5 Captivating Silk Road Sites to Visit in Central Asia

May 4, 2022

Stretching from China and the Far East to Europe and the Middle East, the Silk Road was once the world’s most important trade route.

The Mir-i-Arab Madrassa in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, showcases the Islamic architecture so prevalent along the Silk Road. Marco Verch. CC BY 2.0

It opened in 130 B.C. and remained in use for the next 1,500 years, leading to the rise of countless cities along its path. Though their significance has faded, the grandeur of Central Asia’s Silk Road cities continues to amaze all who visit.

1. Samarkand

A view of the Registan and its three madrassas in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. K3nna. CC BY 2.0

Undoubtedly the highlight of Uzbekistan, Samarkand was once one of the world’s premier cities. After his visit in 1333, the explorer Ibn Battuta called Samarkand “one of the greatest and finest of cities, and most perfect of them in beauty.” The city’s elegance is still revealed in the Registan, a courtyard surrounded by three marvelously beautiful madrassas, or Islamic schools. The distinctive tile work that covers the area’s buildings remains of the best examples of Islamic architecture in the world. Samarkand is also home to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, once one of the largest in the Islamic world. Much of the mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 1897, but glimpses of its original splendor still transport visitors back to its glory days in the 15th century.

2. Merv

The Great Kyz Kala, known as the “Maiden’s Castle,” is one of many crumbling fortresses in Merv. Gai Jorayev. CC BY-SA 4.0

Located in the far-off reaches of Turkmenistan, Merv’s broad religious and commercial influence once made it the third-largest city in the world. The Mongols ransacked Merv in 1221, and the city never recovered. Its extensive ruins remain, though, and amaze all who reach them. Fortresses, medieval walls, mausoleums and mosques have been uncovered, some dating back to 2500 B.C. Many of Merv’s ruins have not yet been preserved, so a visit here is a unique opportunity to see ancient history as it originally stood. One word of caution: gaining a tourist visa for Turkmenistan is notoriously difficult, so plan far ahead if arranging a trip.

3. Bukhara

The Kalyan Minaret stands above Bukhara’s Po-i-Kalyan complex in the center of town. Travelmag.com. CC BY 2.0

Holding much of Samarkand’s grandeur with far fewer crowds, Bukhara is one of Uzbekistan’s most compelling cities. Its prosperity as a Silk Road trading site led to the establishment of Bukhara as one of the intellectual and artistic hubs of Islamic civilization. The city’s prominent stature led to incredible sites such as the Po-i-Kalyan complex, Bukhara’s stunning town center. Po-i-Kalyan is home to an intricately designed mosque with 288 domes and 208 pillars, a still-in-use madrassa, and a minaret (Islamic tower) so impressive that Genghis Khan left it standing during his invasion of the city. Other must-visit spots include the Ark of Bukhara, an ancient fortress which offers stunning views of the city, and a bazaar where trading occurs much as it has for centuries.

4. Tash Rabat

Though it looks small from the outside, Tash Rabat is filled with a maze of rooms once used by Silk Road traders. Allan Grey. CC BY-SA 2.0

Situated almost 10,500 feet above sea level in Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan Mountains, Tash Rabat offered respite to weary Silk Road travelers along a challenging part of their journey. This still out-of-the way spot operated as a caravanserai, or roadside inn, throughout the 15th century. Though many caravanserais can be found along the Silk Road’s path, Tash Rabat stands out due to its stunning mountainous location and its labyrinthine layout. Archaeologists believe that Tash Rabat was originally a 10th-century Christian monastery, explaining its dark and imposing maze of rooms. Visitors often find the site to be mysterious and endlessly fascinating, and often combine it with horseback riding tours and yurt stays in the dramatic Kyrgyz countryside.

5. Khiva

Kalta Minor Minaret’s blue tiles strongly contrast with the sandstone buildings around it. Dan Lundberg. CC BY-SA 2.0

The final of Uzbekistan’s trio of Silk Road cities is Khiva, home to a narrow maze of historic treasures stretching back to the fifth century. One such spot is the Tash-Khauli Palace, an exquisitely designed structure with over 150 mesmerizing rooms and courtyards. Continued exploration leads travelers to Juma Mosque, held up by 200 uniquely designed wooden pillars. Khiva claims two minarets, the climbable Islam Khodja Minaret and the Kalta Minor Minaret, which is bathed in beautiful blue tiling. The best view in town, though, comes at the Kuhna Ark Watchtower, where the city’s sandstone walls brilliantly reflect light rays at sunset.

7 Architectural Marvels of Tashkent that Reveal Uzbekistan’s History

December 4, 2020

Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, boasts of its opulent infrastructure and the nation’s history to a world audience.

Amir Temur Square in Tashkent’s center. Matthew Goulding. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Glistening skyscrapers are built over historic neighborhoods, while ancient mosques and some Soviet-era buildings are left unscathed. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has been dramatically shape-shifted by the late president Islam Karimov and the current president Shavkat Mirziyoyev. As the city gets reconstructed, some of its rich history remains: Tashkent’s mosques, Soviet-style subway stations, classical opera houses and theaters, and traditional Russian architecture draw in many visitors. Here are seven sites which each represent distinct eras in Tashkent’s tumultuous history.

Museum of Applied Arts in Tashkent. Ehedaya. CC0 1.0

1. Museum of Applied Arts

In the early 20th century, Russian aristocrat Alexander Polovtsov ordered that a mansion be made to showcase Uzbek architecture and craftsmanship. After Polovtsov’s death, the mansion was turned into a museum in 1937, where its interior was further remodeled. This structure’s interior is entirely covered in ornamentation, displaying key components of Islamic architectural design such as the “girih,” a pattern made up of many intricate lines, arabesque stucco, and zellij, a mosaic of individually crafted pieces which create a motif. At the center of its main room is a stunning muqarna, an inverted dome carved to an exacting honeycombed configuration; this centerpiece is embellished with flora-inspired stucco designs and individually painted tiles which resemble the stained-glass windows of a chapel.

Close-up of Barak Khan Madrassa’s facade. LBM1948. CC-BY-SA 4.0.

2. Hazrati Imam Complex

Larger-than-life mosques and mausoleums border a wide square where visitors stroll around in awe, either on a pilgrimage or simply admiring the grandiosity of the minarets and domes. The Hazrati Imam Complex is a conglomerate of historically significant monuments; its most notable sites are the Muyi Muborak Madrassa, the Barak Khan Madrassa and the Tillya Sheikh Mosque. Originally built in the 16th century as a tomb for one of the first imams of Tashkent, the complex drastically changed over the following centuries. Tillya Sheikh Mosque is a stately rectangular building with tall minarets topped with vibrant turquoise domes. The structure’s most notable features are its Central Asian architectural design, the panjara, which is a patterned lattice grid, and its geometrically carved pillars. The Muyi Muborak Madrassa (meaning “sacred hair”) is the most significant monument in this ensemble, since it is said to house the hair of the Prophet Muhammad and the oldest Quran, which dates back to 656 A.D. The library’s walls are mostly a neutral beige, but its arches and domes are covered in arabesques of colorful tiles. The Barak Khan Madrassa displays a stunning facade covered in floral motifs, Arabic calligraphy inscriptions, and geometric linework. At the madrassa’s center is an inverted dome with miniature arches and an open walkway into the building.

The Palace of the Romanovs in Tashkent. Jude Lee. CC BY 2.0.

3. The Palace of the Romanovs

Although Tashkent is architecturally diverse, this oddly Baroque estate near its center looks alien in a city full of Soviet modernism and traditional Islamic architecture. Left behind by Grand Duke Nicholas Kostantinovich Romanov who was exiled from Russia for a scandalous love affair near the end of the 19th century, this palace embodies the international art nouveau. The building is predominantly monochromatic, as opposed to the vibrant color palette of traditional Islamic architecture. It flaunts a combination of its neoclassical base structure, extravagant gothic stucco work and Asiatic lattices. Bronze sculptures of deer and hounds sit precariously at the entrance of the mansion above a staircase to greet the visitors. The palace’s interior is more decadent: beds are covered in textiles with gold and silver thread weavings, valuable metal trinkets decorate its hallways, and Uzbek wood carvings adorn its walls. The Palace of the Romanovs reminds one of Russia’s pre-Soviet occupation of Uzbekistan, which used to be the colony of Turkestan.

Hotel Uzbekistan. Giorgio Montersino. CC BY-SA 2.0.

4. Hotel Uzbekistan

Hotel Uzbekistan is flat, precise and mathematical. The building itself is a towering sheet of metal with no variation in pattern or shape. Standing as a remarkable display of Soviet modernism from the 1970s, this hotel is a relic of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. The typical brutalist architecture often paired with Soviet aesthetics is made flexible in this structure, as shown in its lattice pattern found in Islamic architecture.

In the evening, the fountain lights up in front of the Alisher Navoi Opera House. Dan Lundberg. CC BY-SA 2.0.

5. The Alisher Navoi Opera House

Romanesque pillars hold up this neoclassical beauty at the heart of Tashkent. At the front of this mainly Western-style theater is a remarkable fountain that stretches to the width of the building itself. Its distinctively European charm can be traced back to the classical architecture of czarist Russia. The Alisher Navoi Opera House was designed by Soviet architect Alexey Shchusev under Josef Stalin’s call to redesign Tashkent after World War II. Shchusev’s approach to building cultural institutions, including the famous Lenin’s Mausoleum, was to marry the decorative elements of Russian classicism with the structural integrity of Soviet brutalism. The space of the theater itself is adorned with arabesque etchings on its balconies and gold embellishments bordering the stage. Today, the Alisher Navoi Opera House remains a central playhouse for ballets, musical performances and plays.

Minor Mosque sitting along the banks of Anhor Canal. Michael Kim. CC BY-ND 2.0.

6. Minor Mosque

Minor Mosque is a fairly new religious center which opened in 2014 under Islam Karimov’s presidency. Although the mosque follows the traditional structure with its two minarets and its sky-blue dome, it is completely different in material. Instead of being made a typical brown-toned brick base, the mosque is a glaringly white marble, making it a sight to behold. Its facade is decorated with curling floral patterns and Quran passages. Minor Mosque is a feat of Uzbek architectural accomplishment after its independence. The new site seems to reaffirm the country’s Islamic roots, while boasting of its modernization.

Pakhtakor Station has classical pillars and an arabesque mosaic on its walls. Valentin Parshin. CC0 1.0.

7. Tashkent Subway System

Tashkent’s subway system is full of mosaic art, chandeliers and echoes of Soviet attempts at excellence. First opened in 1977 at the height of the Cold War arms race, Tashkent subway stations doubled as nuclear bomb shelters. Much like the famously extravagant subway stations in Russia, Tashkent’s are built with the utmost acuity to detail and order.

Uzbekistan’s ongoing efforts to reform its Soviet past and its recent history under Islam Karimov are clearly expressed in the tearing down of older structures. As the city’s historic mahallas are demolished for the construction of shopping malls, new buildings threaten Tashkent’s original residences. Each monumental building in Tashkent is telling of Uzbekistan’s past under Russian occupation, its Islamic influences, and its encounters with globalization. Tashkent is a melting pot of architectural forms, and in some ways, the noteworthy buildings are used as both markers for national identity and foreign allure.

With Democracy on the Horizon, Uzbekistan Flirts with Freedom

November 25, 2020

Uzbekistan’s new attention to human rights and democratic ideals, along with the rapid boom in its tourism industry and steps toward religious tolerance, are potential signifiers of progress.

Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. Markus Biedermann. CC BY NC-ND 2.0.

Cradled between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan lies at the heart of Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s population is predominantly Sunni Muslim, and adherents are considered the most devout in Central Asia. The capital, Tashkent, is full of signs of its rich Islamic heritage: historic mosques and mausoleums are scattered among Soviet-style towers.

The country’s complex and multifaceted history explains its diverse population. At the height of the Silk Road, cities located in present-day Uzbekistan such as Bukhara and Samarkand were trading hubs between the East and the West. It was through these centers that Arab traders brought Islam and a written alphabet to the region. After centuries of conquests and rivalry between Uzbek city-states, Russia swallowed up these states with the promise of protection in the early 19th century. It was established as the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924, where religion was suppressed and the population inflicted with forced collectivization.

Ever since Uzbekistan’s independence in 1991, long-serving President Islam Karimov has largely avoided democratization while embracing diplomacy and investment from the global community. Despite his attempts to join the U.S. in its “war on terror,” Karimov was regularly criticized by the United Nations for his long record of human rights violations. His persecution of the large Muslim population in Uzbekistan could not be ignored by U.S. in light of the Andijan massacre, when at least 187 civilians were killed. After Karimov’s death in 2016, Uzbekistan seems to have emerged from three decades of isolation and autocratic rule.

Today, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s administration boasts of its progressive policies: Mirziyoyev advocates for freedom of the press, supports religious tolerance and disapproves of unjust imprisonment. Since the start of Mirziyoyev’s presidency in 2016, a few journalists have been spared incarceration, previously blocked media platforms were made accessible, and a number of political prisoners were released. These actions displayed Mirziyoyev’s ostensible devotion to human rights, which was bolstered by his emerging friendship with U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, his interaction with nongovernmental organizations, and his government’s partnership with the Cotton Campaign, which combats unpaid cotton production in Uzbekistan. As a result, Uzbekistan was elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council for the first time in history this October. In an article found on the United Nations’ website, Uzbekistan is lauded for its “firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and the universal declaration of human rights.” Although members of the U.N. carefully watch Mirziyoyev to ensure the establishment of these democratic ideals, Uzbekistan is now regarded as a country working toward greater freedom.

There are complications involved in Mirziyoyev’s steps toward democratization. Even though Mirziyoyev has been vocal about eliminating Uzbekistan’s forced cotton labor, advocacy group Uzbek Forum found that forced labor persists in the country. Rather than setting up an institutional stronghold on the cotton industry, the government privatized the cotton sector, which only decentralized government-enforced labor by a few degrees.

Mirziyoyev’s efforts toward modernizing the Uzbek capital of Tashkent have resulted in mass displacement of the city’s original inhabitants. Through the demolition of its buildings and the restructuring of its neighborhoods, the government has carried out a wide-scale gentrification of the city. Tashkent is now considered a travel destination, full of shining skyscrapers and new hotel districts. In order to bolster Uzbekistan’s economy, Mirziyoyev allowed visa-free travel for 30 days for visitors from 65 countries, including the United States.

These markers of progress are met with a mixture of emotions—the U.N. is enthusiastic about Mirziyoyev’s commitment to human rights, while Human Rights Watch remains skeptical of the legitimacy of these policies. The new seemingly democratic leadership of Mirziyoyev creates suspicion among Uzbeks and foreigners alike. Pushed by economic motivations, the president’s attempts to abide by the universal guidelines of human rights stir up hopes among Uzbeks for a freer future.