By: Sharleen Lee, Travel Executive
Translated by: May Lee
Situated in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is a legendary country that has fascinated many people. Before setting off to this mysterious land, friends of mine were worried about the safety of my trip, as Uzbekistan is just located north of Afghanistan, where warfare seems never end. Their next question was whether it would be easy to get a tourist visa.
Setting off from Hong Kong, there are different cities via which we can fly to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, such as Beijing, Seoul, Urumqi and Almaty. Taking the advantage of flying via Beijing, I could stay one night at the famous Lusongyuan Hotel, the former residence of the Qing Dynasty General Sengge Rinchen, and enjoy the traditional cultural ambience of the old Beijing.
All travelers, except those from small neigbouring countries in Central Asia, are required to obtain an Uzbek visa before travelling to Uzbekistan. HKSAR passport holders can apply for a visa on arrival by presenting an official invitation letter issued by a travel agency from Uzbekistan. To ensure we could have a smooth journey, our travel partner in Uzbekistan arranged the itinerary and invitation letter for us. Upon arrival at Tashkent, we immediately received a warm welcome from the airport staff and it took us only 30 minutes to pass through the customs. Tashkent Airport is like a domestic airport which is not very big in scale, as there are only a few flights flying in every day.
This journey featured visits to the three major cities in Uzbekistan, namely Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and also the biggest city in the country. In 1966, a devastating earthquake ruined the city, causing 300,000 people homeless. The current buildings were rebuilt in recent decades. The monument “Courage” was built in 1976 to the 10-th anniversary of the terrible earthquake and it is now one of the major tourist spots. The monument consists of a sculpture composition in the center and a stone cube which split into two. On one side of the cube there is a watch, the hands of which show the time when earthquake had happened (5:23). On the other side it marks the date of the incident.
Samarkand is the second largest city in Uzbekistan. In the 14th century, Tamerlane, the decedent of Genghis Khan’s elite troop, turned Samarkand into an architectural art centre in medieval Central Asia. He settled in Samarkand, which became the capital of the Tamerlane Empire, and ordered to build many imposing and magnificent architectures including palaces and mosques that carried strong Islamic characteristics. In 2000, the architectural masterpieces in this city were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
When travelling Samarkand, people will bring home with them lots of Obi non, a special kind of bread typical of Uzbekistan, as it is more tasty and unique in Samarkand. There is a common saying among the local people, “No trip to Samarkand is complete without bringing home with you Obi non.”
With a history of over 2,000 years, Bukhara was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1993. The Bukhara market is home to the legendary tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”. Today, Bukhara still has its mysterious Western Regions’ flavour, with thousands of mosques and madrasahs (schools where students learn Islam and other sciences) being preserved. The traditional Trade Dome is a local market that sells silk, pottery, handicrafts, and embroidery products, etc.
Unlike Samarkand, the architectures in Bukhara are less magnificent, yet the half-way-collapsed ancient city wall and the faded peacock majolica leave us some traces of the past glory of this ancient Silk Road city in the bygone era.
What are the major sightseeing spots in these three cities? What did we see and experience during this journey? Stay tuned! I will unveil the mysterious side of Uzbekistan, once an ancient country in the Western Regions of the legendary Silk Road.
