Experiencing Uzbekistan: the center of the Silk route

Uzbekistan, being at the center of the ancient silk route and with it's chequered history, had been beckoning us for quite some years. After lots of deliberations, we decided to visit the country in the summer of 2024. The decision was facilitated by introduction of a direct flight from Delhi to Tashkent, and constant encouragement from our son.

We always prefer to travel on our own, rather than in an organized group. That gives us a flexibility to travel at our own pace, concentrate more on the things that we want to enjoy and interact more with the local people. And most of all, we enjoy planning the trip that needs quite a bit of research, not only about sight-seeings but also about logistics, which helps us learn a lot about the place. The focus of our trip was to visit the architectural marvels of the Islamic period, though Uzbekistan offers ample natural beauty and other attractions. We planned to visit the cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, besides Tashkent, which is the gateway to Uzbekistan.

 

Our itinerary. Dotted lines indicate train travel. Others are flights.

 

TASHKENT

May 17

We landed in Tashkent around midnight, and immediately faced the first hurdle. We didn't have a single som (the Uzbek currency) in our pocket and none of that cards that we were carrying worked at the airport ATM machine. (We missed a heart-beat, though we never faced the problem again during our entire trip.)  Somehow, we landed up in our hotel and managed to get some local currency from the ATM across the street. After gobbling a sandwich from a  next-door 24x7 cafe, we crashed on the bed for the night, or whatever was left of it.

May 18

We woke up the next morning with an overcast sky and moderate rains. Since "sight-seeing" was not possible, We took a bus (randomly) that took us a little away from Tashkent, to a small village close to the Kazakastan border. It appeared to be a settlement of Chinese and Nepalese immigrants, who have come to Uzbekistan in large numbers to work for it's many development projects. On the way, we had the first glimpse of the famous Chorsu Bazori (Bazaar), which is a huge dome housing a market of all possible grocery items. We decided to visit it later. We also crossed the statue of Lal Bahadur Sastry and a road named after him. Incidentally, Lal Bahadur had been Prime Minister of India during 1964 -- 66 and suffered a mysterious death in Tashkent.

The Chorsu Bazori

Uzbekistan was a part of erstwhile USSR and gained independence in 1991. "Mustaqillik Maydoni" (Independence square), a huge garden with fountains, commemorates that. When the rains stopped in the afternoon, we started our exploration of the town by paying a tribute to the Uzbek independence. We were quite impressed by the beauty of the place. There were quite a few local visitors, including couples enjoying cosy nooks and a group of school children exploring the place and bubbling with joy.  

Incidentally, the word "Uzbek" is an amalgamation of two words uz and bek (the first meaning own and the second meaning master or leader in Turkic).

The park and the fountains of Mustaqillik Maydoni

Closer  to the evening, we moved to the Amir Timur Square. Timur, appretince to Gengis Khan and the founder of the Timurid dynasty with the headquarters in Samarkhand, is the national hero of Uzbekistan and is held in very high esteem. He had several expeditions to expand the empire over the entire Central Asia towards the close of the 14th century. Timur square occupies the heart of the city with a beautiful park around a statue, and overlooked by an enormous Soviet era "Hotel Uzbekistan" and several other important buildings. We ended the day with a taste of traditional Uzbek dishes and retired in our hotel. 

In India, Timur the lame is remembered with horror for ransacking of Delhi (1398), which is believed to have resulted in more than 1 million people being killed.

Statue of Timur with Hotel Uzbekistan in the background during sunset hours

XIVA (or KHIVA)

May 19

We started for Xiva (Khiva) in the western part of country. Khiva, an oasis in the surrounding desert, was the capital of Khorezm (or Khrasam) Khanate till it was annexed by Russia in the 19th century. Today, the "Ichan Kala" of Khiva, the walled inner city, is an open-air museum, a UNESCO world heritage site and is the home to many archaeological remnants from the 10th - 19th centuries. There are four gates to the outer world, built during the 18th and the 19th centuries. The most popular one is the Ata Darvoza (the west gate) with the ticket counters, curio shops and other touristy activities. The more useful one (for the locals) is the Bagcha Darvoza (the garden gate, towards the north), which opens towards the public buildings and the bazaar, and is the center for public transport.

The mud and brick wall of Ichan Kalan

 

Khiva is connected to Tashkent by rail, but we chose to fly as the journey by a slow train would take a good part of the day. We hoped to get a glimpse of the natural landscape (especially the course of Amu Darya river) from the flight, but unfortunately, the sky was overcast.  

As we landed at the Urgench airport (the nearest one to Khiva), we found something very intriguing. Our plane was the only one to be seen in the airport. But the airport claimed itself to be an "international" one. More interestingly, all the signage around the immigration area were in Chinese only. Later during our trip, we found the same at the Bukhara airport too. It was pretty evident that there are lots of Chinese involvement in the development projects in Uzbekistan, even at such remote places.

We reached Khiva by the afternoon, in good time to start our exploration. As recommended by our host in a modest home-stay (in Ichan Kala), we purchased the tickets that would allow us entry to the most of the archaeological sites and the museums there and would be valid for next 48 hours. We took a short walk from our hotel to the west gate and were overwhelmed by the beautiful tile-work and wooden works on the various madrasahs, mosques and the minarets, and even in the private buildings where the residents presently live.

Tile-works and wood-works in Khiva

One of the famous landmarks in Ichan Kala is the Kalta Minor, an unfinished minaret that stands next to Md. Amin Khan Madrasah (now converted to a hotel). The minaret (period of construction: 1852 - 1855) was planned to exceed India's Qutab Minar (73m) in height, but the work was abandoned after the death of the then Khan of Khiva.

Around Kalta Minor and Amin Khan Madrasa. Bottom left: Sahtoot (mulberry) shrub

We strolled around in the citadel, all the while enjoying the beauty of the architectural marvels. The monuments in Ichan Kala are well-lit in the evening, and a feast for the photographers. Here are a few glimpses.

Night photographs of Ichan Kala

May 20

We have one more day at Khiva. In the early hours of the morning, I strolled around the residential quarters of Ichan Kala. The residential houses were next to the archaeological relics -- many of the families host guests, who want to feel the real ambience of Khiva.

The town of Ichan Kala

A little later in the day, we set out to see few other monuments of Ichan Kala. We start with the Juma Masjidi (or the Friday mosque), which dates back to the 10th century, and had been rebuilt in 1788. It is a large one-story brick building with a flat roof, supported by 212 exquisitely curved wooden columns, some of which are from the original construction. The columns must have been replaced from time to time -- some of them appeared to be quite recent. Like all other mosques in Uzbekistan, it has a tall and well-decorated minaret, this one known as the Jummi Minor.

Jummi Masjidi and Jummi Minor. Pillars from three different ages.

Close to the mosque, there is the Museum of Scholars that narrates the history of the learned people in Khorezm region and elsewhere in Uzbekistan. Sciences (especially astronomy) and mathematics flourished in Central Asia during the 10th -- 11th century. The museum exhibits statues of the scholars and some books (original manuscript) written by them. Other exhibits include a model of Mirzo Ulugh Beg's observatory. We learn more about Ulugh Beg later in Samarkhand.

Models depicting the scholars of the middle age, their study and Ulughbeg's observatory

 

At our next stop, Tosh-Hovli, we were again overwhelmed by the tile and the wood-work. The palace was the residence of the Khans (rulers) of Khorezm for about 40 years in the late 19th century. 

It is said that the plan for construction of the extravagant new mansion was laid down in 1831 which incorporated a tight two year building schedule. When the architect pointed out the impossibility of the target, his head rolled (literally) and a new architect was appointed. Despite the best efforts by the new appointee, the palace took eight years to complete. We are not aware of the fate of the new architect.

Decorations at Tosh Hovli

There are many other monuments and museums at Ichan Kala, but we could not cover them all. Interesting activities, which we did not indulge, in could be to walk on the fortress walls and to climb some of the minarets to get a bird's eye-view of Khiva. However, that was partly compensated by climbing the roof-top of our home-stay that boasted the highest rooftop in Khiva.

Some random shots

And of course, we enjoyed specialty dishes from Khorezm region over the two days. We found a nice restaurant "Terrassa" in the Ichan Kala itself. Our fare included Shashliks, Plov, Gumma (like patties, stuffed with meat or vegetables) and Shivit Oshi (Green noodles served with meat or vegetable stew).

 

At Terrassa restaurant, Khiva

 

May 21

It is time to bid good-bye to Khiva. We would take  a flight to Bukhara in the afternoon. But my Khiva visit would have been incomplete without having a look at the new city, or the Dishan Kala (the outer fortress). This was constructed during mid-nineteenth century and is now a part of the modern city, though some historical monuments remain. This morning, I preferred to roam around the modern city for a while. I was astonished to see the modern development, wide roads with broad footpaths, modern public buildings with traditional decorations, efficient public transport system and the relaxed residential neighborhoods, even in such a remote place.

Dishan Kala. Qosh Darvoza (the north gate of Dishan Kala), Public buildings and residential quarters

Finally, I took a peep into the Khiva Bazori (central market place of Khiva). It is quite a big open space with stalls selling various items, right from raw and cooked food to garments and shoes and other stuff of daily requirements. Remarkable was the collection of dry-fruits, ground-nuts, apricots, figs, walnuts, almonds, raisins, and so on ... many unknown to me. In the butchery section, I was surprised to find beef and chicken, but no trace of lamb or goat. 

Khiva Bazaar

BUXORO (BUKHARA)

We reached Bukhara in the early evening and checked into our hotel, next to the Lyab-i Hauz (meaning "by the pool") area. The tank in a mosque-madrasa complex was the source of water in that area in the pre-Soviet days. We took a stroll in the Lyab-i Hauz area in the evening before it was time to hit the bed.

As the history goes, the area where the tank stands belonged to a Jew widow, who refused to sell the land to the then vizier, who wanted to construct the pool there. When the land could not be legally acquired, the vizier acquired it by some unfair means, though relenting to the demand by the lady to establish a synagogue in a nearby area. A Jewish settlement soon grew around the synagogue. 

Lyab-i Hauz mosque and madrasah complex

 May 22

Before we further explore the town, our hotel "Lyabi House" needs some introduction. It is housed in a building that was the erstwhile residence of a wealthy Jewish family in a narrow lane next to Lyab-i Hauz, and near the synagog. The building, especially the dining space is well-decorated. The rooms have been quite spacious and comfortable. However, we found the steps leading to our first floor room a little too steep for our age.

Lyabi House, and it's well-decorated dining hall

Our first destination for the day was the Ark of Bukhara, a massive fortress at the center of the city, originally built around 5th century. The fortress was in use till 1920, when Russia annexed the country. Today, one can visit a mosque, a coronation chamber, both with exquisite tile-work and a museum that houses antiques from the fortress.

Ark of Bukhara

The Bolo Hauz mosque, which is a stone's throw from the fortress was our next stop. Built in the early eighteenth century, it is one of the UNESCO heritage sites in the city. It served as a Friday mosque during the time when the Emir of Bukhara was subjugated under the Russian rule. Several thin columns of painted wood were added to the frontal part of the Iwan (entrance hall) at a later date.

 

Bolo Hauz mosque

 

Later in the day, we visit a few other monuments. Most notable was the mausoleum of Ismail Samani with an intricate brick-work, constructed during the 9th century. Samanids, a Persian dynasty, ruling over north-eastern Iran and western Central Asia from 819 to 1005. Under Ismail Samani (who ruled from 892–907), the domains of the Samanids expanded, and Bukhara became the Samanid capital. The mausoleum is the burial of Ismail and some of his family members. It depicts the remarkable architectural style of Central Asia in the early tenth century, and the region’s pre-Islamic architectural traditions. A huge park surrounds the mausoleum today.

 

Mausoleum of Ismail Samani

May 23

 

We explore a few other monuments around Lyab-i Hauz in the morning. The first one to visit is Chor Minor, a structure with four minarets. We were a little disappointed since it is much less in grandeur than it's namesake in our own Hyderabad. The next one is Kalon Minor. The minaret was built on a site over an existing structure named "Kalyan" (well-being in Sanskrit). That gives a hint to Buddhist/Zoroastrian past of the town. 

 

Chor Minor and Kalon Minor. Handicrafts on display

 

Closer to Lyab-i Hauz, we visit the ruins of an ancient bath-house, and have a close look at Toqi Telpakfurshan (also known as Toki Sarrofon, or the money-changer's dome), the ancient trading dome dating back to the 16th century. It is a vibrant marketplace today. One thing that we notice in Bukhara is that most of the historical sites are a bit too commercialized with curio shops all around, and even inside the monuments.

An ancient bath-house with a caravansarai and a mosque in the background. Toqi Telpakfurshan, a vibrant market-place

 

Now a bit about Bukhra food. Manti (similar to Tibetan momos) and Somsa (Samosa!) are popular snacks. Shashliks, Surpas (soups) and Plov are for the main courses -- all accompanied with bread and generous portions of salad. Bukhara Plov has a quite distinct taste from the one that we tasted at Khiva. 

 

An interesting lesson that we learned the hard way is that Plov is consumed by the Uzbeks only at the lunch time and not for the dinner. At popular restaurants, the stock of Plov may get exhausted by 12:30 pm, or so. 

A plate of delicious Bukhara Plov

 

It is time to move on to our next destination, Samarkand. We take a high-speed Afrosyab train from the Bukhara station. During the journey, the train clocked a maximum speed of 160 kmph, and maintained steady 158 - 160 kmph for quite a long distance.

Bukhara railway station, the Afrosyab train

SAMARKAND

We reach Samarkand in the early evening. Samarkand had been the capital of the Timurid empire with Registon (means a desert) was the heart of the city, a public square, where people used to assemble to hear royal proclamations, and a place for public executions. We checked in a hotel close by and came down to the square. The illuminated monuments of the square was a feast to the eyes. The place is framed by three madrasahs on the three sides, the Ulugh-Beg madrasa (15th century), the Sher-Don madrasah and the Tilya-Kori madrasah (both 17th century). We found a large crowd of visitors, mostly from other towns of Uzbekistan, enjoying the beauty and the evening breeze. However, we found a public platform built at the center with two huge bright TV screens (subdued by editing, in the photo) to spoil the view of the facade.

Registon square in the evening. Ulugh Beg Madrsah (to the left), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (at the center) and Sher-Don Madrasah (to the right).

May 24

It was a rainy morning and we had to choose indoor venues. Our first destinations for the morning was Ulugh-Beg museum, which stands on a small hillock, which was the site where his observatory once stood. Mirrzo Ulugh-Beg had been the favorite grand-child of Timur, but he is known more for being a mathematician and an astronomer. He constructed the observatory during 1424 and 1429, that had been one of the finest observatories in Central Asia at that time. In the museum, we learn about Samarkand's glorious time during his reign. After his death (1449), one his followers, Ali Kushchi, continued his legacy and relocated to Istanbul some 20 years later with cart loads of Ulugh Beg's work. That is how the knowledge spread to the western world. 

Ulugh Beg's Observatory (museum), a part of his sextant that still survives, a grand statue of Ulugh Beg

Our next destination was yet another museum, the Afrosyab musem that is located nearby. The museum is named after the community of the oldest settlement found in that locality that dates back to 7th-8th century BC, and is an interesting showcase of the passage of the history of the region since that time. One interesting fact about Samarkand is that it had been known as "Markanda" in the ancient times, showing a possible linkage to the Indian civilization.

Artifacts and paintings from the Afrosyab museum

Our afternoon destination was Shah-i-Zinda (the living Kings), which houses mausoleums of the Shahs (Kings) of the bygone era. Though the oldest of the mausoleums dates back to the 11th century, the most prominent ones belong to 16th-19th centuries. Notable ones are the mausoleums for Timur's wife and some other family members. (Timur's mausoleum is elsewhere in Samarkand). Mausoleums of some other important military-men and scholars are also there in this complex. The exquisite tile and the wood-works at the mausoleums are truly baffling.

Shah-i-Zinda

May 25

Our Uzbekistan trip is nearing it's end. Today is our last day at Samarkand. In the morning, we visit the Bibi Khanym mosque that had been the grandest mosque in the Islam world in the 15th century. It is said the the mosque had been constructed with the huge loot from Timur's raid of India (including 39 elephants that carried the building material!). However, the mosque did not survive long. The design was stretched beyond the capacity of the then building technology, and it collapsed on it's own weight. There was restoration efforts at a later time, but a devastating earthquake in the 19th century brought it down to rubble. The complex was renovated again in the Soviet era. Like all other monuments, this one too is replete with exquisite tile-work. The most important exhibit is a massive Quran in a glass enclosure at the Iwan (entrance) of the mosque. The Shahtoot (mulberry) and the juniper trees add some comforting shade and beauty to the place.  

As the story goes, the mosque was ordered to be built by Timur’s Chinese wife, Bibi-Khanym, as a surprise while he was away on one of his campaigns. When the architect fell in love with her, he refused to complete the job unless he could give her a kiss. This kiss left a mark and Timur, when he found it, had the architect summarily executed. We do not know the fate of Bibi Khanym. But from then on, all women in the Islam world were ordered to wear veils, not to tempt other men! (Source: VisitWorldHeritage.com)

Bibi Khanym mosque

 

A trip to Samarkand is incomplete without it's Shashliks and Plov, which we have relished to our heart's content by now. In the evening we take another high-speed train back to Tashkent. This time, the train clocks a maximum speed of 208 kmph, though for a short distance.

Plov (served with sour cream) and Shashliks, Samarkand style

TASHKENT

May 26

This is our last day in Uzbekistan. We are lodged in a cute home-stay in the old quarters of the city.  

Old town, Tashkent on a Sunday morning

In the morning, we visit the Hazrati Imam Complex (also called Hastimom or Hastim), an architectural monument dating from the 16th to 20th centuries. The complex houses quite a few mosques and madrasas. The centerpiece is the mausoleum of Hazrati Imam, who was also known as “Qaffol” (locksmith) for his skills on the subject, and the mausoleum is known as Qaffol Shoshiy mausoleum. The mosque in the complex houses one of the 12 original versions of the Quran.

Hazrati Imam Complex

The last afternoon of our trip had been reserved for visiting the Chorsu Bazori, which is a market place under a huge dome of all sorts groceries, bakeries, vegetables, fruits, cereal and pulses and condiments. The upper floor is exclusively reserved for the butcheries -- we were told, even horse meat is also available there. The original dome has been surrounded by shops selling other items, notably garments and shoes, and several eateries serving local fare straight from the oven. While our main aim was to experience the place, we could not resist the temptation of buying an assortment of dry fruits and some local spice-mix.

Different sections of Chorsu Bazori

Late in the evening, we fly for India, with our hearts full of memories of Uzbekistan. It is not only the beauty of the monuments, but the history of the land, modern city-scape, the rich flavors of the food, vibrant marketplaces, and above all, warm interaction with the people. Wherever we went, the local people greeted the "people from Hindustan" with a warm smile and often with a hug. Some pointed out the old relationship between the two countries with the name of Babar, who "migrated" to India, with all good intentions. Similarity of many Uzbek words with Indian ones, though not unexpected, was appealing. Our trip to Uzbekistan has indeed been an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we shall cherish it for a long time to come.