Uzbekistan Things to Do

  Peppers for dinner
by TheWanderingCamel
 
  • Peppers for dinner
      Peppers for dinner
    by TheWanderingCamel
  • Children playing
      Children playing
    by TheWanderingCamel
  • How many ways can you dry an apricot?
      How many ways can you dry an apricot?
    by TheWanderingCamel
  • Non for you
      Non for you
    by TheWanderingCamel
  • Very decorative
      Very decorative
    by TheWanderingCamel
 
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Islamic art marvels

by kokoryko

The Khans of Khiva were also friends of arts: Islamic art marvels One could write pages and pages about the decoration of the palaces, mosques and madrassas. Most of the buildings in Khiva are recent ones, not older than 200 years. In 1967, the Soviets decided to make Khiva a museum city and many places have been renovated, but many are in their original state. These slave trading (this was not their only activity!) khans, these bloodthirsty tyrants, were also friends of arts, may be they even considered themselves as good Muslims when they decided to build the mosques and madrassas. There are tens of mosques and Madrassas in Khiva (not telling about the palaces), and it might be a bit boring showing all of these buildings and their decorations; so just few examples of Islamic decoration of Khiva. Main picture: The ceiling of the “harem” in Tash Khaouli palace; floral motifs and amazing...

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Khiva: Pahlavan Mahmoud’s blessing

by kokoryko

Pahlavon Mahmoud, the holy Kurach , the wrestler, a local hero and the “holy” patron of the city gives his blessing to people who visit him for various purposes.A mausoleum has been built where he had his workshop and it later it became a pilgrimage place. A cemetery with big tombs has been laid out nearby for the rich people of Khiva in the 19th century. Main picture: Who is looking for a blessing? Young married people of course! Strangely the bride does not wear a scarf, she may not be a Muslim, but in that case, why go for a blessing in a Muslim mausoleum? All this is tradition, and people go just in case. . . it may work, believe in religion or not! And it is just a nice place to go with friends and family.Picture 2: The “wedding party” just leaves the mausoleum; Picture 3: Nice young faces from the wedding party; are they curious? Are they a little bit jealous of the bride? Notice...

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Khiva is also an oasis .

by kokoryko

The legend says Khiva was founded by Noah’s son Sem: walking in the Kara Koum Desert with his tribe, he had a dream and asked his men to build a sand hill; the men became thirsty and dug a well for water and when they hit the water table, they exclaimed: “khei-vak”, water; since Sem traced the first outline of the city and the well still exists in a private yard at the North-West corner of the old city.Khiva does not look like a North African or Arabic oasis with their high palm trees; here are are tamarix trees, poplars, robinias, lots others and very rich coloured gardens everywhere. Many wells are in the yards of the madrassas, on public places, and some are even in use by locals. Of course now a public water system runs in the city and is used to water the numerous public gardens. Main picture: Hibiscus, hollyhocks, purple leaves and the jade green Kalta Minor as background.Picture...

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Khiva is an open air museum.

by kokoryko

No battle for the conquest, dry desert air, population living now outside the walls. . . . strange city which has been very well preserved! Khiva was on the silk road until the 15th century , then was just an important oasis in the desert where the local Khans lived on slave trade among other sorts of commercial activities. This did not prevent from being good Muslims and build mosques with minarets, madrassas (coranic school), and other buildings.The base material for construction is the small brown brick made with the clay and loess from the Amu Daria valley. The whole city is grey-brown and this gives an outstanding effect to the mainly green-blue decorations of all religious buildings.This city is not a living city. .The only place with some life near the old walls is the former caravansaray Allakuli Khan, just outside the eastern wall which is now the bazaar, active only in the...

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Khiva: Various ways to cross the Kizyl Koum desert

by kokoryko

To reach Khiva, from where ever on the planet, you have to cross at least a part of either the Kara Koum (Black Sands Desert) or the Kizyl Koum Desert (Red Sands Desert). There are different ways to do it:Walking, trekking, as did people until less than one century ago, and few people do it nowadays; in summer heat and lack of water are the worst enemies of the trekker, then there are sandstorms from time to time. . In winter it is pretty cold there and a trekker alone may have some difficulties.Caravans and armies did it with big logistical support, had more or less success (Russian General Perovsky entered the desert in Autumn 1840 with 10000 camels and 5000 men; he had to return and came back in January with 1500 men and less than 1000 camels!)Today it is more advisable to reach Khiva by plane (via Urgench), by bus or by car.A way to reach (or leave) Khiva is by road with two...

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Khiva: Luckily, the slave traders are cowards. . .

by kokoryko

When General Kauffman and the Russian army arrived in sight of Khiva, on May 23rd 1873 , after a long journey in the Kizyl-Koum desert, Mohammed Rakhim Khan II (also known as Feruz Khan), fled in the desert with parts of his troops and the city surrendered without fighting, and above all, without any heavy cannon shot. The ramparts we see today are the ones General Kaufmann discovered when arriving from the desert.No fight to conquer the city, walls and all monuments have been preserved from damage, the good side of cowardice. . . or more probably realism, as the Khan probably was not in the situation to resist for a long time.From the ramparts, the old city of Khiva with its monuments all tourists come to visit here, be it by loads of buses, or individual travellers, is well seen as a whole and shows an impressive architectural unity.The 2200 m long walls enclose the old city, Ichon...

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Visit the Asian Bazaar

by aliante1981

An Asian bazaar is an experience in itself, featuring a great number of colours, smells, tastes, and, above all, people....As you make your way through noise and jostling crowd (attracted, perhaps, by amazingly fresh-looking and tasty fruits:)) ) do remember to bargain!I know I always fail to follow this advice myself (I am not made for this I am afraid....), but this is what people expect. And for them a quick sale would be a disappointment...You feel like people are more interested in you than in making you buy something:))

Khiva, the 'Carcassonne of the...

by lotharlerch

Khiva, the 'Carcassonne of the Silk Road'. (as 'Carcassonne' as Amsterdam or St. Petersburg are 'Venice'), the well fortified capital of Chorezm in the 'Wild West' of Uzbekistan. It has perfectly kept its mediaeval shape although you soon find out when reading the short descriptions on the brass plates on almost every building that much of it was erected at a time when they started to rise the first skyscrapers in Manhattan - but here at that time still even Europeans (Russians) were sold on the slave market. It is an other timescale here in Central Asia... Of course you can also find some older buildings, for example the big Friday mosque where some of the hundreds of columns are up to 900 years old. All is excellently preserved but there is -other than in Bukhara or Samarkand - no real life in its walls although you will find it full of people under daytime. But these people,although...

Samarkand, once the capital of...

by lotharlerch

Samarkand, once the capital of one of the biggest enmpires in history, with fascinating buildings around the Registan square, Bibi Khanum mosque. Necropolis Shah-ir-Zinde, excavations of Afrosiob, the town before Tamerlan came, Ulug Beg observatory. See also my Samarkand page!

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Khiva

by bijo69

Visiting Khiva's old town is like stepping back in time, although the town itself is a lot younger than bigger Samarkand or Bukhara.Khiva's most prosperous time was in the 19th century, being the last great oasis on the caravan route towards Russia.Do visit the Tash Khauli palace, built in the 19th century, with its beautifully painted ceilings, the Kunya Ark (old citadel) and the madrases and mosques.

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Fun things to do in Uzbekistan

Top 3 Hotels in Uzbekistan

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Things to Do: Cities in Uzbekistan
  1. Tashkent Things to Do
  2. Samarkand Things to Do
  3. Bukhara Things to Do
  4. Tashkent Things to Do
  5. Khiva Things to Do
  6. Fergana Things to Do
  7. Samarkand Things to Do
  8. Shahrisabz Things to Do
  9. Nurata Things to Do
  10. Marghilon Things to Do
  11. Qo'qon Things to Do
  12. Farg'ona Things to Do
  13. Qarshi Things to Do
  14. Stantsiya Termez Things to Do
  15. Nukus Things to Do
  16. Andijon Things to Do
  17. Uchkuduk Things to Do
  18. Kashgar Things to Do

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Myself and my wife are considering combining Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan in a two week plus trip in the summer of 2012. We are well... 

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A: It would help if you had more info, as opposed to none, in your profile, so that we would know your country of residence. However, I hazard a guess that it is Canada? ... 

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