Country book · Asia

Uzbekistan

Turquoise domes on the ancient Silk Road

Uzbekistan holds the Silk Road's most breathtaking cities — Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva — where turquoise-tiled madrasas still glow at sunset exactly as they did for medieval traders. It's a country where hospitality, bread and centuries of craftsmanship remain proudly, visibly alive.

Myths

What's true, what isn't

Actually true

Samarkand's Registan is genuinely one of the world's great squares
Three monumental 15th–17th century madrasas face each other, covered in turquoise and gold mosaic tilework.
Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly landlocked countries
Along with Liechtenstein, it's surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries.
Bread is treated with near-sacred respect
Round non bread is never placed upside down or thrown away, and it's customary to break it by hand, not cut it with a knife.
The country has an extraordinary concentration of Islamic architecture
Bukhara and Khiva's old cities, both UNESCO-listed, preserve entire medieval Islamic urban centers largely intact.

Commonly believed, wrong

"Uzbekistan is basically Russia's steppe"
It has its own Turkic language, ancient Persian-influenced culture and Silk Road heritage predating Russian involvement by a millennium.
"It's just desert with nothing to see"
The Fergana Valley is lush and fertile, and the Tian Shan foothills offer green mountain scenery near Tashkent.
"It's closed off and hard to visit"
Uzbekistan has dramatically opened to tourism since 2016, with visa-free access for many nationalities and rapidly growing infrastructure.
"All Central Asian cities look the same"
Samarkand's Timurid grandeur, Bukhara's maze-like old town and Khiva's compact walled city each have a wholly distinct character.

Highlights

The best of Uzbekistan

The Registan, Samarkand

Three towering madrasas covered in turquoise mosaic tilework facing a central square.

Bukhara's old city

A living medieval town of minarets, madrasas and covered bazaars.

Khiva's walled inner city

Itchan Kala, a compact open-air museum of blue-tiled mosques and palaces.

The Fergana Valley

Fertile farmland and traditional craft towns like Rishtan, famous for ceramics.

Culture

Cultural riches

Silk Road caravanserai heritage

Trading posts across Uzbekistan once linked China to the Mediterranean.

Suzani embroidery

Large hand-embroidered textiles with sun and floral motifs, traditionally part of a bride's dowry.

Ceramic traditions

Rishtan and Gijduvan pottery towns produce distinctive blue-and-turquoise glazed ceramics by hand.

Hospitality and bread rituals

Guests are seated at the head of the table, and every meal begins and ends with bread and tea.

Food

What to eat

Plov (osh)

Rice cooked with carrots, meat and cumin in a giant kazan pot, often for large gatherings.

Non bread

Round tandoor-baked bread stamped with decorative patterns, central to every meal.

Shashlik

Skewered grilled lamb or beef, marinated and cooked over open coals.

Samsa

Baked pastry filled with meat, onion and fat, cooked in a tandoor oven.

Lagman

Hand-pulled noodles in a spiced meat and vegetable broth, a Silk Road staple.

History

Important people in history

Amir Timur (Tamerlane)

1336 — 1405

Founder of the Timurid Empire, made Samarkand his glittering capital and a center of art and science.

Ulugh Beg

1394 — 1449

Timurid ruler and astronomer whose Samarkand observatory produced remarkably accurate star charts.

Islam Karimov

1938 — 2016

First president of independent Uzbekistan, led the country from 1991 until his death in 2016.

Cities