TOP 7 LITTLE-KNOWN TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN UZBEKISTAN

Karakalpakstan, which occupies almost a third of the entire territory of Uzbekistan, has a very attractive offer for a large variety of tourists. One of the main centers of attraction for travelers in the region is the State Museum of Art named after I. V. Savitsky in Nukus, where the largest collection of Turkestan and Russian modernism of the first half of the 20th century is presented.

The dried-up Aral Sea, which has become a symbol of a world-class environmental catastrophe, has also become a tourist attraction. The ship cemetery in the former fishing port of Muynak with its apocalyptic landscape attracts photographers from all over the world. Finally, for several years, the electronic music festival Element has been here. A rich and variable offer indeed.

Another of the less-known destinations in Uzbekistan is the Zaamin National Natural Park in the Jizzakh region. The total area of ​​the park, located two to three hours from Tashkent, is 26,840 hectares. Of these, 8,770 hectares is the territory of the Zaamin State Reserve, created back in 1968 on the mountain range of Turkestan in order to preserve unique juniper forests and wildlife.

The vegetation of Zaamin deserves special attention, for which it received the name “Uzbek Switzerland”. About 700 species of unique plants grow on the territory of the reserve, 13 of which are listed in the Red Book. The fauna of the reserve is also diverse, from bears to snow leopards.

Finally, 2,000 meters above sea level there is a sanatorium where there are all the necessary conditions for carrying out climate-prophylactic and climate-therapeutic procedures for people with respiratory diseases and diseases of the nervous system.

The famous commander Amir Timur was born in the small village of Khoja-Ilgar near Shakhrisabz in the Kashkadarya region. The history of the city goes back to the 3rd century BC., and in ancient Chinese chronicles, it is mentioned that the ancient city of Suse was located on this site, the ruler of which was the first to establish trade relations with China. Later, Shakhrisabz became the first capital of the Timurid Empire.

Today, the historic center of the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Many objects of the Timurid era have been preserved there. These are the remains of the fortress wall built under Amir Timur, the ruins of the ancient Aksaray palace. Nearby are the cathedral mosque Kok-Gumbaz, the Dorut-Tilovat memorial complex, the mausoleums of Dorus-Saodat, Shamsad-Din Kulyal, Gumbazi-Seyidan and many more.

The next little-known destination in Uzbekistan is located in the Navoi region - the Sarmishsay tract with Stone Age petroglyphs. According to the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, in the Neolithic era tribes of hunters and fishermen of the Keltaminar culture settled there. The convenient location of the tract, the presence of fresh water and many animals made Sarmishsay a place for performing various rituals.

The petroglyphs of Sarmyshsay differ in age, style and plot. Basically, they are images of bulls-turs, which belong to the Stone and Bronze Ages, as well as images of deer, goats in the animal style, typical of the art of the Scythian tribes. The size of the territory of the Sarmishsay “gallery of petroglyphs” is truly huge - 20 square kilometers. According to estimates, more than 10 thousand petroglyphs are located here.

If you ask any Uzbek where you can buy a product made of pure silk, he will say Margilan. According to a legend, the name of this Uzbek destination is associated with Alexander the Great, who named it in honor of the dish Murgenon, with which he was met by locals. The history of Margilan, located in the center of the Great Silk Road, goes back to the 2.-1. centuries BC.

Margilan is famous for its ancient traditions of manufacturing unique types of silk fabrics, created on the basis of the ancient technique of “abrbandi”.

Now there are three silk factories in Margilan - Yodgorlik, Fayzulodin and Atlas. The Yodgorlik factory is especially popular among tourists. For many decades, the manual method of producing ancient fabrics on ancient wooden hand spinning looms has been carefully stored here. Margilan also annually hosts the Atlas Bayrami international silk festival, which demonstrates more than 300 types of atlas and adras, carpets, garments and other products.

Kokand, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, is another less-known destination in Uzbekistan. In the past it was an important point on the Great Silk Road, with trade, various arts and crafts (pottery, woodcarving, etc.) having developed in the city. Today it is a major center of handicrafts.

Some of the most beautiful sights here include the magnificent palace of the last ruler of the Ferghana Valley, Khudoyarkhan, the Jami Mosque, Norbut-Biya Madrasah, Madarikhan Mausoleum, Emir Madrasah and the tomb of Dakhma-i-Shakhon. The palace complex of Khudoyarkhan was built in 1871 in the traditional style of Central Asian architecture and is distinguished by rich external and internal decoration, carved and painted patterns in oriental style.

Qarshi is the capital of Qashqadaryo Region and the final less-known destination in Uzbekistan on our list. The most interesting attraction of the city can be considered the Qarshi Bridge, built in 1583 in Persian style. The construction was launched at the initiative of Abdullah Khan II, who tried to make the settlement attractive to trade caravans. Since then, the bridge has become one of the symbols of the city.

There are many other historical monuments in Qarshi. These include the memorial complex of the famous Prophet Muhammad Abu Ubayd ibn al-Jarrokh, the only madrassas and mosque for women in Central Asia, the Kok-Gumbaz Cathedral Mosque, Kilichboy madrasah, Khuzha Abdulaziz madrasah and many more.