Uzbekistan 1) Top places to visit: Registan Square, Samarkand During centuries Registan Square was the center of Samarkand. The word Registan means “sand place”. Registan ensemble consists of three Madrassah: Ulugbek Madrassah, Sher – Dor Madrassah and Tilla-Kari Madrassah (gold covered). Ulugbek Madrassah was built by the Ulugbek’s order and guidance. Two years later, the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bahadur ordered to build the copy of the Madrassah, and the second Sher-Dor Madrassah was built opposite it. The only difference was that it had two more winter teaching halls, but the main structure was the same as in Ulugbek Madrassah. Several years later, the same ruler of Samarkand ordered the third Tilla-Kari Madrassah. It’s outward is the same as those two other madrassah, but coming in you will see a one story building. Only Tilla-Kari Madrassah was built like madrassah, but was used mostly as mosque; just looking at minarets can see this, Tilla-Kari has low minarets to call people to pray. In 17th century Till-Kari mosque and Madrassah was the biggest mosque in Samarkand. Right up to 19th century Madrassah and Madrassah-mosque was used by purpose, and only from the beginning of 20th century till now they serve as monuments. Poets, historians, medieval geographers of Iran, India, China, Byzantium, Egypt called Samarkand. “Eden of Ancient East”, “Precious Pearl of Islamic World”, “Rome of East” and other such magnificent names. Even though of such magnificent description Samarkand saw many sites of fire and destructions, which left their sign in history. During centuries Samarkand was aggressed by different nomadic and half nomadic people, which often were destroying, sacking, and leaving ruins after them. 1 Bazaars in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara Whichever cities you visit while you are in Uzbekistan, ensure that you spend an evening at the bazaar. The hub of social and economic life, bazaars have the hum, the buzz and the bristling bustle of Uzbek life like no other venue. Amidst swathes of slinky silks, mountains of luscious fruits and stacks of exquisite carpets and colourful rugs, over endless cups of tea at the chaikhanas, men and women meet to share the day’s gossip in merry camaraderie. The Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent, the main bazaar near the Bibi Khanym mosque at Samarkand andthe ancient domed bazaars of Bukhara all have that vibrancy. Sarmish-Say The best examples of petroglyphs of all epochs are concentrated in the picturesque canyon, that has rather limited conditions for the building of settlements, but is most suitable for the rock art activity and, probably, for the collective rituals. Also, there are single petroglyphs and simple compositions of the common contents (depictions of animals and scenes of hunting) found on separate stones near the sources of water, along the transit mountain routes and on the top of hills or mountains dominating there. Nevertheless, despite the high concentration of petroglyphs and other monuments within the complex, the landscape to a considerable degree kept its desert virgin character. In addition to the petroglyphs, there is a cave used by primitive people. Many complicated paths connect rooms located under ground, which was an ideal place to stay cool during the hot summer days and warm during cold winter nights. 2 Complex of Sultan Saodat – Termez The cult-memorial complex of Sultan Saodat was developed during the period of 11-17th centuries at the graves of the Termez sayyids. It had a number of cult structures added at different times: mausoleums, mosques and khanagoh, built on the perimeter of an elongated courtyard with a combination of integral and short compositions. The most ancient part was a three-part frontal opening the south west part of the complex to the courtyard side. Here are located two large single- chambered, square-domed mausoleums. They are joined with an aperture terrace with a mihrab placed between them, which were used as a funeral prayer mosque. Researchers have dated this ancient group to the 11-12th c. or the middle of 11th c. Museum of Applied Arts,Tashkent Uzbekistan has museums in plenty, theatre, the opera and ballet flourish; it’s emporiums stock ware from various regions of Uzbekistan. Don’t miss the Museum of Applied Arts where crafts from all over Uzbekistan are displayed in quiet rooms with muted lighting. 3 Poi-Kalan Ensemble, Bukhara It is the main ensemble in Bukhara center, situated on the way to trade crossing of "four bazars" and Poi-Kalan means “the pedestal of the Great” (it means “the pedestal of Kalan minaret”). Ensemble consists of 4 monuments: Kalan mosque and Mir-Arab Madrassah – faced to each other with main fronts; between them is Kalan minaret; to the south of Mir-Arab there is small Amir- Allimkhan Madrassah. Labi Hauz Plaza, Bukhara Labi Hauz, meaning "by the pond", is the centerpiece of a magnificent architectural ensemble in Bukhara, created during the 16-17th centuries. It consists of Kukeldash Madrassah and a khanaga built by Nadir Divan-Beghi. 4 Yunus-khan Mausoleum, Tashkent Besides Shayhantaur ensemble on the Navoi Avenue there is the mausoleum of the poet, writer and grandfather of great Babur and Tashkent ruler, Yunuskhan (1415 - 1487). The T-shaped monument is situated on the territory of Shayhantaur cemetery. The main south façade has portal with low wings; on the facade, as in the corners of cruciform hall with north-ledge half-octagon niche, there are two-storied hudjras. The hall is opened with doorways on three sides, covered with spheroconical domes on cross archs; twostoried hudjras are covered with cupolas on the multi-row thyroid pendentives. The outer dome hall was reconstructed in 1970. The wooden windows are decorated with ganch, there are fragments of ganch girikh (a geometrical ornament) on the archs and mukannas- stalactites (decorative ganch arrangement of cupolas) in the hall. Museum of Fine Arts, Tashkent The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the oldest in Uzbekistan and has one of the richest collections of art in all of Central Asia. 5 Shakhi-Zinda, Samarkand On the south-east slope of Afrosiab is situated one of the notable architectural ensembles of Samarkand, Shakhi-Zinda necropolis. It consists of 11 mausoleums, built gradually during 14- 15th centuries in series. Entrance portal Shakhi-Zinda completing all ensembles is the latest construction. The entire ensemble is divided into three parts: Entrance chartak (consisting of Hudjras, summer mosque, Davlyat Kushbegi mosque amd mausoleum that had for a long time the name Kazi- Zade Rum), Middle chartak (consisting of mausoleums Emir- Zade, Emir-Husein, Shadi-Mulk, Shirin-Bibi-aka, Octahedron, Usto Ali, Burunduk, Hudjra, Kusama ibn- Abbasa mosque, Ziarathani and Kusam ibn-Abbas mausoleum and upper chartak (consisting of Tuman-aka mosque, Tuman-aka mausoleum, nameless mausoleum 1360-1361, Hodja Ahmad mausoleum.) Ichon Qala, Khiva The Ichon Qala historical center constitutes the main tourist attraction point of Khiva. The Buildings are decorated with with majolica tiles and paintings of scenes from nature. Among the monuments are the Kunya-Ark citadel, the Tosh-Khovli Palace and the residence of the Khan, which have been preserved intact along with its ornate gates. 6 2) Best time to visit Uzbekistan: Large areas of Uzbekistan are desert. Summer is long, hot and dry; spring is mild and rainy; autumn has light frosts and rains; and winter, although short, is unstable with snow and temperatures below freezing. From June to August average afternoon temperatures hit 32°C or higher. The average annual maximum temperature is 40°C in June. Most rain falls in March and April. The summer furnace of 35°C days lasts 40 days from mid-July to the end of August. The worst of winter lasts 40 days from Christmas to the first week of February. For our purposes, the high season is spring (mid-March to the end of May) and autumn (September to the beginning of November). Summer is from June to August, and winter is from December to February. 7 .