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Detailed tour description:
Day 1. Arrival in Tashkent. Excursion.
You have finally landed at Tashkent International Airport. Welcome to the Orient! You cannot wait to set out on a journey along ancient caravan roads, but we advise you to wait a little. The Oriental culture, based on meditation and thoughtfulness, does not accept haste. First you are welcomed and accommodated in a hotel.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the fourth largest CIS city with the population of over 2,2 million. Tashkent consists of two parts - the Old Town and the modern part. The name Old Town is self-explanatory: there you will see madrasahs (Muslim colleges), mausoleums and an Oriental bazaar - the evidence of the past; in the modern part there are, of course, modern parks, squares and buildings, some of which are also extremely pleasing to the eye.
The excursion begins in the Old Town. First you are seeing Barak-Khan Madrasah. This remarkable architectural monument of the 16th с is located in the center of the Old Town, in Khast-Imam Square. The madrasah is surrounded with old adobe homes, almost like in the past. Today the madrasah houses the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. There is also a large library of Oriental manuscripts in the building. In a special room there the world-famous Osman’s Koran is kept. It dates back to the 7th c. Along with the Sana"a manuscripts, Osman’s Koran is considered to be the oldest in the world. The manuscript has 353 large parchment pages. It was kept in the caliphs’ treasuries for centuries. During Tamerlane’s times the manuscript was brought to Samarkand. In the 19th с it was taken to St. Petersburg, where Russian scientists proved it was genuine. After the October Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, in an act of good will to the Muslims of Russia gave this Koran to the people of Ufa, Bashkortostan. In 1924, after repeated appeals by the people of Turkestan ASSR, the Koran was returned to Central Asia, to Tashkent, where it has since remained.
Next sight of the excursion is Yunus-Khan Mausoleum. It was built in the 15th с in honor of Yunus-Khan, a Tashkent ruler. Yunus-Abad, one of today’s Tashkent district, was named for him. The building is still in good condition and is quite impressive.
Kafal-al-Shashi Mazar of the 16th с is an asymmetrical domed mausoleum-khanaka. Khanaka (also transliterated as khanqah, khaniqah) is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation. In the past, and to a lesser extent nowadays, khanakas often served as hospices for Sufi travelers and Islamic students who lived there in khujra cells. The mausoleum was built in the 10th с over the grave of Kafal-al-Shashi - the famous Islamic missionary and mystic poet. Later, after the mausoleum was reconstructed, it became an Islamic shrine and a place of pilgrimage.
Kukeldash Madrasah of the 16th с is another Tashkent gem of historical buildings. It is located near Chor-Su, a large Oriental bazaar, and is one of the 23 madrasahs built under the direction of Kukeldash, a minister of Shaybanid sultans. Kukeldash means ‘milk brother’. The minister and the ruler were fed with the same milk. The madrasah still functions as an Islamic college, which is quite notable.
Now let us take a look at the modern part of the city. First you are visiting the Museum of Applied Arts. The arts and crafts traditions of the Uzbeks are centuries-old. In the museum you will see the collection of the best pieces of Uzbek crafts as to the provinces of the country: Chust knives, Rishtan ceramics, Margilan satins, Bukhara gold embroideries and many other fine things.
Not far from the museum is the Independence Square - the main square of the country in the center of Tashkent. It is the place where mass outdoor festivities take place. Last year an impressively large arch was built in the square. In the evening little lights on the floor illuminate the arch in a fabulous cosmic-like way. From the square you can take a 15-minute stroll to the beautiful building of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Then you are going to the Istiklol Square - the second largest square of the city. It is another place of mass outdoor festivities. There is also a concert hall where local and foreign artists perform regularly.
We recommend that you get to the sights by metro - no traffic lights and jams. When it is hot, the metro in Tashkent is the coolest means of transportation. The phrase ‘Tashkent metro is the most beautiful!’ is often said by both Tashkent residents and its guests. Right, every station of Tashkent metro has a remarkable and distinctive interior; every station is worth visiting for the purpose of aesthetic pleasure. However, taking photos in Tashkent metro is forbidden.
Day 2. Tashkent - Samarkand (330 km, 5-6 hours). Excursion.
After breakfast you are going to Samarkand. You have most probably heard about this famous Central Asian city. Samarkand still keeps the aura of Asian Middle Ages. It has very long and extremely interesting history. In 1220 Genghis Khan’s hordes destroyed Samarkand almost completely, but 150 years later, during the times of Tamerlane, it became the capital of a huge empire. The city boasts a number of extraordinary architectural monuments you are seeing tomorrow.
On a small hill at the entrance to the city stands Khazrat-Khyzr Mosque. It was destroyed by Genghis Khan’s hordes and restored in the 19th c. From the hill you can have an impressive view of the historical Shakh-i-Zinda Necropolis, the city bazaar and distant mountains.
Day 3. Samarkand. Excursion.
After breakfast you are going to Registan, the central city’s square. It is the most spectacular Central Asian square with fascinating architectural monuments. Though the word registan means ‘a sandy place’, you will hardly see any sand there now. Registan was initially a craft and trade center where the six roads running from the city walls met. On the three sides of the square stand the grand buildings of Ulugbek Madrasah (1417 - 1420), Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619 - 1636) and Tilla-Kari Madrasah (1647 - 1660). All of them boast stunning mosaics and almost all the other types of Central Asian interior and exterior decoration at its best.
Madrasah is a Muslim college, or university. It was Ulugbek, Tamerlane’s grandson, who began the construction of the first madrasah in the square in 1417. After it was completed in 1420, the square had become a center of science. Over 100 students began to live and study in this medieval Islamic university. The other two madrasahs, built in the 17th c, are as well grand and splendidly decorated. Sher-Dor Madrasah (‘a madrasah with tigers’) takes after Ulughbek Madrasah in design, but its portal bears fabulous catlike animals with suns on their backs - a symbol of authority. Tilla-Kari Madrasah (‘a gilded madrasah’) on the northern side of the square has a mosque besides madrasah facilities. The gilded interior decoration inside the mosque of this edifice is what you should never miss.
Then you are going to Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the mausoleum of Tamerlane and the family crypt of the Timurid Dynasty. It contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his two sons, two grandsons, and his teacher. Gur-Emir (’tomb of the king’) is the precursor of the famous Humayun"s Tomb in Delhi and Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur"s descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. During the reign of Ulugbek they placed a solid block of dark green jade over the grave of Tamerlane. The inscription on it says that anyone who would disturb the ruler would suffer of die. And it turned out to be true! A few days after the crypt was opened by Soviet archeologists on June 19, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the USSR. Tamerlane’s remains were reburied with full Islamic burial rites in November 1942, at the beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad…
You may want to see Rukhabad Necropolis (15th c) where some of the hair of Mohammed the Prophet are kept; Bibi-Khanum Mosque (15th c), which was built by 200 best architects and 500 workers brought from all the corners of Tamerlane’s empire, and 95 elephants - one of the biggest mosques in the Islamic world; and Ulugbek Observatory (15th c) where you will see a section of a medieval mural sextant, once the world’s largest.
And, it is, of course, Shakh-i-Zinda Necropolis (12th - 15th c), a complex of more than 20 mausoleums with 44 tombs, most of which are of Tamerlan’s relatives, military and clergy aristocracy. The main of them is the mausoleum of Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of Muhammad the Prophet. Shakh-i-Zinda means ‘living king’. According to a legend, Kusam ibn Abbas came to Samarkand with Arab conquerors to preach Islam. He was beheaded for faith in the city, but took his head and went down to a deep well where he remains alive.
Day 4. Samarkand - Bukhara (300 km, 4 hours). Excursion.
After breakfast you are setting out on an exciting journey to Bukhara through the impressive Kyzylkum Desert along the road of ancient trade caravans.
«Noble» and «holy» are just few of the appreciative epithets Bukhara was given in the past. According to a legend, it was Siavush, a Persian prince from the earliest days of the Persian Empire, who founded this ancient city. Bukhara Zoroastrians worshipped the place where he had been killed. On Nowruz, an ancient spring festival, every man used to sacrifice a cock at Bukhara eastern gate Gurian where Siavush was buried. During the times of the Samanids (819 - 999) Bukhara, the capital of their empire, was considered one of the greatest city of the Islamic world. It had also become the center of trade between China and Western Asia and the main currency exchange of almost all Asian peoples. This is where the 19th-century saying ‘he is all eyes like a Bukhara money-changer’ comes from. According to the Iranian Encyclopedia, the name of the city came from the Sogdian for «lucky place». Maybe Bukhara succeeded in trade because of this?
Day 5. Bukhara. Excursion. Bukhara - Tashkent (by train; night in the train; 570 km, 12 hours).
First, you are visiting Samanids Mausoleum (9th - 10th c), one of the most esteemed Central Asian architectural monuments. It was built as the resting-place of Ismail Samani, the founder of the last Persian dynasty ruling in Central Asia. They call the times of the Samanids ‘the Oriental Renaissance’, since science and culture in the region flourished under them. The mausoleum marks a new era in the development of Central Asian architecture after the Arab conquest of the region, incorporating both pre-Islamic and Arab Islamic architectural traditions. Especially impressive are the brickwork patterns of the structure. They look different as the light changes during the day… The building survived thanks to the wit of the local people: threatened by Genghis Khan hordes, which destroyed everything on their way, they covered the mausoleum and many other buildings with earth, which saved them from destruction. The mausoleum of Pakistan"s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah-Mazar-e-Quaid is modeled on Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara.
On the way out of the park where Samanids Mausoleum is you are seeing Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum. Chashma-Ayub means ‘Job’s sping’ in Persian. According to a legend, biblical Job (Ayub) once visited the place during a severe drought in the area and opened a spring with a blow of his staff. The water of the spring is still pure and is considered to be healing. The mausoleum was built during the reign of Tamerlane in the 15th с by master builders the ruler had brought from Khwarezm, and so the building features a Khwarezm-style conical dome, which was uncommon in Bukhara.
Then you are going to see Po-i-Kalan Complex of the 12th - 16th c, consisting of Kalyan Mosque, Mir-i-Arab Madrasah and the famous Kalyan Minaret - a circular-pillar brick tower, narrowing upwards, 45.6 meters in height. The minaret miraculously survived many wars and invasions. Why did Genghis Khan destroy Kalyan Mosque but spare the minaret? They say that when he came up to its foot and looked up. The minaret was so high, or the wind was so strong, that his hat fell off. The khan thought that there were no buildings before which he had to take his hat off and showed mercy. There are a lot more legends about this grand structure, so it is especially interesting to listen to the guide here.
You are also seeing Ulugbek Madrasah. Ulugbek, Tamerlan’s grandson, was the famous mathematician and astronomer, ‘a scientist on the throne’. The madrasah was built by his order in 1417. It was the most significant structure of Tamerlane’s times in Bukhara.
Then comes Lab-i Hauz Complex (1568-1622) consisting of Kukeldash Madrasah (1568-1569), a khanaka monastery and hospice for Sufi travelers (1622) and Nadir Divan-Begi Madrasah (1622). All the structures of the complex stand around a large pond. It is a perfect place to relax in the outdoor teahouses around the pond in hot summertime. You can also take a look at the statue of Hajji Nasreddin on his donkey there. Nasreddin is the legendary medieval Central Asian populist wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes.
Do not miss the opportunity to walk around the city in the evening. The neighborhood Makhalli-Kukhma, also known as Jewish Neighborhood, is especially charming. It is the area of many narrow winding streets between adobe homes - just as they were centuries ago.
Day 6. Tashkent - Kokand - Rishtan - Ferghana (310 km, 5 hours).
After you arrive in Tashkent early in the morning, you will set out on a journey to Fergana Valley, which was once called Golden Valley thanks to its fertile fields. There are a lot of architectural monuments in the area tourists like to see. The local people still follow their centuries-old traditions in arts and crafts, cuisine and many other aspects of their everyday life.
First you are visiting the city of Kokand. Late in the 19th - early 20th c Kokand was the second largest city in Fergana Valley. It has existed since at least the 10th c when it was first mentioned in Chinese manuscripts. It stood at a crossroads of the ancient Silk Roads and was the main transportation junction in the valley. The city flourished in the 18th c when it became the Kokand Khanate’s capital and the religious center of the region.
Among the sights stands out the palace of Khudayar-Khan, the last ruler of the city. This beautiful residence was built in 1871 by the best Ferghana Valley master craftsmen. Originally it had seven inner yards, seven buildings and 119 rooms, but only two yards and 19 rooms of it survive. In 2009 the residence was restored a little. Today it houses the city’s museum of regional studies (local history, ethnography, economy, etc.).
The necropolis of Kokand khans is another very interesting sight. It is full of very impressive mausoleums and tombs. Among them stands out Modarikhan Mausoleum, an architectural white marble and bronze masterpiece, built in memory of the famous poetess Nadira who was executed by order of Bukhara Emir.
You are also seeing the local Juma Mosque (‘Friday mosque’), built in 1800. The roof of its ayvan terrace lies on 98 pillars made of stone-hard Celtis wood. On the ceiling of the mosque, between the beams covered with decorative patterns, there are very impressive plaques with fine paintings. Juma mosque is part of Norbutabi Madrasah, built in 1799. It was the main religious center of Kokand. After 1991 the madrasah was reopened; over 80 students are studying there now. Emir Madrasah of the 18th с is another interesting sight.
After seeing the sights in Kokand you are going to Rishtan, one of the oldest centers of the traditional Uzbek ceramics. They say Rishtan art of pottery is over 800 years old, passed down from generation to generation. The local masters use the fine quality reddish-yellow clay of the area, which is suitable for making a wide variety of ceramic items. Covered with the traditional blue-green glaze iskor, the decorative patterns of Rishtan ceramics is one of the richest. By the 1960s the traditional technologies had almost died out, but thanks to the efforts of the potters themselves, they have been revived. Today over 2000 craftsmen use both traditional and modern technologies to make a few million items per year. You will have the opportunity to visit a few of the large number of potter’s shops in Rishtan, see the process of making their truly unique ceramics and buy a piece or more of them.
In the evening, as you have reached Fergana, you will have a good night rest in a hotel.
Day 7. Fergana - Margilan - Osh (150 km, 3 hours).
You are going to Osh, visiting the city of Margilan on the way. In the 10th c Margilan was famous for its silks a long way from it in the East and in the West. You will have the opportunity to see these unique silks and hear some interesting things about silk making at Yodgorlik - Uzbekistan’s largest traditional silk factory. You are also visiting the local bazaar where you will be able to buy a piece of fine Margilan silk and many other interesting souvenirs.
The medieval ruler of Ferghana Valley and founder of the Mughal dynasty in India Babur was born in Margilan. He wrote in the early 16th c that Margilan «pomegranates and apricots are superb… the game in Margilan is good; white deer may be found nearby». White deer are not there anymore, but the city still makes a pleasant impression on a traveler: its fruit are as superb, and it is still buried in verdure. Among the sights of the city stands out the architectural complex Kaftarlik of the 18th c. Its mosque with unique paintings and its minarets are worth seeing as well.
The Kyrgyz city of Osh you are arriving in is called «the southern capital» of Kyrgyzstan. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but the legends about the city connect its origin with Alexander the Great and even the prophet Solomon (Suleiman). According to one of the legends, once Suleiman and his army with a pair of oxen with a plow in front came to the area. When the oxen came up to the mountains, the king said, «Hosh!» («Enough!»), which was what the name of the town built where the oxen stopped came from.
Osh is one of the oldest Central Asian settlements and is the oldest one in Kyrgyzstan. Archaeological finds prove that the city is at least 3000 years old. In the 10th c Osh was considered the third largest city in Fergana Valley. It was a cross-roads of the caravan routes from India and China to Europe - those of the Great Silk Road, part of which you are moving along. In modern times Osh became the starting point of the Pamir Highway crossing the Pamirs to end in Khorog. Osh is also one of the Muslim religious centers in Central Asia; it has the largest mosque in the country. The only World Heritage Site in Kyrgyzstan, Suleiman Mountain, offers a splendid view of Osh and its environs. A cave in the mountain is the site of a museum containing a collection of archaeological, geological and historical finds and information about local flora and fauna. There are many legends about the mountain. It was named for the prophet Suleiman, who is believed to have been able to cure all the diseases.
Day 8. Osh - Yurt camp under Lenin Peak (300 km, 7-8 hours).
After breakfast you are going to explore the charming natural sights of Kyrgyzstan. Soon you are coming to the foot of Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak - a giant icy mountain that is over 7,000 m high. The mountain stands on Tajik-Kyrgyz border and is officially called Ibn Sina Peak in Tajikistan and Lenin Peak (the former Soviet name) in Kyrgyzstan. You are staying in the yurt camp under the mountain, at an altitude of 3600 m. The camp is like a small village. The traditional yurts you are staying in are warm and cozy, equipped with heaters, furniture and electricity. All the necessary conditions for relaxation and comfort are guaranteed there. There is also an excellent bathhouse with a steam room, and a decent toilet. There is a doctor working in the camp, just in case, and, of course, wonderful cooks who will make tasty European and Kyrgyz dishes for you. Despite the height and great distance from civilization, the camp has a telephone you can use to call anywhere in the world, and even the Internet!
Day 9. Yurt camp under Lenin Peak.
After sound sleep in one of the world’s ecologically cleanest corners of the world and away from civilization, you are going on a hike around the camp. You may meet mountain climbers who have come to the camp to ascend Lenin Peak, learn about the life of people at this altitude or just enjoy the breathtaking sceneries and take photos.
Day 10. Yurt camp under Lenin Peak - Irkeshtam (Kyrgyz-Chinese border) - Kashgar.
You are traveling on, this time to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. After getting over Irkeshtam Mountain Pass and crossing Kyrgyz-Chinese border you are heading for Kashgar, an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of Xinjiang.
As you enter the city, you will see an abundance of mosques, teahouses and - tandoor clay oven flat bread loaves… In China Kashgar is also called Kashi, which means «gem stone market» or «jade place». Kashgar has been an important trading center since the days of the Silk Road. Situated at the foot of the Pamirs, Kashgar commanded Silk Road caravan routes westward to Europe via Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan, as well as the routes running south to Kashmir and north to Urumchi. Kashgar boasts a colorful ethnic variety: the local population is a mixture of Uighurs, Han Chinese, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Uzbeks. Kashgar is probably the most non-typical Chinese city with extremely impressive historical and cultural heritage of over 2000 years.
Day 11. Kashgar. Excursion.
Among the most attractive sights stands out the Old Town. It is estimated to attract more than one million tourists annually, and is famous for its distinctive residential architecture. The area of this unique Uighur neighborhood is about 10 hectares. Historians say that Uighur craftsmen settled there over 1000 years ago. This surviving ancient settlement of over 4000 residents is like a 5-tier cake of very compact masses of homes and 30 narrow winding streets. Some of the homes there are even over 400 years old! Every new family in the neighborhood built their new home over their parents’ or as an annex to it. The fact that the neighborhood has survived frequent regional earthquakes is amazing.
You are also seeing the mausoleum of Apak Haja, a massive, elegant building in typical Islamic style, built in 1640; Id Kah Mosque, built in 1442, the largest mosque in China; the mausoleum of Mahmud Kashgari, an Uyghur scholar, famous for compiling a dictionary of the Turkic languages in the 11th century; the Buddhist pagoda on the ruins of the pagoda of the 7th - 9th с, and a number of other old structures.
Day 12. Kashgar. Excursion.
No guided excursions are offered on this day. You may want to walk about the city and visit the famous Kashgar bazaars.
Kashgar is, and has always been, an important trading center thanks to its location. Today you can buy almost anything you can expect at its bazaars. It is, for example, the center of traditional Uighur arts and crafts. Among the specialties are Uighur carpets, hats, knives, silk, ceramics, jewelry and musical instruments. The oasis of Kashgar is highly fertile. They grow a lot of quality fruit, cereals, and cotton. Cotton and silk textiles are produced in area as well, together with felts, furs, leatherware, and pottery. You can buy anything of these at huge Sunday Bazaar and daily bazaars in the city. Note that bargaining in Kashgar is common, even a rule.
Day 13. Kashgar - Chinese-Kyrgyz border Torugart (180 km, 3 hours) - Naryn (186 km, 3-4 hours).
After crossing the Chinese-Kyrgyz border you are hading for Naryn, a city located in the area with a lot of natural sights and magnificent sceneries: picturesque gorges, mountain streams and waterfalls, majestic snowcapped mountains… The ancient distinctive culture of the local population is also what a tourist should see in the area. Naryn is the provincial administrative center of the Naryn Province in central Kyrgyzstan, with a population of about 52,000. It is situated on both banks of the Naryn River, which cuts a picturesque gorge where the town lies. The city has two regional museums, a university and a national drama theater.
Day 14. Naryn - Bishkek (420 km, 6-7 hours).
After breakfast you are going to Bishkek, the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.
Bishkek is situated at an altitude of about 800 m just off the fringe of the Kyrgyz Alatau Range of the Tian Shan mountain range. Bishkek is a city of wide streets, marble-faced public buildings and numerous Soviet-style apartment blocks with interior courtyards, as well as thousands of smaller privately built houses outside the city center. It is laid out on a grid pattern, with most streets flanked on both sides by innumerable trees which provide shade in the hot summers. There are over 150 species of trees and smaller plants growing in the city.
Day 15. Bishkek. Excursion.
Bishkek is a young city; it was founded only in 1825, and so it has no ancient and medieval historical sights. However, the city is never boring, and has a lot to offer to a tourist as well. It boasts a remarkable oak park, for example, with sculptures and innumerable charming squirrels asking you for tidbits.
Near the oak park is Bishkek picture gallery where you can enjoy the works of Kyrgyz artists and craftsmen. Behind the gallery is the Alatau Square, the main square of the city, with the government building and fountains. At the Independence monument in the square you can watch the changing guards.
Day 16. Bishkek. Departure.
Your tour has ended. You have seen the most important things along the ancient Silk caravan roads. If you had more time, you would see more interesting places in the region, of course. Maybe, next time? The hospitable Central Asian countries will always welcome you.
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