Cultural and historical sights

TASHKENT

 Tashkent is the capital and on of the main cities in Uzbekistan. The Great Silk Road used to stretch across this land, which enabled to establish economic and cultural links with other countries. The monuments of past that have been preserved still reflect an art and building culture of different epochs.
Ming Uryuk, Ak-Tepa, Khanabad and other archeological monuments are still indicative of the developed city building culture in Middle Ages. Arabs have brought in some innovations with them. On the territory presently occupied by Tashkent, in AD 9-10, the city-type vocational villages (Kukcha, Kallyakhana, Tangkho-Shakhar and others) have been formed.
In AD 13 Chingiz-khan troops victoriously crossed these lands. During the Amir Timur's reign the city was rebuilt. The citadel is especially distinguished by its structure the city itself was surrounded with a wall. In suburb area  - "rabad" - the picturesque memorial complexes Hazret Imam, Zainaddin Kui Arifoni, Sheikhantaur and others have been erected. Some of them have been preserved to the present days. In AD 16 on the border of Shakhristan, Kukeldash medressah has been built. The city consisted of four parts named "dacha": Sheikhantaur, Kukcha, Sebzar and Beshagach dachas. Neighboring states and nomads have been repeatedly attacking Tashkent up to the AD 19, though the city managed to survive again and again.
Since 1930 Tashkent has become the capital of Uzbekistan. This is a large political and cultural center of the Republic. In 1991 Uzbekistan proclaimed its independence. During the recent years noticeable changes in a building culture have taken place in the capital. The number of sport and public facilities was erected. Among them - tennis court, sport complex "Djar", Oliy Majlis (Parliament) building and many others.

The Mosque of Khadji Ahrar

(originally the building of Mosque (it is also called Main Friday Mosque) was constructed in the middle of the 15 century at the top of Old Tashkent. It was the third among the largest Juma-Mosque of Uzbekistan. The founder of construction is famous Sheikh Ubaydulla Khoja Ahrar who was born in Bugustan village in the family of prophet Muhammad's descendants.

The Kukeldash Medressah

(It is one of some remained monuments in Tashkent. It was build in the second half of the 16th century in the time of Abdullakhan (1557-1598) under the ruler of Kulbobo Kukeldash, who was a vizier, a scientist and a poet. Medressah Kukeldash is under the authority of Religious Board of Movarounnahr Moslems, and at present it is regularly acting mosque. There is a primary school, which teaches the basis of Islam.

The Uspen Cathedral

The Uspen Cathedral was the center of Turkistan Eparchy, which was opened in June 1872 by the decision of Saint Synod. There was a solemn celebration, dedicated to the 125th anniversary in 1996. Patriarchy of Moscow and Russia Aleksey the 2nd was leading the ceremony. Nowadays the Cathedral is well-reconstructed stately building. The orthodox celebration are held here everyday

The Mausoleum of Kaffal-Shash

The Mausoleum (mazar) of Muslim Saint Abu Ibn Ismail Kaffal is situated among the mediaeval construction of complex Khast Imam. This construction was built in 1541; there is an appropriate inscription about it on the facade. The existing mausoleum of Abu Bakr Kafal was not the first on the grave of Saint, whose life and activity was concerned to the 10th century (he died in 976 year).

The Zangi-ata's Mausoleum

The Mausoleum is named after Sheikh Ai-Khoja, who was nicknamed Zangiata. It's construction is related to Amir Temur(the 14th century) and the final form of mausoleum was built by Ulugbek. It is partly preserved.

The Medressah of Sheikh Abul-Kasim

The construction is situated in People's Friendship Square. It is glaring example of Medieval architecture of Tashkent (the 16th century)

The Medressah of Barak-Khan

An ancient medressah of Barak-khan is situated in Khast-Imam district. It was build in 16th century, it was earlier than the construction of Kukeldash medressah. There is a residency of Muftiya, the head of Uzbek Moslems of the republic of Uzbekistan.

The Polish Catholic Cathedral

The construction of Polish Catholic Cathedral began in 1914 but on the resources of Polish Society of Tashkent but remained unfinished. At that time the construction was not finished. It is rebuilt some times. In present the building is well restored and catholic celebrations are held there everyday.

The Mosque and mausoleum of Sheikh Zainuddin (Kukcha)
Mosque and mausoleum of Sheikh Zainuddin was built in honour of Great Muslim Saint in the old part of Tashkent. Sheikh Zainuddin came to preach Muslim in Central Asia from Baghdad. After his death the mausoleum was erected to him (16th century) and the mosque was already built in our day and age. It has its minaret of 56 meters in height. The complex of mosque is one of the biggest religious monuments of medieval East and attracts many pilgrims from all ends of the world up to the present.

The Dutch Lutheran Church

The author of the project of Evangelical Lutheran Church is a famous architect A.L.Benua. There was the first celebration in 1899.For a certain time the church had been the part of the State Conservatoire. The church is functioning in the building of Kirhy everyday.

Mausoleum of Yunus-Khan

The mausoleum of Yunus-Khan is one of three monuments of the ancient architecture of Sheikhantaur complex, which remains undestroyed.

SAMARKAND

 One of the most ancient cities of the world existed under the name of Maracanda even by the middle of 1000 B.C. and was the capital of Sogdiana. Later the old part of ancient Samarkand was renamed Afrosiab. The early chronicles describe it as a prospering and densely populated city that was surrounded by 10 km wall. Samarkand became a trade center on the Great Silk Road. Because of its location, the city was influenced by the great civilizations of Iran, India, the Arabian world and China, combining spiritual and material culture.
The best heyday Samarkand achieved during Tamerlane's. Tamerlane, proved himself as the great commander and governor creating the biggest world empire in his time, which expanded from the Tian-Shan mountains as far as the Bosporus in the west, and from the Kazakh steppes in the north to Central India in the south.
Tamerlane's main aim was to make Samarkand "the capital of the world". He built a powerful fortress wall, magnificent places, mosques, madrassas, caravan-saraiys. From the central Registan square six broad streets span out like the sun's rays.
There were a plenty of markets nut each of which only sold one type of gods. Samarkand produced the best in the world paper and very proud of its fine velvet fabric. Just outside the citywide thirteen magnificent parks with cascades, fountains and palaces.
After Tamerlane's death, the empire collapsed, but still for a some time his grandson Ulugbek continued the building work, developing the sciences and crafts.
By the beginning 19 century Samarkand was under the authority of the Bukharian Emirate, and later under colonization of Russia. After the Russian revolution in 1917 and civil war from 1924 till 1930 it was the capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Under the Soviet regime Samarkand became a large industrial and cultural center of Uzbekistan.
Today Samarkand city has a population of 500000, the second largest city in Uzbekistan.

Nekropol Shih-in-Zinda (XI-XV)

It is situated on the southern decline of Afrosiab. It has mosques and madrassas around the mythical burial of the cousin of the prophet Muhhamet Khusein Ibn Abbas. Having begun to be built up in the XI century its final appearance was created in XIV-XV. All the mausoleums are finally decorated with glazed bricks on facades, cupolas and internal interiors.

Mausoleum Gur-Emir (XIV-XV)

It was built for Tamerlane's grandson - Mukhammad-sultan, but later became the burial-vault of the male half of the Timurids clan. Here lie scattered the ashes of Tamerlane himself, his sons and grandsons, including Ukugbek. The Mausoleum is decorated with blue and gold paint inside, while the walls and cupola are covered with gold ornaments and inscriptions.

Registan Square (XV-XVII)

It is architectural ensemble consisting of three madrassas: Sher-Dor (1619-1636), Tillya-Kori (1619-1636), and Ulugbek (1417-1420). The square was the public center of Samarkand. Even by 20-30 A.D. restoration works had been started and today tourists can see these masterpieces of medieval architecture in all their splendor. In the evenings on the square you can see an historical musical show.

The mosque Bibi-Khanum (1399-1404)

It was built in according with the order of Tamerlane after his successful Indian campaign. Tamerlane intended that the mosque should be the best of all the known monuments of the East. Masters, brought against their will from all corners of Tamerlane's Empire, were involved in the construction. The unique complex did survive because of mistakes in construction and the earthquake. Now it's restoration is almost completed.

The Observatory of Ulugbek (XV)

It was built on the high hill Chupan-Ata. Here Ulugbek together with Giyas-ed-din Djamshid im Kazi zade Rumi observed the stars and created the catalogue of 1118 stars with unbelievable accuracy for that time.
Archiological works exposed the underground part sextant and the foundations of the building with previously was three storeys and cylindrical in shape.
20 km away from Samarkand is the complex dedicated to Ismail al Bukhari, famous in the Moslem
world as the scientific theologial. The complex is built on the tomb of Al Bukhari and includes Mausoleum Al Bukhari, a mosque and library

BUKHARA

 Bukhara , one of the most ancient cities of the East is situated in one of oasis of the Kizilkum desert. The city has had several names at different times: Numiskat Maddaniat - Fakhira, Vikhara (translated from Sanskrit - monastery). First writing references relate to the 3 rd century B.C.

In the IX-th century Bukhara became the center of the powerful Samanid state.

At that time the trades and professions developed, the irrigation canals were constructed. The famous doctor and philosopher, Avicenna, spent his childhood here, and poet Rudaki composed his verses here and historian and poet Firdousi lived here, too. The Bukhara library was glorified. In the Middle Ages Bukhara became one of the religious centers of Asia : numerous mosques and madrassas (spiritual schools) were constructed.

In XVI century Bukhara became the center of the powerful Bukhara Khanate, which existed till the beginning of the XX-th century.

Modern Bukhara is the center of a large district in Uzbekistan . The city has a population of 200000 peoples.

Ark Fortress

Home to the rulers of Bukhara for over a millennium, the Ark is as old as Bukhara itself. The founding of the original fortress is blurred in antiquity, but it was certainly the focus around which developed the medieval town. The first fortress to be documented by local historians was built in the seventh century by the Bukhar Khudat Bidun, but after repeated collapse it was remodeled, on the advice of local soothsayers, to reflect the Great Bear constellation, only then to stand firm. Arabs built the first ever Bukhara mosque here in 713 on the smouldering ashes of a Zoroastrian temple. Samanids and Karakhanids fortified it from the ninth to the 12 th centuries with a series of ramparts, the Karakhitai and Khorezmshah destroyed and rebuilt it three times between them and finally, and indeed rather predictably, the Mongols pulverized it in 1220. The Ark finally began to take its present form in the 16 th century under the Uzbek Shaybanids and all its present buildings date from the last three centuries.

Zindan

The zindan or city jail, epicenter of Bukhara 19 th century notoriety, lurks hidden behind the Ark , next to the former Shakhristan Gate. The heavy, somber building was home to debtors, murderers, political prisoners, courtiers fallen from grace and 19 th century European guests all held in three diabolical cells, the most infamous of which was the Black Hole-a deep pit covered with an iron grill, accessible only via a long six meter rope-the true horror of which can only truly be appreciated from the bottom.

Registan

The leafy square lying at the foot of the Ark fortress is the Registan. This now deserted island of green was, until the Soviet era, the pulsating heart of the shahristan, serving multiple roles as market place, public square and execution ground.

Bolo Hauz Mosque (1712)

Every Friday, an exquisite spread of deep red Bukhara rugs would embellish the ground leading from the Ark to the -Mosque Near the Pool- and the splendidly attired emir would venture out from behind his fortress protection to atone for his sins under the splendid dome of the Bolo Hauz. Today, the carved stalactites of its elegant wooden pillars still carry echoes from the royal court mosque in the Ark and the high carved and painted decorations of the Bolo Hauz still draws an admiring faithful.

Chashma Ayub

In the days before Bukhara even existed, a millennium before Islam, the prophet Job came to the Zarafshan Valley and witnessed a great and terrible drought. As people perished of thirst around him, Job struck the dusty earth with his staff and a cool source of sweet spring water brought liquid salvation. The Chashma Ayub, the Spring of Job, commemorates this site.

City Walls

Just beyond the Chashma Ayub, the weathered remains of Bukhara 's broken city walls encase the bazaar in a series of Morse-code dots and dashes. Sand castle remains are all that is left of the original 25 kilometer bastioned wall-ten meters high, five meters thick and wide enough to sit cannon on its ramparts-that encompassed the Shakhristan and kept the hostile desert and its nomads at bay. Today the walls look like they have simply melted in the desert heat, but the Tallipach Gate still stands next to Pionner Lake and the Sheik Jalal Gate is still preserved to the southwest in the middle of Jeibor Street . Both Date from 16 th century renovation.

Ismail Samani Mausoleum (IX-X)

The mesmerizing tomb of Ismail Samani is an architectural bolt from the blue. It is also the oldest, best preserved and most breathtakingly original building in Bukhara and, without doubt, one of the architectural highlights of any visit to Uzbekistan . The almost perfect brick cube was built at the beginning of the tenth century and belongs to the great cultural resurgence of the Samanid dynasty (875-999). The tomb derives its name from the founder of the dynasty, Ismael, and contains not only his tomb but also that of his father Ahmed, his nephew Nasr and others of the Samanid line.

Kosh Madrassah

Kosh means "double" and is a general architectural term that can refer to any two opposing of facing halves of an ensemble. In Bukhara , it refers more specifically to the Modar-i-Khan and Abdullah Khan Madrassas, situated a few hundred meters from the southwest corner of the Registan towards the old Shirgaron Gate. Both were built on the orders of Abdullah Shaybani Khan (1533-1597), one of the greatest sponsors of religious and especially secular buildings Bukhara has ever seen. The smaller and less ambitious of the madrassah is the Modar-i-Khan (1566-7), built in two brief years at the beginning of Abdullah's reign, in honor of his mother ( modar in Persian). The Madrassah has an orthodox layout with restrained façade tile-work and reflects the uncertainty of Abdullah's early few years as ruler. It takes one look at the Abdullah Khan Madrassah opposite, built 23 years later, to realize that Abdullah probably loved himself more than he did his mother. The girikh designs of the façade are more complicated, the violets, greens, and whites more vibrant and the portal more impressive than his mother's opposite.

The Complex Poi-Kalyan

It includes a cathedral mosque Kalyan XV and minaret Kalyan of 1227. The facade of the mosque is coated by burnt brick and the domes and arches by the superb maintained mosaic with geometrical and vegetable designs. Minaret Kalyan is 69 m high and today it's the highest building in Bukhara and in the Islamic world. Each of the ten diametrical lines of minaret has its own geometrical pattern, made of the bricks. A magnificent "sky light" completes this minaret.

Chor-minor (1807) - is the original structure, a small mosque with four minarets.

Kukeldash Medressah (XVI), Lyabi-hauz Complex (XVII) - artificial basin is 36x46 m and 5m wide, Medressah and hanaka Divan-Beige (XVII) .

Cult architectural complex of Bahautdin Nakshbandi (XIV-XVII) - created in the burial place of Nakshbandi - a leader of Sufism, a creator of the religious warrant "Nakshbandi". The complex includes two large mosques, a tomb of Nakshbandi, a sacred well, a minaret, a basin, the stump of ancient mulberry tree ostensibly planted by Nakshbandi.

Sitorai-i-Mohihosa (XIX) - summer country residence of Emir of Bukhara. In the architecture, the influence of European architectural style is felt. There are the richest of interiors, where fretwork and wood carvings were used as well as alabaster, marble and true masterpieces of the Bukhara craftsmen. The huge garden where antelope-gazelle, peacocks and pheasants walked about harmoniously completes a unity of an architectural ensemble.

The Jeyran sanctuary is situated 40 kilometers from Bukhara near the Karaulbazar village, in the Kizilkum desert. On its huge territory animals are being preserved, such species as jeyran (steppe antelope), cheetah, horse of Prjevalski, among others. Tourists have the chance to observe rare species of animals in a natural setting.

Other monuments also of interest to tourists: Necropolis, ChorBakr (XVI), Miri-Arab Mausoleum and Medressah (XVI), Taki-Zargaron trading domes (XV-XVI), Magoki-Attari Mosque (XII-XVI).

Khiva

 It is one of the ancient cities in the world, was evidence of the rise and fall of Khorezm. The final appearance of old Khiva was formed at the end of XVII-th and the beginning of the XIX-th centuries. Today the old part of Ichan-Kala is called an open - air museum and guarded by UNESCO.

The rather small territory of Ichan-Kala holds - 2 palaces, more than 60 madrassas and small-sized mosques, mausoleums, a cathedral mosque, a covered market, caravan-sheds and bath-houses, and apartment houses. Igam-Kala is surrounded by a strong fortress like brick wall. Walking around the maze of narrow alleyways protected at both sides by facades of high houses with thick brick walls, crowned by merlons, and domes on corners, one is amazed by the architecture and skill of the local craftsmen. Not only the administrative and cult building, but also the apartment houses are decorated with dazzling bright tiles with incredible designs. Special to Khiva is the art of woodcarving. In the city all the columns, doors, gin and shutters are decorated with unique ornament. Khiva is famous for its carpets and jewellery, too.

Kunya - Ark (old fortress) XVII- XIX

It is a former official residence of Khiva khans. It contained office, arsenal, mint and a reception hall.

Djuma - mosque (1788-1789)

  The building itself is not remarkable from the outside, except for its 50m length and delicate entrance door design. Two hundred and twelve carved wooden columns support the ceiling. Many of them have even been brought from other cities and dated to the X-th century. Light filters inside only through two small opening in the roof. Inside the mosque there are excellent acoustics.

Tash - Khauli  Palace (1830-1838)

The Khiva khans lived here. There was a harem and a ceremonial court yard for official receptions. The facades of court yard and internal walls are coated by a blue majolica.

Pahlavan - Mahmud Mausoleum (1810-1825)

The single turquoise dome in Ichan-Kala crowns a mausoleum above a tomb.

Pahlavan - Mahmud - a poet and professional fighter and national hero. All the mausoleum's internal walls and ceiling and also the grave- stone are covered with magnificent tiles.

Minaret Kalta - Minor (short)

In 1951 it was conceived as the largest in Central Asia (diameter of bottom-14m). But for reasons unknown, the building was halted at a height of 26m. It is the only minaret entirely covered by a set of glazed bricks and majolica.

Islam-Khodja Minaret (1908)

Minaret is a symbol of Khiva, the shape of it ascends to early places- prototypes (Kunya - Urgench XIV) and very narrowed at its top. On the minaret, bands of brick masonry are alternated by a band of glazed pattern. Standing 44,6 high, the minaret has a base diameter of 9,5m.

30-40 kilometers from Khiva are the ruins of the ancient cities Ayaz-Kala, Gudurechi-Kala, Kizil-Kala and Ellik-Kala dating to IV-I-th centuries B.C. The most ancient is Toprak-Kala - capital of Khorezmshakhs. A day trip with a picnic in a yurt of Karakalpak people will bring you closer to the daily life of local people.

                 

Fergana  

 The Fergana valley - is situated in the east of Uzbekistan and surrounded from all sides by mountain ranges: Chatkalskiy range, Kuramiskiy, Ferganskiy, Alaiskiy and Tarkenstanskiy. Through the valley, flows the river Syrdarya with its numerous tributaries. It is well- known that 5-6 thousand years ago agriculture was already advanced here; pomegranates, ginger, grapes, walnuts and cotton were introduced by the Chinese in only II B.C. On the boundary of centuries through the Fergana valley the main transit road from China to Europe ( Silk Road ) passed. The Fergana valley was famous for it's -"celestial horses" as the Chinese called them. According to Chinese chronicles in II B.C., in this area one could count more than 70 cities in Fergana valley, the largest of them covering an area up to 40 hectares. One of the most famous medieval astronomers and mathematicians Akhmed Al Fergani was born here. After the Mongol invasion, the Fergana valley was destroyed and was only restored around XVI-th c. In XVIII-th c. the Fergana valley was created in independent state- Kokand Khanstvo with capital in Kokand . Khanate became stronger and towards the end of XIX-th c. (before the invasion of Russian troops) claimed a huge territory, including Semirechie, Tashkent oasis, the majority of Kirghizia and the flat part of Tajikistan .

Kokand

Kokand is a city with more than 200000 inhabitants and is considered to be the gates to the Fergana valley. The city is famous for its Khudoyarkhan's palace (XVI), in which there is now a colal history museum. Norbuta-Bia madrassah and Modarikhon mausoleum are also of interest to tourists.

Margilan

Margilan is a small city near the modern Fergana . The city was already well known in X-th c. by its silk industry. Today the only factory in the whole of Central Asia which produces silk fabric by hand is situated here. Here tourists can acquaint themselves with the manufacturing processes of silk, starting from unreeling cocoons till their painting. The complex Kaftarlik (XVIII) with a mosque, minaret, portal-dome mausoleum and original pigeon loft has been maintained.

Andijan

Andijan is the motherland of Zakhritdin Babur, descendant of the Timurids, founder of the great empire of Mongols in India . In the city there is a museum named after Babur.

Near Fergana there is the famous resort settlement of Shakhimardan. In order to reach this beautiful place you have to pass through Vuodil village and see the ancient plane tree which is more than 500 years old.

Rishtan, a small village situated 50 kilometers from Fergana , is famous for it skillful potters. Tourists can acquire his wonderful traditional Uzbek pottery right at the factory and the private workshops.

The nature of the valley is remarkable.

The Fergana valley is also the departure point for many trekking routes in the mountains of the Alay and Turkistan ridges, as well as for high-mountain expeditions heading for Lenin Peak (7134 m) and Communism Peak (7495 m).

Aydarkul

Aydarkul is called as geographic miracle, which was formed in waterless desert on southeast outskirts of Kizilkum.

Previously only excesses of drainage waters from the Jizzakh steppe occasionally drained into huge saline soil cavity. But in summer of 1969 the disastrous high water on the river Syrdarya exceeded throughput capacity of Chardarya hydrounit and water had to allocate in this cavity.

A lot of fish appeared in the lake that serves as the start of the industrial fishery. The region of Aydarkul has great possibilities for hiking and camel riding activities.

Mining settlement and gorge Sentyabsai

Already in V century gold was mined and smelted here, and now ancient traditions and lifestyle is kept by mountainous Tadjiks. Only in this village it is possible to see unique houses sheltered on abrupt declines of gorge and built from a local rock. Walking up about 8 km through the gorge you can have a rest and arrange picnic near small mountainous lake. A small river flowing in gorge creates a special microclimate in this heavenly spot on the border with lifeless desert.

Camel-riding in Central Kizilkum  

The base camp is situated in the desert among dunes 10 km apart from the settlement Yangikazgan. 2 yurts, toilet, douche are settled in the base camp. From this place we start our camel riding and from 2 up to 10 days trekking. The tourists can explore flora and fauna of desert. It is possible to arrange a folklore concert with picnic on the bank of the lake.

Nurata

Nurata is a small city, flattened by desert Kizilkum against the range Narrate, has an ancient history. Already in antique times here was a large settlement. Ruins of an ancient fortress and Khusan's mosque with basin for sacred fishes-place of pilgrimage of the local people reached the present times. The system of ancient water line  kyarizov operating from early centuries till now can also attract the attention of guests.

Sarmish mountain zone

It is located in Aktau Mountains just 35 km far from Nurata city. It is well-known stone picture gallery of primitive people. Here near the basalt rocks was founded more than 3,5 thousands well preserved pictures that depicts animals, people, hunting scenes.

Shakhrisabz

 It is small but ancient city, covered with legends, in piedmonts of Ghissar range.

Timur Taragai Tamerlane was born in the village of Hoja Ilgar , near the city, and his childhood years were spent there. Later, Timur promoted Shakhrisabz as he tried to increase its importance as a cultural and political center.

The city is rightly considered its own particular culture and an architectural school adopted by other Middle Age cities of the Timurids Epoch.

Even after establishing his capital in Samarkand Timur didn't forget his native city: returning back after his campaigns, he always rested first in Kesh, and only then entered the capital.

Timur arranged grandiose celebrations of his victories and marked them with construction of magnificent buildings in his cities. Samarkand and Shakhrisabz were the most frequently selected for the purpose. A door in each direction and colorful ornaments and traceries similar to those in Shakhrisabz are found in the buildings, bazaars, hotels, houses and chaikhanas.

The Ak-Sarai Palace (meaning "beautiful", "clean", "white", "light' in Turkic)

The passage of time and the changing of dynasties, wars and the flow of nature took their roll on the original striking beauty of the Palace. Only two pylons of the entrance arch and a small fragment of the eastern wall of this architectural masterpiece survived. However even these impress with the volume and the height of the building.

The most magnificent mausoleum is that of Jakhangir, Timur's son. He was talented war leader and statesman; Timur loved him more than any of his other sons.

Also there is the Kok-Gumbaz Mosque in Kesh which was designed and ordered by Ulugbek, and the town trade center Chorsu, still used today.

The cave of Tamerlane it is a fabulous nature and historical object located 80km far from Guissar Mountains . The cave is 500m in length, decorated with calcitive stalactites, stalagmites, and also with crystals that look like flowers. There is a small lake inside the distant hall. Entrance to the cave is located on the wall of vast canyon that also is interesting nature object.

There are also imprints of twenty steps of dinosaurs into the wall of the canyon.

Tash- Kurgan mountain settlement

It is very interesting too. Its locals preserved centuries- old customs and way of life. You can meet picturesque Zamasskiy canyon.

Termez

Termez - the most southern city of Uzbekistan is situated on the river Amudarya near the border with Afghanistan . The city was established in the III c. B.C. on the junction of trade routes to India and China . By I-II cc. A.D. under Kushan power Termez became a center of Buddhism and reached the peak of prosperity.

Already in that time the city occupied the area of 500 hectares. Today Termez is a modern city with a population about 100 000 persons.

For a long time the city was closed for tourists because of war in Afghanistan . But for the last years tourists can explore fascinating monuments of Greek, Buddhism and Moslem cultures.

The ruins of Buddhism caving monasteries in Kara-Tepa (II-IV cc.) - with inside cells and corridors hollowed in rock.

Buddhism complex Ayaz - Tepa (I c.) - with remains of ancient mortar Zurmana 4,5m diameter and altitude up to 8m.

Ensemble of mausoleums Sultan - Saodat (IX- X cc.) - with graves of aristocracy of Samanid period.

The ruins of the farmstead Kyrk - Kyz (IX-X cc.) - with is the monument of the serf period with blind walls, plenty of rooms, united corridors and different till the present time.

The Mausoleum of Khamid al Termezi (748-869)

It is a mathematician and philosopher, founder of one of the Sufis orders was built in IX-th c. The memorial complex is richly decorated by magnificent pottery carvings. In XV-th c. Tamerlan ordered to construct the marble gravestone wich is considered to be one of the masterpieces of ornamenting carving art.

The bridge -Drujba- Is massive construction - over the Amudarya river, connecting Uzbekistan with Afghanian village - Hairoton.

Kampyr - Tepe village - is famous for its medieval minaret Djakurgan

The local historical museum with exhibits of all periods devoted to the development of this area starting from the stone century till our time and good collection of flora and fauna samples is also a place of interest for many tourists.

BAISUN

Since recently, Baisun features on the Unesco List of intangible heritage. It is in the Baisuntau Mountains that early man inhabited during the Paleolithic period. Finds from cave sites of the area and rock paintings of magic hunting are on display at a number of museums, especially at the newly opened Museum in Termez. An important festival of folk music and avanguard fashion based on traditional costumes was held in May of 2002 and Baisun became the next cultural destination in Uzbekistan. Paleolithic rock paintings and a deeply rooted ancient culture, which is still lived today, make Baisun a unique place along The Great Silk Road. A local legend has it that Alpamish, an old wise man from Baisuntau, buried in the mountains a magic onion. The one, who will unearth it, will be blessed with eternal happiness. Peculiar to the Kashkadarya region is the village Jaynau Kazan. Its inhabitants are of direct Arabic descent that up to this day have preserved their Arabic language and the customs and traditions inherited from their ancestors.

DENAU

The name Denau means "new village". Situated along the Surkhandarya River, on the ancient road to Dushanbe, it is a small bustling town of 61000 inhabitants. Centuries ago, a stronghold of the Gissar/Hissar Khan, it was later named after Denau Beg, the Emir of Bukhara. The valley's subtropical climate makes is an ideal wine growing area, "Novbakhor", "Morastel" and "Uzbekistan" are renowned for their fine bouquet. With sugarcane from local plantations, Denau rum is produced. The Arboretum on the outskirts of town, named after R. Shreder, offers a stroll among more than 1000 different trees, flowers, herbs and other plants of the most varied cultures on earth, including kauchuk, bamboo, sequoia, 200 kinds of persimmon and a multitude of extremely rare species. Most of the plants were donated by visiting dignitaries and scientists from all over the world.

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