; 100600, Sanlitun,Beixiaogie11) Samatova 30; Qahhor 4) Qahhor 25) Akhunbabayev d’Aguesseau, 75008,Paris) Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Japan Italy Israel Iran Indonesia India Germany Georgia France China Azerbaijan Afghanistan travel see p265 . foronward only. Forinformationonvisas operation listed beloware applications forvisa ( The followingare alllocated inTashkent Embassies &ConsulatesinUzbekistan USA UK Turkey Russia Pakistan DarulEhsan,Malaysia) 68000Ampang,Selangor Abdul Razak, Malaysia Perleberger Strasse62,Berlin10559)ConsulateinFrankfurt. Germany France China 370021,Baku) 9th Alley437,Batamdart, Azerbaijan Afghanistan Uzbek Embassies&Consulates Khan, 13thSt,3rdRow,House14) Khan, % ( 10am-noon Mon-Fri) Consulate-General in New York. inNewYork. Consulate-General 10am-noon Mon-Fri) 9am-noon Mon, Wed & Fri) 9am-noon Mon,Wed&Fri) 10am-1pm Mon,Wed&Fri) % ( 371 or 71; see Map371 or71;see pp196–7 ). Hours of ( ( % ( % ( ( % ( h ( ( % ( ( % % % % ( % 44-020-7229 7679; www.uzbekembassy.org; 44-020-7229 7679;www.uzbekembassy.org; % % % ( 1-202-887 5300; www.uzbekistan.org; consular consular 1-202-887 5300;www.uzbekistan.org; ( 68 6968;Parkent 20; ( ( % ( 152 11 19; Yusuf Khos Khodjib 40) 152 1119;Yusuf Khodjib Khos 9.30am-noon Mon-Fri) 9.30am-noon Mon-Fri) % % 140 09 83; www.indembassy.uz; Kara-Bulak 140 0983;www.indembassy.uz;Kara-Bulak % % 120 5808;www.tashkent.mfa.gov.il; Abdulla ( 133 8088,consul4718;Gulomova79; 86-10-6532 6304/5;fax65326304;Beijing 120 8060;1-28Azimova) h ( ( % 7-095-230 00 76; fax 238 8 18; Pogorelskiy 7-095-230 0076;fax238818;Pogorelskiy ( main 133 53 84, citizens’ services 1330583; main 1335384,citizens’services 331-5330 0353;fax53300354;22rue 90-312-441 3871;fax4427058;Sancak ( h % % % ( 162 62 43; Mukhitdinova 6) 162 6243;Mukhitdinova ( % 603-42-53 2406;N.2,Jalan12,Taman Tun % 92-51-226 4746;fax2261737;House2, % 49-30-394 09 80; www.uzbekistan.de; 49-30-394 0980;www.uzbekistan.de; 120 84 40; www.taschkent.diplo.de; 120 8440;www.taschkent.diplo.de; 9am-noon Mon-Fri) 9am-noon Mon-Fri) 132 0236;Gulomova73) 9-11.30am & 3-4pmMon-Fri) 173 9465;HalqlarDustligi25) 99-412-97 2549;fax9748;1stHwy, 133 8941;[email protected]; 152 15 54; [email protected]; 152 1554;[email protected]; 134 84 32; Murtazayev 6/84; 134 8432;Murtazayev 93-20-230 01 24; Kabul, Vazir Akbar 93-20-230 0124;Kabul, h 9am-noon Mon-Thu) lonelyplanet.com h 9am- h Wed &Fri) Market. Wed11am)Take10-11am, pickup trolleybus2fromChorsu 15; [Sofiyskaya] Abdur Rakhmonov Gulomova 67) recent government initiative free brought outside ahandfulof spotsinTashkent. A ellers accessisannoyingly slow go,although Internet cafés are foundinmostplacestrav- INTERNET ACCESS Asia, in Central see p449 . For informationonIslamicholidaysobserved December 8 1 October 1 September 9 May 21 March 8 March 1 January HOLIDAYS covered in thisbook). TermizBoysun, between andSamarkand(not is probablytheUnesco-supported festival in has agoodone( p228 ), but themostfamous places aroguegameof ing inthestreets, plentyof foodandinsome typically involve parades,fairs, music,danc- of the countryduringvernal equinox festival There are colourfulcelebrationsthroughout FESTIVALS &EVENTS USA UK Turkmenistan Turkey Tajikistan Russia Pakistan lonelyplanet.com www.sairamtour.com. below. Fornews,see Another good site withlots of travel articles is and p199 of travel agencies For tourist informationthebestsites are those INTERNET RESOURCES Tashkent. Wi-fi israre outsideof Tashkent. wi-fi accesstoaboutadozen restaurants in TV Tower. TV ofthe V3)Bus95goesnearitsnewlocationnorth katta h Navrus ( 11am-1pm Mon-Fri) 10am-noon Mon-Fri) ( % % Day of Memory and Honour (formerly Victory Day). andHonour(formerlyVictory DayofMemory ( ( % 120 78 52; www.britishembassy.gov/uzbekistan; 120 7852;www.britishembassy.gov/uzbekistan; InternationalWomen’sDay. % 120 5450;www.usembassy.uz;Moyqorghon ( Navruz. ; NewYear’s Day. % (

kupkari (www.silktour.uz) h h

(www.advantour.com) applications Tue 9.30am-1pm Mon, . Samarkand p225 . , ,

263 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN Tashkent ( section p199 ). national couriers are listed underPost inthe and hopetheywillreceive atleastone. Inter- yourfriendstwopostcards or parcels;send orreliabilityfor speed indelivering letters isnotrenowned service 7810S. Thepostal mail letter costs450Sanda1kgpackage costs An airmailpostcardcosts350S,a20gair- POST prices besideshotels inUzbek sum. book followslocalconvention inlistingmost inanythingbesidesUzbekservices sum.This (in theory)itisillegaltopayforgoodsand to touristsoften listpricesinUSdollars, but Hotels, catering guidesandotherbusinesses exchange rates were asfollows: side of Tashkent. Atthetimeof research, the rates andare more toexchange difficult out- 264 US$5 prepaid cards.Contrary topopularbe- free-of-charge of withthepurchase minimum Mobile phoneoperators issue localSIM cards TELEPHONE ( embassy ortheTashkent central to bepaidifyouget unregistered. caught mind thatthere are fines–ormore likely bribes– missingdaysonyourdocket.in those Keep in to. Instead, askthenexthotel attofill youstay for youandyourhosts,it’sprobably bestnot this cancreate more problemsthanitsolves of &Registration(OVIR),Office Visas butas are toberegistered supposed withthelocal often asked forwhendepartingthecountry. reminding) are sometimes need asthese (staff tration. Make sure youget aregistration slip Checking intoahotel meansautomatic regis- REGISTRATION % uozn € = 1629 = USA US$1 UK UK£1 28.81 = Turkmenistan 100M = €1 Tajikistan 1TJS = = Kyrgyzstan 1som 360.93 = = 1238 9.67 31.93 1T Kazakhstan euro zone 2412 Australia A$1 = 24.76 = Afghanistan 1Afg 967 Country Unit Sum For more your contact questionsordetails, If you spend a night inaprivateIf youspendanight homeyou 132 65 70; Uzbekistan 49A). 132 6570;Uzbekistan ZEITNDRCOY • ot UZBEKISTAN ••Post DIRECTORY OVIR office OVIR

02; [email protected]) prepaid out- callingcard,which canbeused big cities)offer Skype. inthe cafés listed inthisbook(atleastthose callsoutofdistance Uzbekistan. Mostinternet a range of cardsgoodfordiscounted long- andvariousstoresPost offices andkioskssell to theUSA1250SandAustralia1750S. most othermajor citiesare: totheUK1150S, the centraltelephone inTashkent offices and is creaky butfunctional.Per-minute callsfrom US$0.03 permessage. International text messages onlycostabout MTS costUS$0.04toUS$0.05perminute. or with mobileoperators Coscom, Beeline toEnglish.Domesticcalls your phonesettings thatwillchangehas English-speakingstaff 38,Tashkent;65; www.coscom.uz;Vokhidova ofThe mainoffice lief itislegitimate forforeigners tobuythese. depends onthecarrier. ThecodeforUnitel is the timeyourread this. % % simply adda number you’re diallinglistsonlysixdigits, followed bya city (ormobile phone)code( bile phones,dialthefullUzbek countryand fails, thelastsixorfive digitsof thenumber. numberor,ifthat just dialtheseven-digit Incorporated –contact able. Theyare distributed byInterConcepts A better-value 600-unitcardisalsoavail- the USAorEurope(US$0.41perminute). US$30 andisgoodforabout 73minutes to side Uzbekistan aswell.A100-unitcardcosts the cityyouare dialling. you mayunknowinglybewithinthelimitsof work trydiallingthenumberwithnocode– regional work,dropthe code. Ifthatdoesn’t Calling UzbekCalling mobile phonesistrickierand A better optionistobuyaVerizon/MCI Uzbekistan’s antiquated telephone system Dialling anothercityisharder. Frommo- Within Uzbekistan, diallinglocal iseasy– From landlines,dial % dial When callingfrom outside Uzbekistan INCOMING AREACODES seven-digit number. vidual sections (without the vidual sections 8 instead of 3, which outby mayhave phased been +998, thearea inthe indi- codemarked % seven-digit seven-digit % 2); if that doesn’t workdial 2); ifthatdoesn’t Coscom +998; if that still doesn’t +998; ifthatstilldoesn’t . % Charles Rudd Mp pp196-7; (Map 83 followedbythe number (ifthe % lonelyplanet.com % 3), andthe h +998-XX) +998-XX)

( % % 8am-7pm) 139 13 120 72 carrier, you’ddial outside Uzbekistan orfrom anothermobile aCoscomphonefrom To dial,forinstance,

processing. processing orpaydoubleforfour- tofive-day Stantours ( p199 forLOI ). Allowtwoweeks includingArostr andno stringsattached, agencies provide LOI supportforafee with hotel bookingsforatleastthree Afew nights. site of thetravel agency anUzbekobtain theweb- withanLOI.See visa it willalwaysbemuch easierandquicker to citizenship. Nomatter whatyourcitizenship, are outsidetheircountryof applyingforvisas LOIs, asdocitizensof theabove countrieswho Switzerland andtheUK.Everybody needs else Japan,many, Italy, Malaysia, Latvia, Spain, France,Ger- (LOIs):Austria,Belgium, tation were technically exempt fromletters of invi- writing, citizensof thefollowingcountries relations withtheUSandEU. Atthetimeof pend entirely onthestateof thecountry’s Uzbek ruleschange visa frequently andde- VISAS of atravel agency before out. setting ered withthehelp these inthisbook).Secure ( p232 NationalPark), andZaamin (notcov- ( p213 Mountains andHissar ), theZarafshan cluding mostof Ugam-Chatkal NationalPark areas neartheTajik andKyrgyz borders, in- Border permitsare required forallmountain TRAVEL PERMITS a tone,thendial just dial locally orfromanotherCoscomphoneyou’d you’d dial % lonelyplanet.com embassy. London,Dushanbe, Bishkek and an onwardcountry (egTajikistan). costUS$30and requiretransit visas for avisa are almostimpossible Three-day to obtain. lastingmoreentry. Touristvisas than30days Multiple entrycostsanadditional US$10 per lessformostothernationalities. zens, slightly TheycostaflatUS$100forUSciti- entry visa. tour.com) chase a minimum level of services –usually of aminimumlevel chase services support, butmostdemandthatyoualsopur- to dialitfromalandlinewithinUzbekistan The standard tourist visa isa30-day,single- touristvisa The standard To calloutof Uzbekistan dial Visa processingtime dependsupon theVisa Any Uzbek travel agency canarrange LOI 90, forMTS forupdated LOIrequirements. % % XXX XXXX. 8-593-XXX 8-593-XXX UZBEKISTAN ••TravelPermits DIRECTORY % % 98 andforCoscom % 10. +998-93-XXX +998-93-XXX XXXX; Advantour % and todialit

8, waitfor (www.advan XXXX; % 93. photos. processing. Womenmusthavehaircovered inapplication to seven-day 10-day processing,or$US72forthree- to (valid forthree months),whichcosts$US45forseven- visa sure ithas),youcanapplyfora30-daytourist make (checkto Whenthisfinallyarrives regular/rush service. thiscosts$US39/72for .iranianvisa.com. FromUzbekistan throughanIranianagentsuchaswww authorisation improvements. Firstrecent youmustapplyforan service costsaboutUS$40. andSouthAfricans Australians, Kiwis citizens staying90daysorfewer. A90-dayvisafor most EUcitizens. processing. NoLOIneededfor US, Commonwealth,and double that for same-day processing. AnLOIhelpshere. double thatforsame-day technically neededbutit’spossibletogetonewithout. available.AnLOIis maximum three days. Norushservice the spot. Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Iran India Georgia China Azerbaijan Afghanistan LOI support,Stantours willtell you. honest advice. Ifyoucanavoid purchasing Stantours ( p199 ) forupdated informationand lates inTashkent, see p262 David. Contact at of details embassiesandconsu- For contact Visas forOnwardTravel from aTashkent-based travel agency. support Ifyouinsistontrying,seek new visa. bouring Kazakhstan orKyrgyzstan andbuya frustrated travellers give upandgotoneigh- pensive andinvolve much red tape.Many Longer extensions are time-consuming,ex- sogothere onyourown. form thisservice Airport. Travel agents willbereluctant toper- boothatTashkenteign affairs International US$75 isavailable fromtheMinistryof For- extension costingabout visa A one-week Visa Extensions for thisfromatravel agent. of residence, support fullvisa butyou’llneed if there isnoUzbek embassyinyourcountry upon arrivalatTashkent International Airport LOI. Itmaybepossibletopickupyourvisa withan Almaty canissue on-the-spotvisas minimum processingtime. citizens, US$40forUK,EU,Australian citizens;seven-day longer than30days. process. AnLOIisneededformultipleentryor visas This embassy can be difficult but travellers report Thisembassycanbedifficultbuttravellersreport A six-month multiple-entry visacostsUS$60forUS Asix-monthmultiple-entry A 60-day visa costs US$30 for five-day processing time, processingtime, A60-dayvisacostsUS$30forfive-day No visasrequired forUS,EU,CanadianorJapanese A30-dayvisacostingUS$40isissuedin A 30-day visa costs US$40 for same-day A30-dayvisacostsUS$40 forsame-day A 30-day visa (US$35) takes twodaysto A30-dayvisa(US$35)takes A30-dayvisacostingUS$40isissuedon

265 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN US$5 prepaid cards.Contrary topopularbe- free-of-charge of withthepurchase minimum Mobile phoneoperators issue localSIM cards TELEPHONE ( embassy ortheTashkent central to bepaidifyouget unregistered. caught mind thatthere are fines–ormore likely bribes– missingdaysonyourdocket.in those Keep in to. Instead, askthenexthotel attofill youstay for youandyourhosts,it’sprobably bestnot this cancreate more problemsthanitsolves of &Registration(OVIR),Office Visas butas are toberegistered supposed withthelocal often asked forwhendepartingthecountry. reminding) are sometimes need asthese (staff tration. Make sure youget aregistration slip Checking intoahotel meansautomatic regis- REGISTRATION Tashkent ( section p199 ). national couriers are listed underPost inthe and hopetheywillreceive atleastone. Inter- yourfriendstwopostcards or parcels;send orreliabilityfor speed indelivering letters isnotrenowned service 7810S. Thepostal mail letter costs450Sanda1kgpackage costs An airmailpostcardcosts350S,a20gair- POST prices besideshotels inUzbek sum. book followslocalconvention inlistingmost inanythingbesidesUzbekservices sum.This (in theory)itisillegaltopayforgoodsand to touristsoften listpricesinUSdollars, but Hotels, catering guidesandotherbusinesses exchange rates were asfollows: side of Tashkent. Atthetimeof research, the rates andare more toexchange difficult out- 264 % uozn € = 1629 = USA US$1 UK UK£1 28.81 = Turkmenistan 100M = €1 Tajikistan 1TJS = = Kyrgyzstan 1som 360.93 = = 1238 9.67 31.93 1T Kazakhstan euro zone 2412 Australia A$1 = 24.76 = Afghanistan 1Afg 967 Country Unit Sum For more your contact questionsordetails, If you spend a night inaprivateIf youspendanight homeyou 132 65 70; Uzbekistan 49A). 132 6570;Uzbekistan ZEITNDRCOY • ot UZBEKISTAN ••Post DIRECTORY OVIR office OVIR

02; [email protected]) depends onthecarrier. ThecodeforUnitel is the timeyourread this. % % simply adda number you’re diallinglistsonlysixdigits, followed bya city (ormobile phone)code( bile phones,dialthefullUzbek countryand fails, thelastsixorfive digitsof thenumber. numberor,ifthat just dialtheseven-digit Incorporated –contact able. Theyare distributed byInterConcepts A better-value 600-unitcardisalsoavail- the USAorEurope(US$0.41perminute). US$30 andisgoodforabout 73minutes to side Uzbekistan aswell.A100-unitcardcosts prepaid out- callingcard,which canbeused big cities)offer Skype. inthe cafés listed inthisbook(atleastthose callsoutofdistance Uzbekistan. Mostinternet a range of cardsgoodfordiscounted long- andvariousstoresPost offices andkioskssell to theUSA1250SandAustralia1750S. most othermajor citiesare: totheUK1150S, the centraltelephone inTashkent offices and is creaky butfunctional.Per-minute callsfrom US$0.03 permessage. International text messages onlycostabout MTS costUS$0.04toUS$0.05perminute. or with mobileoperators Coscom, Beeline toEnglish.Domesticcalls your phonesettings thatwillchangehas English-speakingstaff 38,Tashkent;65; www.coscom.uz;Vokhidova ofThe mainoffice lief itislegitimate forforeigners tobuythese. the cityyouare dialling. you mayunknowinglybewithinthelimitsof work trydiallingthenumberwithnocode– regional work,dropthe code. Ifthatdoesn’t Calling UzbekCalling mobile phonesistrickierand Dialling anothercityisharder. Frommo- A better optionistobuyaVerizon/MCI Uzbekistan’s antiquated telephone system Within Uzbekistan, diallinglocal iseasy– From landlines,dial % dial When callingfrom outside Uzbekistan INCOMING AREACODES seven-digit number. vidual sections (without the vidual sections 8 instead of 3, which outby mayhave phased been +998, thearea inthe indi- codemarked % seven-digit seven-digit % 2); if that doesn’t workdial 2); ifthatdoesn’t Coscom +998; if that still doesn’t +998; ifthatstilldoesn’t . % Charles Rudd Mp pp196-7; (Map 83 followedbythe number (ifthe % lonelyplanet.com % 3), andthe h +998-XX) +998-XX)

( % % 8am-7pm) 139 13 120 72 carrier, you’ddial outside Uzbekistan orfrom anothermobile aCoscomphonefrom To dial,forinstance,

265 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN towards theirfavoured travelagent–donotlistentothem! nationalities require you anLOI.Surlystaffwilldirect twotofivedays. All or paydoubleforarush,whichtakes visacostsUS$30/40/50.Allow12daystoprocess one-month because thisembassyisanightmare. One-week/two-week/ the poororlocalschools. for travellers who are about helping serious Sisters of MotherTeresa, andmayhave ideas yahoo.com) workswiththelocalbranch of guage skills.Mike Humphrey (scout_pmh@ withlan- always have forself-starters aneed do-good groupsthatremain inUzbekistan will portunities inUzbekistan. thefew That said, 2005–2006 putadamperonvolunteeringop- The expulsionof mostWestern NGOs in VOLUNTEERING Turkmenistan Tajikistan Russia Pakistan 266 declarations forms,oneto turninandone be asked tofillout twoidenticalcustoms ing Uzbekistan shouldbenosweat.Youwill As longasyourpapers are inorder,enter- Entering Uzbekistan GETTING THERE&AWAY UZBEKISTAN TRANSPORT IN % the Glass ([email protected]), director of of charities groupsisKevin andvolunteer for thelatest newsonthecomingsandgoings tions withtheWest.Agoodperson tocontact depending onthestate of Uzbekistan’s rela- LOI is recommended but not mandatory. Two-day processing. LOI isrecommended butnotmandatory.Two-day andUS$42forAustralians. An citizens, US$120forAmericans also needtopresent acompleteitinerary. processing(see tothree-day US$90, withone- p439 ). You’ll LOIsandcostUS$45to ist visasrequire difficult-to-obtain Tour- show avisaforanonwardcountry(egAzerbaijan). processing,butwhenyoupickupthevisamust during yourpassport put yournameonawaitinglist.Youcankeep twohoursearlyto US$46; allow10daystoprocess. Arrive rush.Beprepared forlongqueues. same-day for processingandUS$85extra forfive-day $25 extra about US$30toUS$50forEUandAustralian citizens. Pay 10-day processingare aboutUS$70forUScitizensand for visa. Prices confirmation toapplyfora30-daytourist The volunteer situation isboundtochangeThe volunteer 37-191 96 67; www.tashschool.org; Sarikulskaya 38). 37-191 9667;www.tashschool.org;Sarikulskaya Tashkent International School Tashkent International RNPR NUBKSA • GtigTee&Aa INUZBEKISTANTRANSPORT There &Away ••Getting Present original travelvoucherandbooking Present original A 30- or 60-day visa costs about US$72 for EU A30-or60-dayvisacostsaboutUS$72forEU IfatallpossiblegetyourTajik visaelsewhere Five-day transit visas issued without LOI for transitvisasissued withoutLOIfor Five-day Mp pp196-7; (Map airlines flyingto/fromUzbekistan, see p209 . Airways andotherairlines.Forafulllistof book international tickets onUzbekistan osks) scattered aroundmajor citiescanhelp andUrgench.such asSamarkand,Bukhara few fromRussia arrive flights inregional hubs Airport International Uzbekistan willmostlikely occurat If arrivingbyair,yourgrandentranceinto Air concerns. in theTashkent ( section p199 ) forairport Scams especially atlandbordercrossings. See hassled forthemostminordiscrepancies, you bringin;travellers have reported being declare centof every typeof every money Uzbek government. with –official (written) permission from the may require willbeeasier –and in anycase before attempting this bordercrossing,which ( p199 ) or areliable travel agency inTashkent OVIR orotherconcerns.Contact for security beks frequently theirsideof close the border happywiththisarrangement, theUz-seem officials in2005.WhileAfghan tourist traffic wasfinallyopenedto northern Afghanistan The FriendshipBridge linkingTermiz with To/From Afghanistan BORDER CROSSINGS Land international fromUzbekistan. flights your departure season. inhigh with Uzbekistan ortwobefore Airwaysaweek a badideatoreconfirm international tickets cow US$270/429;Paris US$560/760.It’snot furt U US$145/259; DelhiUS$345/460;Frank- US$540/622;BishkekUS$324/375; Bangkok gabat US$170/279;Astana US$230/396; Baku (one way/return) AlmatyUS$185/330;Ash- from Tashkent atthetimeof research were the international terminal. in Tashkent is located ontheground floorof international bookingoffice hubs. Asecond inTashkenting offices ( p208 ) andallregional your departure, so don’t lose it. Be sureyour departure, to it.Be sodon’tlose changing travellers cheques and willsmooth parture). for Thecustomsformisnecessary to keep (which willbehandedinuponde- The numerous Sample fares on Uzbekistan Airwaysto/ Uzbekistan Airwayshasconvenient book- There isnodeparture fordomesticor tax S$560/755; LondonUS$560/780;Mos- aviakassa

( % 37-40 2801,VIP37-548648). (private ticket ki- lonelyplanet.com Tashkent A they have becomemore strictsincethe Andi- crossings are generally hassle-free, although AndijonandJalal-Abad).(between These AndijonandOsh;between andKhanabad (northeast of Namangan);Dustlyk(Dostyk), that are opentoforeigners are atUchkurgan The onlybordercrossingsintoKyrgyzstan To/From Kyrgyzstan leave at7.40am(10hours). to Beyneu border crossing.ThedailytrainsfromKungrad in Kungrad,agood225kmsoutheastof the from Kazakhstan, see p184 . Uzbek customsis more informationoncrossingintoUzbekistan onthiscrossingand Kazakhstan. Forfulldetails inwestern Karakalpakstan andBeyneu tween hours) thatoriginates inNukus. a TuesdayTashkent–Almaty train(55,000S,25 orShymkentto Turkistan (US$4).There isalso side,pickupasharedzakh ormarshrutka taxi open 7amto9pm(Tashkent time).OntheKa- of aseries checkthrough posts.Theborderis Bazaar. You’llhave towalkthefinal200m shared ormarshrutka taxi fromYunusabadsky central Tashkent, oryoucantake acheaper the Kazakh side. of corruptiononbothsides,butespecially on bothsidesof theborder. There are reports fee tooneof the‘facilitators’ hangingabout be worthpayingaUS$10toUS$15fast-track waits of uptosixhours. Ifitlooksbadmay lers report others breezing through, report a chaotic, unpredictable border;sometravel- Tashkent andShymkent. Byallaccountsthisis crossingbetween common istheChernyaevka are justtwomainplacestocross.Themore Despite theirvery longcommonborderthere To/From Kazakhstan ridetoMazar-e-Sharif.about aUS$10taxi sideyou’retown. FromtheAfghan lookingat 20 minutes). Thebridge is10kmsouthof marshrutka (200S, 21fromYubilenyBazaar lonelyplanet.com (US$8, 12 hours) pass through a long section (US$8, 12 hours) alongsection pass through the othersidefor theshorttriptoOsh. the borderandpick uppublictransporton Andijon toDustlyk (see p222 ), walkacross the Osh crossing.Take amarshrutka from of anycrossing youtake. Mosttravellers use areminibuses plentifulonthe Kyrgyz side jon incidentinMay 2005.Shared and taxis It’s a6000Scabridetotheborderfrom To get totheborderfrom Termiz, take Thrice-daily Tashkent–Bishkek buses The othercrossingisbytrainorroadbe- TRANSPORT INUZBEKISTAN TRANSPORT There &Away ••Getting bodom, see bodom, see p396 . minutes andcostsUS$10. fromTursanzade toDushanbe takesa taxi 45 Sariosiyo (5000S, fourhours). InTajikistan, and amorningtraintotheborder townof to Denau(departingfromYubileney Bazaar) From Termiz, there are regular marshrutkas Termiz. (25,000S)donotgothrough Bukhara 20,000S)and from Samarkand(perseat taxis making thetripfromeachtaxis city. Shared with regularhour drive fromBukhara, shared a five-hour drive fromSamarkand,orasix- yourpassport. to stamp may have toremind theTajik borderguards US$2) forthe22kmridetoPenjikent. You and pickupashared (perseat orordinarytaxi (1500S, 45minutes). Walkacrosstheborder regularly stopinSamarkand fromtheRegistan Marshrutkas tothePenjikent borderdepart Samarkand–Penjikent andDenau–Tursanzade. US$30. Tashkentbetween andOybekcostsabout a minibustoKhojand. Anordinarytaxi (5TJS)andthen tonearbyBostan or ataxi toKhojand (US$10)the bordertake ataxi post isvisiblefromtheroad.Onceacross nearChanakvillage.of Theborder Bekobod, 2500/5000S,1½hours), about35kmshyseat and get atOybek(marshrutka/taxi off per toBekobod shared fromQoylokBazaar taxi border fromTashkent take amarshrutka or take aTajik Toget domesticflight. tothis pain-free Oybekbordercrossingandthen kent toDushanbedrive viathe toKhojand Most travellers fromTash- makingabeeline To/From Tajikistan via Kazakhstan. and southernRussia(Saratov orUfa) thatgo at 11.35pm. US$130/200). Thereturn trainleaves Tashkent 66 hours later (hardsleeper/soft sleeper parts at7.35pm,arrivinginTashkent about trainde- From Moscow,athrice-weekly To/From Russia left. Kazakhstan’, Tashkent. ‘To/From Formore informationsee of bordercrossingnorthof theChernyaevka You mustcatch thisbusontheKazakh side of atransitvisa. Kazakhstan andyouwillneed Denau isatwo-hourdrive fromTermiz, The othermainbordercrossingsare There are Tashkent alsodailytrainsbetween For info on getting to Khojand viaKoni-

267 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN towards theirfavoured travelagent–donotlistentothem! nationalities require you anLOI.Surlystaffwilldirect twotofivedays. All or paydoubleforarush,whichtakes visacostsUS$30/40/50.Allow12daystoprocess one-month because thisembassyisanightmare. One-week/two-week/ declarations forms,oneto turninandone be asked tofillout twoidenticalcustoms ing Uzbekistan shouldbenosweat.Youwill As longasyourpapers are inorder,enter- Entering Uzbekistan GETTING THERE&AWAY UZBEKISTAN TRANSPORT IN % the Glass ([email protected]), director of of charities groupsisKevin andvolunteer for thelatest newsonthecomingsandgoings tions withtheWest.Agoodperson tocontact depending onthestate of Uzbekistan’s rela- the poororlocalschools. for travellers who are about helping serious Sisters of MotherTeresa, andmayhave ideas yahoo.com) workswiththelocalbranch of guage skills.Mike Humphrey (scout_pmh@ withlan- always have forself-starters aneed do-good groupsthatremain inUzbekistan will portunities inUzbekistan. thefew That said, 2005–2006 putadamperonvolunteeringop- The expulsionof mostWestern NGOs in VOLUNTEERING Turkmenistan Tajikistan Russia Pakistan 266 LOI is recommended but not mandatory. Two-day processing. LOI isrecommended butnotmandatory.Two-day andUS$42forAustralians. An citizens, US$120forAmericans also needtopresent acompleteitinerary. processing(see tothree-day US$90, withone- p439 ). You’ll LOIsandcostUS$45to ist visasrequire difficult-to-obtain Tour- show avisaforanonwardcountry(egAzerbaijan). processing,butwhenyoupickupthevisamust during yourpassport put yournameonawaitinglist.Youcankeep twohoursearlyto US$46; allow10daystoprocess. Arrive rush.Beprepared forlongqueues. same-day for processingandUS$85extra forfive-day $25 extra about US$30toUS$50forEUandAustralian citizens. Pay 10-day processingare aboutUS$70forUScitizensand for visa. Prices confirmation toapplyfora30-daytourist The volunteer situation isboundtochangeThe volunteer 37-191 96 67; www.tashschool.org; Sarikulskaya 38). 37-191 9667;www.tashschool.org;Sarikulskaya Tashkent International School Tashkent International RNPR NUBKSA • GtigTee&Aa INUZBEKISTANTRANSPORT There &Away ••Getting Present original travelvoucherandbooking Present original A 30- or 60-day visa costs about US$72 for EU A30-or60-dayvisacostsaboutUS$72forEU IfatallpossiblegetyourTajik visaelsewhere Five-day transit visas issued without LOI for transitvisasissued withoutLOIfor Five-day Mp pp196-7; (Map Uzbek government. with –official (written) permission from the may require willbeeasier –and in anycase before attempting this bordercrossing,which ( p199 ) or areliable travel agency inTashkent OVIR orotherconcerns.Contact for security beks frequently theirsideof close the border happywiththisarrangement, theUz-seem officials in2005.WhileAfghan tourist traffic wasfinallyopenedto northern Afghanistan The FriendshipBridge linkingTermiz with To/From Afghanistan BORDER CROSSINGS Land international fromUzbekistan. flights your departure season. inhigh with Uzbekistan ortwobefore Airwaysaweek a badideatoreconfirm international tickets cow US$270/429;Paris US$560/760.It’snot furt U US$145/259; DelhiUS$345/460;Frank- US$540/622;BishkekUS$324/375; Bangkok gabat US$170/279;Astana US$230/396; Baku (one way/return) AlmatyUS$185/330;Ash- from Tashkent atthetimeof research were the international terminal. in Tashkent is located ontheground floorof international bookingoffice hubs. Asecond inTashkenting offices ( p208 ) andallregional airlines flyingto/fromUzbekistan, see p209 . Airways andotherairlines.Forafulllistof book international tickets onUzbekistan osks) scattered aroundmajor citiescanhelp andUrgench.such asSamarkand,Bukhara few fromRussia arrive flights inregional hubs Airport International Uzbekistan willmostlikely occurat If arrivingbyair,yourgrandentranceinto Air concerns. in theTashkent ( section p199 ) forairport Scams especially atlandbordercrossings. See hassled forthemostminordiscrepancies, you bringin;travellers have reported being declare centof every typeof every money your departure, so don’t lose it. Be sureyour departure, to it.Be sodon’tlose changing travellers cheques and willsmooth parture). for Thecustomsformisnecessary to keep (which willbehandedinuponde- Sample fares on Uzbekistan Airwaysto/ The numerous There isnodeparture fordomesticor tax Uzbekistan Airwayshasconvenient book- S$560/755; LondonUS$560/780;Mos- aviakassa

267 UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN ride totheKonye-Urgench bordercross- the bazaar. of Gate; inUrgench theEast theyleave from to Shovot leave about 100meast fromastand there shared forabout 3000S.InKhiva, taxis ormarshrutkataxi toShovot andcatch ataxi ternatively, youcantake acheaper shared ridetoDashogus.Al- it’s ashort, US$1taxi 15,000S tohire acartotheborder,fromwhere and 2pm. 1pm forlunchder crossingcloses between minute drive. Readers report thatthisbor- should costyouaroundUS$0.50forthe40- shared fromthere taxi toTurkmenabat to hire yourowncarforabout2000S.A short of theborder,fromwhere you’llhave toOlot(orQarakol),about 7km Bazaar (1000S) make thetripfromKolkhozny 2000S,40minutes) andmarshrutkasseat 20 minutes across no-man’s-land. requires apotentially sweltering walkof 10to dollars crossing and youneed forthis.Each (US$10entrancefee, US$2bankcharge)stan You have topayUS$12enter Turkmeni- Khiva/Urgenchfrom Bukhara, andNukus. The three mainborderpointsare reached To/From Turkmenistan works too. for alater date andflyingstand-by often should free Buyingaticket upablocked seat. agent ortouts onthestreet) of US$5to US$20 payinga‘finder’sfee’ (totheticketthat case, theplaneisfull.In Airways willusuallysay fewer thanthree daysinadvance,Uzbekistan if nottoeach other(see p208 ). Ifyoubook to/fromTashkent, bydomesticflights served Most routes along thetouristtrailare well- Air GETTING AROUND p396). see (US$0.75). pick upashared toKonye-Urgench taxi you’ve walked across theborder youcan 1000S).OnceHojeli totheborder(perseat Hojeli (see p260 ) andtake ashared from taxi ing. Alternatively, take publictransportto 268 From Bukhara, regularFrom Bukhara, shared (per taxis For information on exiting Turkmenistan, For informationonexitingTurkmenistan, orUrgenchFrom Khiva itcostsabout From Nukusit’sabout a10,000S,30km RNPR NUBKSA • GtigAon INUZBEKISTANTRANSPORT Around ••Getting for bribes.There are nocar-rental agencies. In copsfishinglots of randomstopsandtraffic rience anywhere intheformerSoviet Union: pared kindof forthesame hasslesyou’llexpe- pre-a validinternational drivinglicence. Be have insurancefromyourhomecountryand Driving yourowncarispossible,provided you Car thetwotypesinthischapter.between For simplicity’ssake, wedonotdistinguish Daewoo Damasminvans. vans, orseven-seat and transportingcargo andcontraband. touts are preoccupied withover-selling seats butcanbeslowasdriverscomfortable, and leave whenfull.Theyare newerandmore thatdonotkeepprivate schedules buses and from Uzbek roads,undercutbyaboomin areClapped-out state buses fastdisappearing Bus &Marshrutka compartments available. and sometimesdirt-cheap skartny Sovietate butcomfortable variety,with couple daysinadvance,astheyare popular. anda taxi areseating, notmuch slowerthanashared withairplane-style Samarkand andBukhara, commuterTashkent, trainsbetween speed’ thenew‘high- intercity transport.Thatsaid, and safest, ifhardly the fastest, methodof Trains are perhapsthemostcomfortable Trains and explore butobviouslycostmore money. give tips. Ordinarytaxis youthefreedom tostop and onholidays.See p472 formore shared-taxi increasing onweekends towardstheevening, fluctuate theday/week/month/year, throughout run alldayandoften Prices thenight. through –and locations –usuallyfromnearbusstations border points.Theyleave whenfullfromset intercity routes andalsocongregate atmost more Theyplyallthemain costlythanbuses. Shared save taxis tonsof timebutare of course Shared &OrdinaryTaxi beltsareseat notatallrequired. Uzbekistan, motoristsdrive and ontheright Marshrutkas take theformof 11-to14-seat Other long-haultrainsare of thedeliber- (hard sleeper), (hard sleeper), lot more comfortable. Bookthema kupeyny obshy lonelyplanet.com (soft sleeper) (general) plat- www.lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake

© LonelyPlanetPublications 269 UZBEKISTAN works too. for alater date andflyingstand-by often should free Buyingaticket upablocked seat. agent ortouts onthestreet) of US$5to US$20 payinga‘finder’sfee’ (totheticketthat case, theplaneisfull.In Airways willusuallysay fewer thanthree daysinadvance,Uzbekistan if nottoeach other(see p208 ). Ifyoubook to/fromTashkent, bydomesticflights served Most routes along thetouristtrailare well- Air GETTING AROUND p396). see (US$0.75). pick upashared toKonye-Urgench taxi you’ve walked across theborder youcan 1000S).OnceHojeli totheborder(perseat Hojeli (see p260 ) andtake ashared from taxi ing. Alternatively, take publictransportto ride totheKonye-Urgench bordercross- the bazaar. of Gate; inUrgench theEast theyleave from to Shovot leave about 100meast fromastand there shared forabout 3000S.InKhiva, taxis ormarshrutkataxi toShovot andcatch ataxi ternatively, youcantake acheaper shared ridetoDashogus.Al- it’s ashort, US$1taxi 15,000S tohire acartotheborder,fromwhere and 2pm. 1pm forlunchder crossingcloses between minute drive. Readers report thatthisbor- should costyouaroundUS$0.50forthe40- shared fromthere taxi toTurkmenabat to hire yourowncarforabout2000S.A short of theborder,fromwhere you’llhave toOlot(orQarakol),about 7km Bazaar (1000S) make thetripfromKolkhozny 2000S,40minutes) andmarshrutkasseat 20 minutes across no-man’s-land. requires apotentially sweltering walkof 10to dollars crossing and youneed forthis.Each (US$10entrancefee, US$2bankcharge)stan You have topayUS$12enter Turkmeni- Khiva/Urgenchfrom Bukhara, andNukus. The three mainborderpointsare reached To/From Turkmenistan 268 For information on exiting Turkmenistan, For informationonexitingTurkmenistan, orUrgenchFrom Khiva itcostsabout regularFrom Bukhara, shared (per taxis From Nukusit’sabout a10,000S,30km RNPR NUBKSA • GtigAon INUZBEKISTANTRANSPORT Around ••Getting compartments available. and sometimesdirt-cheap skartny Sovietate butcomfortable variety,with couple daysinadvance,astheyare popular. anda taxi areseating, notmuch slowerthanashared withairplane-style Samarkand andBukhara, commuterTashkent, trainsbetween speed’ thenew‘high- intercity transport.Thatsaid, and safest, ifhardly the fastest, methodof Trains are perhapsthemostcomfortable Trains and explore butobviouslycostmore money. give tips. Ordinarytaxis youthefreedom tostop and onholidays.See p472 formore shared-taxi increasing onweekends towardstheevening, fluctuate theday/week/month/year, throughout run alldayandoften Prices thenight. through –and locations –usuallyfromnearbusstations border points.Theyleave whenfullfromset intercity routes andalsocongregate atmost more Theyplyallthemain costlythanbuses. Shared save taxis tonsof timebutare of course Shared &OrdinaryTaxi beltsareseat notatallrequired. Uzbekistan, motoristsdrive and ontheright for bribes.There are nocar-rental agencies. In copsfishinglots of randomstopsandtraffic rience anywhere intheformerSoviet Union: pared kindof forthesame hasslesyou’llexpe- pre-a validinternational drivinglicence. Be have insurancefromyourhomecountryand Driving yourowncarispossible,provided you Car thetwotypesinthischapter.between For simplicity’ssake, wedonotdistinguish Daewoo Damasminvans. vans, orseven-seat and transportingcargo andcontraband. touts are preoccupied withover-selling seats butcanbeslowasdriverscomfortable, and leave whenfull.Theyare newerandmore thatdonotkeepprivate schedules buses and from Uzbek roads,undercutbyaboomin areClapped-out state buses fastdisappearing Bus &Marshrutka Marshrutkas take theformof 11-to14-seat Other long-haultrainsare of thedeliber- (hard sleeper), (hard sleeper), lot more comfortable. Bookthema kupeyny obshy lonelyplanet.com (soft sleeper) (general) plat- www.lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake