History of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a bright and inspiring country of the East.  A rich architectural heritage, a mass of historical monuments, colorful bazaars, generous nature that is carefully protected in protected parks - this is all that everyone can see in Uzbekistan, even without having a solid budget.  It is simply unrealistic to count all the interesting sights of Uzbekistan, but you should definitely visit at least the main ones, which will be discussed further in this article.  Uzbekistan is divided into several regions, each of which keeps a lot of its unique attractions.  But every tourist, as a rule, is faced with the need to "fit" all the memorable places in the limited time allotted for travel and acquaintance with the country, often even have to choose what to see in Uzbekistan in 1 day.  It is to simplify the selection process and competent planning of a future trip that this rating was compiled.  The survey begins with the capital of the country, Tashkent, which is one of the five largest cities in the CIS in terms of population.  Historical buildings, ancient mosques are hidden among tall modern buildings, and modern shopping centers alternate with traditional oriental bazaars and markets.  It is worth noting that many of the old buildings were restored - in 1966, a powerful earthquake partially destroyed them, and the appearance of the renovated city has changed significantly since then.  The city of Samarkand is famous for its amazingly long history - it is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded 8 centuries before the beginning of our era.  Once this city was the most important point connecting East and West, and the Great Silk Road passed through Samarkand.  Therefore, here, like nowhere else, a huge number of cultural and historical monuments have been preserved - such as mausoleums, museums, mosques, ruins of ancient settlements and much more.  The best sights of Uzbekistan should certainly be complemented by one more historical place - the Registan Square, which has existed for more than 6 centuries.  Some buildings that are located on the square have been preserved here in their original form since the moment of their construction.  Special attention should be paid to the complex of three madrasahs - schools built in the Middle Ages, faced with mosaics in the traditional national style.  The square itself was paved with cobblestones and burnt bricks at the end of the 19th century.  Another decoration of Samarkand is the Bibi-Khanum mosque, a sacred monument of the 15th century.  It is believed that the mosque was erected by order of Khan Tamerlane, who returned from India with a triumphant victory.  The great commander wanted to erect a lifetime monument, testifying to his victories.  In total, about 7 hundred people participated in the construction, including a huge number of craftsmen from other Asian countries.  To this day, despite numerous earthquakes, the mosque was able to preserve its original grandeur and beauty, this was facilitated by the large-scale restoration work that was carried out here for 35 years, starting in 1968.  The following recommendations will concern another ancient city founded 2.5 thousand years ago.  Bukhara is a real city-museum: every building in it is a landmark, a real exhibit.  Ancient mosques, citadels, mausoleums, madrasahs, monuments - all this can be visited, selflessly walking around the city, because here every corner of the earth keeps its memory.  Once upon a time, the Great Silk Road ran through Bukhara, which is purposefully reviving today.  And, of course, mentioning the best sights of Uzbekistan, it is impossible not to voice at least some of the sights of Bukhara.  One of the main squares of the city, Lyabi-Khauz, is a real treasure of Bukhara - there is a whole architectural ensemble consisting of a mosque, madrasah and a monument in honor of Khoja Nasreddin, a favorite character in oriental folklore.  The square is surrounded by a wonderful clean pond with a fountain.  It was Lyabi-Hauz that became a favorite place for various mass festivities and official holidays in Bukhara.  In the Samanid park, on the territory of the ancient Bukhara cemetery, there is the Samanid Mausoleum - an ancient family tomb, another masterpiece of architecture created at the turn of the 9-10 centuries.  Despite the fact that the facade and interior decoration of the building does not play with bright colors, the amazing openwork finish that the builders managed to achieve using ordinary bricks is impressive.  An old Muslim cemetery was previously located on the territory of the burial vault, and later a park with ponds was laid out here, which became a venue for mass celebrations.  When choosing where to go in Uzbekistan, traveling through Bukhara, you should definitely visit Poi-Kalyan - the main architectural complex that has become a symbol of Bukhara, which includes a minaret, a mosque and a madrasah.  The Kalyan Minaret, built of baked brick in the 12th century, rises over 46 meters, and its top is crowned with a conical lantern.  The minaret is connected to the roof of the Kalyan mosque by means of a bridge, from where, in turn, you can climb up a spiral staircase to the dome itself, where a stunning panoramic view opens up.  The mosque itself was rebuilt somewhat later than the minaret - in the 16th century, and to this day it is the main cathedral mosque of the city.