Uzbekistan
Alexander the Great in Central Asia As I waited for my train on the platform of Tashkent’s Alisher Navoi metro station, my eyes wandered to the four disc-like medallions illustrating episodes from the poet’s magnum opus, the Khamsa. Named after the fifteenth-century poet and intellectual, who is celebrated as a national hero in modern Uzbekistan, […]
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Suzani Embroidery: What it is, where to see it, and how to purchase souvenirs In the markets and alleyways of cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Dushanbe, and Khujand, visitors quickly notice the colorful explosion of embroidered textiles. Pillows, bags, jackets, and table runners fill shop displays, each stitched with vibrant floral patterns. While they may […]
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Uzbekistan History Timeline: Key Periods from Prehistory to the Present Day 1. Prehistoric & Early Settlements (before 6th century BCE) Early settlements, such as Afrosiab (ancient Samarkand) flourished along river valleys; early farming communities in the Zarafshan (Sogdians) and Amu Darya (Khorezm) basins. Sites: Early layers at the Afrosiab (ancient Samarkand). 2. Achaemenid & Hellenistic […]
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Reflections on 30 Years of Uzbekistan Travel Bradley Mayhew has been travelling and writing guidebooks to Central Asia for 30 years. In this post he remembers the early days of travel in Uzbekistan and reflects on the recent changes that have transformed the country. I first went to Uzbekistan in 1995 to research the first […]
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