Now catching up on some trips from 2019!
For centuries, the Silk Road was the world’s most important trading route, and Uzbekistan was at its centre … Many of the major sights of the Silk Road can be found in Uzbekistan, which served as the crossroads for traders and travellers plying the routes between the Far East and Europe, Persia and North Africa.
Many travellers may still under estimate how beautiful Uzbekistan is. Even though my trip back in 2019 was very brief – I still had a chance to visit Tashkent and country’s most popular city – Samarkand. Tashkent – Uzbekistan’s capital – was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1966, while the country was under Soviet rule. Consequently, you’ll find a charming mix of restored 12th-century mosques and classical Russian architecture alongside blocky socialist buildings and statues of workers with bulging biceps. If you get a chance, stay at Hotel Uzbekistan – which towers over the city’s main park and experience some faded Soviet glory up close. Also when visiting Uzbekistan for a short time, make sure you visit Samarkand and see its beautiful mosques and the Registan – centre of the Silk Road.
For me one of the highlights was meeting Uzbeks- I came across a few interesting people on this trip, who despite not speaking English were very hospitable and welcoming and made great effort to help me to find my way. Of course, my mix of Russian and Polish helped me a lot. But if you plan your trip to Uzbekistan, go there for longer, there is so much more to see.
Apologies for some ‘shaking’ – couldn’t be fixed!