Uzbekistan is an underrated treasure trove of history and creativity

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“You’re going where?” That’s the most common response I got when telling people I was planning to visit Uzbekistan.

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It may not be the most obvious choice for a vacation, but this landlocked country at the heart of the Silk Road, the centuries old trade route between China and the Mediterranean, is a treasure trove of beauty, history and creativity.

The country, a former Soviet republic that gained its independence in 1991, started to open up to more international travel in 2016 when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came into power.

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My small group tour with Exodus Adventure Travels starts in the capital Tashkent, a thriving metropolis of more than three million, making it the largest city in Central Asia.

We visit fantastic handicraft workshops in the 16th-century Barak Khan Madrasah and the world’s oldest copy of the Qur’an in the Moyie Mubarek Library Museum, among other sites in the old town.

Venturing further into the city, we take the metro, which boasts of astonishingly beautiful stations complete with marble floors, fluted columns and even chandeliers. When it opened in 1977, it was Central Asia’s first metro and although it’s a throwback to Soviet rule, it appears modern.

It’s a fascinating juxtaposition of the old and new worlds.

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The next day, we fly about 1,000 kilometres to the west of the country, which is bordered by five (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) of the seven “stans” (Pakistan being one country removed).

Our destination, Nukus, is home to the Savitsky Museum. It has one of the largest collections of Russian avant-garde art, second only to the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, thanks to its founder Igor Savitsky, who rescued much of the once forbidden art during the Soviet era.

He also collected pieces from Central Asia and so the museum’s collection of about 90,000 pieces has everything from archeological artifacts dating to 2 BC to traditional clothing. It is in some ways a taster of what lies ahead.

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Driving east from Nukus, through the barren Kyzylkum Desert, three ancient forts on a hill suddenly rise out of the sandscape. The oldest ruins in the Ayaz Kala complex date back to 4 BC.

I climb the hill and walk through the mud-brick ruins looking out over the vast desert — imagining how many people, camels and caravans must have passed this way before. We carry on by road and rail to see three of the main Silk Road destinations — all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Khiva’s walled city was founded about 2,500 years ago. Most of the streets are pedestrian only and it’s easy to walk around and marvel at all of the beautiful madrasas (Islamic schools), mosques and minarets.

Everywhere I look there are amazing buildings and monuments — some sand coloured and most decorated with stunning dark blue, azure and turquoise tiles.

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There are more than 60 architectural wonders, most dating from the 14th to the 19th century packed into this small, labyrinth city.

UNESCO notes it’s “been a centre of education, science and culture, and served as a cradle of civilizations spanning millennia.”

I visit the Juma Mosque, with its 212 carved, wooden columns, the Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum, named after Khiva’s patron saint, and Tash-Hauli Palace with fantastic floral tiles and ceiling designs, among other monuments.

One of my favourite places is the Kunya-Ark watchtower. The rooftop view from here is spectacular during the day and even better at sunset, when the dusty orange-pink sky surrenders to cool, nighttime blues that usher in the stars.

The next day we drive to Bukhara, which became known as a religious centre in the eighth century. It’s bigger than Khiva, but still very walkable and punctuated with four trading domes where merchants from Central Asia, Iran, India, Russia and China used to meet. Now, they’re filled with silks, textiles and local crafts.

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Everywhere I go in Uzbekistan, I’m struck by the artistry and traditional craftsmanship, which seems to be thriving. It’s easy to find people doing miniature paintings, wood carvings and metal work. In addition, there are exquisite textiles, ceramics and carpets, to name just a few of the arts and crafts.

Bukhara also has amazing madrasas, mosques and mausoleums with stunning, intricate tile work and beautifully painted honeycomb vaulting.

The Ark, on a hill in the centre, is the oldest structure, dating back to at least the fifth century. It was home to the emirs and essentially a royal town within the city up until the Red Army invasion in 1920. It also has some good views and archeological digs with remains such as a bathhouse from the 16th century and a mosque from the 18th century.

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The nearby Poi Kaylan complex, with a minaret built in 1127, a mosque and two madrasas on a main square is also a highlight.

There’s still more to see and so we take a train to Samarkand, the second-largest city in the country, with a population of about 625,000.

Arriving just as the sun is setting, we go to Registan Square, which is packed for the nightly sound and light show on three of the world’s oldest, preserved madrasas.

The square is even more spectacular the next day when I get inside the buildings. The gold leaf ceiling in the mosque of the Tilla-Kari madrasa from 1660 being just one of the many phenomenal details.

Samarkand is also chock-full of amazing madrasas, mosques and mausoleums.

But Shah-I Zinda necropolis stands out with its collection of mausoleums along a narrow pedestrian avenue. Most of the tilework, with intricate patterns in beautiful blues, deep reds and gold, dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. It’s considered to be the crown jewel of Samarkand.

My mind is still spinning through all the history and art as we take a train to Tashkent. Although the trip is over, my sense of awe and wonder remains for this under-visited destination.

The writer was a guest of Exodus Adventure Travels. The organization didn’t review this article.

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