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TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN

Destination Overview

Tashkent is the capital city of Uzbekistan. It’s known for its many museums and its mix of modern and Soviet-era architecture. The Amir Timur Museum houses manuscripts, weapons and other relics from the Timurid dynasty. Nearby, the huge State Museum of History of Uzbekistan has centuries-old Buddhist artifacts. The city’s skyline is distinguished by Tashkent Tower, which offers city views from its observation deck.

Attractions in Tashkent

Tashkent T.V. Tower

The Tashkent Television Tower is a 375-metre-high tower, located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and is the 11th tallest tower in the world.

Construction started in 1978 and it began operation 6 years later, on 15 January 1985. It was the 4rd tallest tower in the world from 1985 to 1991. The tower’s foyer was decorated with mosaic panels of semi-precious stones, marble and metal in the style of Florentine and Roman mosaics. There are 2 revolving restaurants at the center (97 m up) of tower and serve awful food.

Kukeldash Madrasah

Kukeldash Madrasah is a medieval madrasa in Tashkent, located close to Chorsu Bazaar and Chorsu Metro station. It was built around 1570 by the Shaybanid Dynasty of rulers.

The madrasah is built of yellow brick, and has a traditional square shape with a big portal and an inner yard. The walls around the inner yard contain cells inhabited by the students. The portal is 20 metres high and contains two towers at its sides. In 1830-1831 the first floor of the madrasah was demolished, and the bricks were used to build the nearby Beklarbegi Madrasah. It was later restored.

The madrasah was damaged by the earthquake in 1868 and subsequently reconstructed in 1902-1903. It was reconstructed again in the 1950s and became one of only several religious buildings which survived the 1966 Tashkent earthquake. The madrasah was converted into a caravanserai in the 18th century, then it served as a fortress. In the 20th century it was a museum, first of atheism, and later of folk music. In the 1990s, the building was made a madrasah again.

Amir Timur Museum

The city of Tashkent is quite famous for its cultural relevance and has a large number of museums. Named after the Mongol emperor, Timur.

The Amir Timur Museum in Tashkent is home to more than 5,000 exhibits of heirloom which represent the culture and history of the Timurid Dynasty. Only in the year 1996, it was inaugurated in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent.

An interesting fact about the Museum is that it is deliberately constructed to replicate the Gur-e Amir mausoleum in Samarkand. And no one knows why! It is among the top sightseeing places in the city and is mostly filled with tourists from around the world.

The specialty of the museum includes archaeological, ethnographic and numismatic materials, ornaments, military ammunition and many other items that belong to the period of Amir Temur’s vast empire. One can also get to see valuable historic documents which was held by the famous emperor. There are many type of different jewelries, military items, clothing items, musical instruments and much more in the museum.

Gulkam Canyon ,Chimgan

Gulkam Canyon is a stunning natural sight in one of the gorges of the Greater Chimgan Mountains. It was created when, over a period of a million years, the waters of a small mountain river, Gulkamsay, carved a long, narrow canyon with cliffs reaching up hundreds of feet.

The canyon walls are so high that the sun only reaches the bottom of canyon at midday. This beautiful place is visited regularly by lovers of mountain scenery and adventure. Some visitors stay overnight near the entrance to the canyon, but a one-day tour from Tashkent is also possible.

The path through the canyon starts between Chimgan village and the tourist camp (called Turbaza by locals), before continuing towards the Pesochniy (Sandy) Pass (1,820m), which offers a magnificent view of the Chimgan Mountains. It then descends to the gorge of the Gulkamsay River. This section of the route can be done in two hours and requires a reasonable level of physical fitness and stamina. From its entrance, Gulkam Canyon may not look that exciting, with only a small river between two cliffs. But as you continue into the canyon you’ll come to a large boulder from which you can see a beautiful 10m-high waterfall.

You can only reach the bottom of the waterfall from the ledge of the cliff on the left and will need to use a rope unless you’re skilled at rock climbing. After climbing down an almost vertical slope you’ll find several pools. To avoid getting wet, there is a safety railing, and visitors walk along the rocks and ledges. Although this part of the route is quite short, it will be one of the highlights of your visit.

Navigating the last part with the help of the rope, you’ll see on the rock a memorial that reminds visitors that mountains do not forgive mistakes. In 2006, a mudflow tragically trapped and killed several tourists when they decided to visit the canyon during a season of heavy rains. Therefore, if you’re planning to visit the canyon, you should check the weather forecast first. After this extreme part, the Gulkam Canyon stretches further for several hundred metres before the cliffs diverge. At this point, you’ll find yourself among a few small hills with the Charvak Reservoir behind them.

Chorsu Bazaar

After the conquest of Tashkent by Russians in 1865 large construction works started in the city that divided it to New and Old parts along the narrow and fast city canal. The Old City is literally older by about a thousand years than its new neighbor, and preserved many Central Asian antiquities with iwans and minarets, and its center is not a square, but the great bazaar of Chorsu.

Long before the Russians came Tashkent was some kind of confederation of 4 independent daha (cities) that had a common fortified wall of 12 gates and the center – ancient but still existing and functioning Chorsu bazaar. Each daha/ city was governed by its own hokim (mayor), whose meetings were called Chorhakim (4 mayors) where they discussed common issues of confederation.

That is why sometimes that period of Tashkent is called the Republic of Four Hakims. Sometimes daha fought each other, calling for outside help Kazakhs, the Dzungar or the Uzbeks. In 1784, Yunuskhodzha, the ruler of Sheikhantaur, took power over the whole city, downgrading the rest of hakims to the role of advisers. Though not the centre of the city as it used to be before, Chorsu bazaar is still heart of Tashkent and its major landmark. This is how the market looks now from the hill of the Juma mosque, where in 819 the Arab governor Yahya ibn Assad began construction of the first Tashkent Urda (citadel), destroyed later by the Mongols and restored in a few decades in the same place. The view is towards north, on top of the neighboring hill is the blue dome of Chorsu.

Chorsu Bazaar is a blue-domed building which is famous for its traditional market. From clothes to trinkets – the bazaar offers a host of articles for tourists and locals, equally. Make sure to visit the Kukeldash Madrasah which is present at the end of the bazaar which is definitely one of the top places to visit in Uzbekistan.

Activities in Uzbekistan

Chair Lift at Chimgan Mountains

We would like to offer you unforgettable adventure in the Chimgan Mountains. Marvellous and stunning mountain area of the Western Tien-Shan and Charvak water reservoir is breath taking and fascinates every visitor.

En-route to Chimgan, guest will enjoy the picturesque views of beautiful mountains and the of local people. Take a ride on chair lift going up to gorge to Kumbel peak (about 2400 m), where the longest Ski track in Uzbekistan has it’s start.

Guest will also enjoy a walk in mountain area and the picturesque views of mountain peak.

Paraglider Flight

Adrenaline in Tashkent Mountains – with a paraglider, you actually fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air.

If guest want something unusual then this activity is for him/her. With the professional team guest can enjoy the amazing beauty of the Charvak mountains and reservoirs from the sky. All our pilots are certified and professionals with more than 15 years of experience who will create a good tandem for guest and they can enjoy the amazing mountain landscape and the view of the reservoir from the sky. And of course get unforgettable impressions and adrenaline from the flight.

Skiing At Chimgan

The slopes of Chimgan mountain call out to adventure enthusiasts. This place is a popular ski resort of Uzbekistan during winter time, and is a haven for trekkers and rock climbers in summer. Located at 80 km from Tashkent, Greater Chimgan at 3309 m is its highest peak. As you take the trek to this mountain, you will be awestruck with the picturesque views of nature that surround this place. Fir-tree forests, apple-trees, dog rose bushes, gushing rivers, shimmering lakes and waterfalls dot the landscape.

Capture the beautiful sceneries and wonderful moments that you spend during this outdoor expedition. For the more adventurous, there is rock climbing, horse riding and even para-gliding. If you are here in winters, you can enjoy toboggan and snowboarding, besides skiing on the lovely slopes. So make sure this destination is on your must-go list when you are in Tashkent.