It's late June in Tashkent, 11am, 32° in the shade (90°F), UV index off the charts, 24% humidity. A really nice day for this time of year. We walk to Café Breadly from our house through the mahalla where the workers from the regions have been busy on on all the various house construction/remodel projects since … Continue reading Day 1: Uzbekistan
Tag: tashkent
Day 4: Ming O’rik
With such an impressive history dating back to the very dawn of humanity, Uzbekistan's smaller, but nonetheless significant architectural sites are often forgotten in favor of the three big silk road highlights. The Khiva, Samarkand, and Bukhara travelers see today represent only a fraction of the thousands of years of history worth exploring in this … Continue reading Day 4: Ming O’rik
Day 6: Chapel of St. George the Victorious
In 1865, Tashkent was a city under siege, pestered by a Russian Imperial Force of 1,500 men under the command of Mikhail Grigorievich Chernyaev. After making an unsuccessful attempt at taking the city in October 1864, Chernayev retreated to Shymkent for the winter where he was able to plan his second attack for the next … Continue reading Day 6: Chapel of St. George the Victorious
Day 7: Minor Mosque
Situated along the left bank of the ancient Angor canal running through the center of Tashkent, the Minor Mosque is a brand new example of monumental architecture in the post-independence era of Uzbekistan. The first President of the Republic, Islam Karimov, ordered its construction through an executive order that a mosque should be built within … Continue reading Day 7: Minor Mosque
Day 9: Zangiata Complex
In 12th and 13th century Tashkent there lived a well respected Sufi mystic, Sheikh Ay-hoja Zangi-Ata, literally "Dark Father" owing to his dark complexion, who was revered by the local people, and subsequently by 14th century Uzbek national hero, Amir Timur. Having hailed from abroad, likely from a noble family in Saudi Arabia, Zangiata spent … Continue reading Day 9: Zangiata Complex
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 14: MyTaxi
Add this one to the category of "essentials for survival" as an expat in Tashkent. MyTaxi is an app that simply must be installed on your smartphone the moment you get your brand new SIM card. Providing an Uber-like taxi service in the Uzbek capital, MyTaxi rides are never far away, and you'll never have … Continue reading Day 14: MyTaxi
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 23: Soviet Block Apartments
A home for every worker, or at least that was the promise of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev when in the late 1950s planners introduced the concrete panel apartment blocks which have themselves become a symbol of communism, and enjoy a certain cult following lovingly referred to as Khrushchevkas. These three to five story mass produced apartment … Continue reading Day 23: Soviet Block Apartments
Intentionally International 