By the end of an Uzbekistan holiday, you might have had your fill of monuments beginning with 'M'. There are enough mosques, mausoleums, Madrassah, museums and markets to make one's head spin. But that’s all part of this Central Asian nation’s charm. We’ve fallen in love with Uzbekistan’s plentiful treasures, which span art, architecture, culture and history. Not sure where to begin when planning your trip? Read on for our round-up of the top things to see in Uzbekistan…
1. Samani Mausoleum, Bukhara
2. Seventh-century murals, Afrosiyab Museum, Samarkand
3. One of the oldest known Qurans, Tashkent
4. The bazaar in Khiva
5. Juma Mosque, Khiva
Samani Mausoleum, Bukhara
First up on our list of top things to see in Uzbekistan is the Samani Mausoleum in Bukhara. Standing as a breath of fresh air among turquoise domes, this perfectly formed Mausoleum is a thing of great beauty. It’s the oldest (built in the tenth century) and the best-preserved monument in Bukhara, with earthen bricks that are a refreshing antidote to the shimmering calligraphic composition of others. The structure of the building is cubic, with four identical sides, featuring designs on its outside walls which incorporate Zoroastrian fire-worshipping symbols and 'squinch' technology (architecture combining geometry and arithmetic).
Seventh-century murals, Afrosiyab Museum, Samarkand
This next one takes us to the quintessential Silk Road city of Samarkand. Head to the fascinating Afrosiyab Museum to find the beautifully restored seventh-century murals, which are a testament to the city once known as Afrosiyab. A fascinating insight into the cultures and traditions of the time, the murals are delicately painted with bright, glowing colours. On three walls, scenes of battles, horsemanship, Emirs, Caliphs and retinues of different ethnic tribespeople are depicted. All of this is interwoven with symbolic animals and birds, and there’s an accompanying video on display at the museum that brings the work back to life.
One of the oldest known Qurans, Tashkent
Another of the top things to see in Uzbekistan is perhaps an unlikely contender (but has a fascinating backstory). It’s one of the oldest known Qurans, held in the capital, Tashkent. This particular manuscript is stained with the blood of the third Caliph Othman, who was brutally attacked and stabbed to death while reading it in his private chambers in Medina. His wife Aisha was with him and had part of her right hand and fingers severed in the attack. Written on an elk skin, in Kufic script in an early form of Arabic, the Quran sits in a large glass box, allowing viewers to ponder its age and significance. For more details as to why this particular Quran is stained with his blood, read up on who came after the Prophet...
The bazaar in Khiva
Probably the smallest of the bazaars you might get to during your visit, Khiva’s marketplace is one of the top things to see in Uzbekistan because of its authentic atmosphere (there’s not a tourist in sight). We recommend visiting on a Sunday – a busy market day when all the produce arrives from the surrounding countryside. During spring, you may see women vigorously shaking sacks of yellow carrots, haggling loudly over turkeys and gossiping behind mounds of neon-coloured pickles. Lonely-looking cows' feet indicate the butcher's shop, and the honey stalls are quite literally buzzing (sorry). Further out, there are people selling seeds, brooms, sweets, non (bread) of all shapes and sizes, and mounds and mounds of whatever fresh seasonal fruit and vegetable are being grown. It's a big, noisy, friendly, fun place and is the perfect marketplace to help you get under the skin of a destination.
Juma Mosque, Khiva
Last up on our list of the top things to see in Uzbekistan is Juma Mosque, located in the UNESCO World Heritage-designated city of Khiva. This impressive mosque, with features from between the tenth and 18th centuries, has an exquisite interior. Its cavernous darkness provides a stark contrast to the hot desert light outside, revealing a space that is vast, cool and calming, with 213 intricately carved pillars supporting a roof made of tree trunks and the ruins of medieval buildings. Four pillars date back to the tenth century, and the shafts of light that fall from the square ventilator holes in the roof make the shadows dance inside.
