We have flights to Tashkent From:
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Geography
Glassware from medieval Egypt and Frankincense from the Persian Empire passed via caravan through this gateway city on the Silk Road to China. Tashkent lies on the plain land west of the Altai Mountains on the Chirchik River in north eastern Uzbekistan, near the beautiful hill surrounded reservoir of Lake Charvak. The capital of Uzbekistan, as well as of the Taskkent Province, the city boasts a population of 2.18 million people, making it the single largest city in all of Central Asia. Get cheap tickets with airBaltic, which is pleased to bring your flight to Tashkent International Airport, just outside the city centre.
Languages
Assalomu Alaykum! (Hello!) The official language of Tashkent is Uzbek, a relative of Turkish, although the majority of the population still speaks Russian for business and, in some cases, even in government. Uzbek is a Turkic-based language and, while Uzbeks and Turks cannot completely communicate directly, both sides can usually find some common understanding. Having at least the basics in Uzbek or Russian is advised for your city-break in Tashkent, as English is virtually unspoken here.
See and Do
From Mosques and medressas to the haggler’s market and the beautiful nature reservation outside, Tashkent is a jewel amid the central Asian cities. Although its architectural history has not survived, due to an earthquake in 1966 and the destruction caused by the 1917 revolution, a day or two in Tashkent will still be rewarding for what does remain in the rebuilt city with broad boulevards and many green areas. Get a sense of Tashkent’s history as a stopover for merchants in the heart of the Old town at the open air Chorsu bazaar, where vendors at stalls sell just about everything under a green dome that’s impossible to miss.
When it was a Soviet city, the large square of Mustaqillik Maydoni was originally meant for parades and any other general celebration of the people, while today it is worthwhile to see, if only for its enormousness. Meanwhile to the east is the Kulkedash Medressa dated to the mid 16th century and infamous for the many unfaithful wives put to death within it. In Khast Imam Square stand the Barak Khan Medressa and the Tellya Sheikh Mosque, once famed for the Uthman Qur'an, dated to the 7th century housed within it, which has since been moved to the Moyie Mubarek Library Museum. The bloodstains on the text are reportedly from a murdered ruler.
Take the city’s underground to visit some of the impressive Soviet built stations and stop off eventually at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, located in the Palace of Prince Romanov, an exiled Russian duke who also seized a few pieces from the Hermitage before he left the motherland. That story continues at the Fine Arts Museum of Uzbekistan showcasing art from before the Russian period of Uzbek history as well as some Hermitage pieces that never found their way home. Other museums of interest include the Museum of Applied Arts, the History Museum of the People of Uzbekistan (and Tashkent’s largest museum) and the rather breathtaking Amir Timur Museum with its beautiful blue dome and leafy gardens outside. Lastly, pay a visit to the Navoi Literary Museum celebrating Uzbek literary hero Alishir Navoi and housing some manuscripts inked in Persian script.
Get tickets to see a show at the Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, designed by the same architect who planned Lenin’s tomb in Red Square, and offering a fine selection of Russian ballet. Head out into nature to see the reserve at Ugam-Chatkal National Park located in the Chatkal Mountains before you finish your city-break in Uzbekistan. |
