We never got our Uzbek cotton field experience until we decided to visit the archeological wonderland of Termez and vicinity in June 2018. After a short drive from the 3rd century AD Buddhist monastery of Fayoz-Tepe into the dusty countryside, we turned off the main road and down to the end of a dirt track … Continue reading Day 10: Buddhist Stupa of Zurmala
Category: Uzbekistan
Day 11: Mirobod Bazaar
Mirobod was our first "Bazaar" experience in Tashkent when moved here in 2015. Bizarre would be good way to describe our initial visit, and it still isn't my preferred shopping method, but if you want access to the best quality produce and don't mind bargaining for every single item on your shopping list, a trip … Continue reading Day 11: Mirobod Bazaar
Day 12: Mausoleum of Al-Hakim al-Termizi
The Al-Hakim al-Termizi complex on the edge of old-Termez is a conglomerate of several structures built from the 11th to 15th centuries dedicated to the 9th century Sufi mystic, great early Islamic author, and most important representative of Central Asian Sufism, Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ali bin Hasan bin Bashir Al Hakim At-Termizi. Born in … Continue reading Day 12: Mausoleum of Al-Hakim al-Termizi
Day 15: Buddhism in Uzbekistan
Before there were Chinese Buddhists, before there were Korean Buddhists, and before there were Japanese Buddhists, there were Uzbek Buddhists, or at least late Greco-Bactrian and Kushan Buddhists. As Mahayana Buddhism spread out of India through Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, Termez became a center of Buddhist teaching at an essential hub on the silk road. From … Continue reading Day 15: Buddhism in Uzbekistan
Day 16: Kyr Kyz Fortress
Across the Turkic world the legend of the kirk-kiz is associated with any number of places. The Kyr Kyz fortress in Termez is one of these, but the legend is just that... a legend. The common theme with all of these local legends involve the so-called "forty virgins" depending on the version of the story … Continue reading Day 16: Kyr Kyz Fortress
Day 17: Jarkurgan Minaret
Jarkurgan is a small dusty town about 60km north of Termez, the last place you'd expect to find a standalone medieval minaret, but in the early 12th century, this place was a bustling stop along the ancient silk road, and the minaret served as a beacon to travelers guiding them to the safety of the … Continue reading Day 17: Jarkurgan Minaret
Day 18: Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge
Just east of Termez, on the second most fortified border in the world, is the ironically named "Friendship Bridge" which has linked the two countries of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan since 1982. Built during the peak of the Soviet-Afghan War, it is the only crossing on the Afghan-Uzbek border. This spot was chosen specially due to … Continue reading Day 18: Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge
Day 19: Greater Chimgan
Charvak is a great place for a lake holiday, but if you continue a bit further up the twisting mountain roads you'll eventually meet the tallest point in eastern Uzbekistan, the 3309 meter (10,856 feet) Chimgan peak. Snow capped until early June, with snowfields preserved on its northern slopes year round, this mountain retreat serves … Continue reading Day 19: Greater Chimgan
Day 20: Palace of Arts – Turkistan
Located between Independence Square and the Monument of Courage, directly across the street from Tashkent's Crying Mother Monument, the Palace of Arts "Turkiston" is another of the Uzbek capital city's most imposing Soviet era monuments visitors will find hard to miss. Construction started in the final days of the USSR, but was derailed by lack of … Continue reading Day 20: Palace of Arts – Turkistan
Day 21: Uzbek Wine
Uzbekistan is hardly world renowned for its contribution to the global viticulture industry, but grapes have been cultivated in Central Asia for more than 2,000 years. Zoroastrians were famous for their wine making skills, and this tradition survived the muslim conquest into the later middle ages, under Russian Imperial influence, during Soviet times, and through … Continue reading Day 21: Uzbek Wine
Intentionally International 