UZ Inspirations

Discover the country with Two Rivers from historic cities and remarkable architecture to local life and traditions.

City life & culture

Tashkent

Tashkent’s history stretches back more than 2,200 years. An important trading centre on the Silk Road, it is now Uzbekistan’s capital, combining historic neighbourhoods and craft traditions with contemporary art and modern city life.

Old TashkentDiscover the architecture of Hazrati Imam and the stalls of Chorsu Bazaar.
Applied ArtsExplore Uzbek textiles, ceramics and decorative traditions at the Museum of Applied Arts.
Contemporary ArtDiscover exhibitions at CCA Tashkent, housed in a reimagined historic industrial building.
Opera & BalletPlan an evening at the Alisher Navoi Theatre around its performance programme.

Silk Road architecture

Samarkand

Dating back to the 7th century BC, Samarkand became the capital of Amir Temur’s empire and a centre of art, architecture and astronomy. Today, its UNESCO-listed historic centre reveals that legacy through monumental squares, blue-tiled mausoleums and the remains of a medieval observatory.

Registan SquareExplore three monumental madrasas that reflect the city’s traditions of architecture, education and scholarship.
Shah-i-ZindaWalk between blue-tiled mausoleums and discover the intricate ceramic patterns and craftsmanship up close.
Gur-e-AmirVisit the dynastic mausoleum of Amir Temur, whose empire made Samarkand an imperial capital.
Ulugh Beg’s ObservatoryDiscover how fifteenth-century astronomers charted 1,018 stars through observations made without a telescope.

Craft & courtyard life

Bukhara

With more than 2,500 years of history, Bukhara became one of Central Asia’s great centres of trade and Islamic learning. Explore its UNESCO-listed old city on foot, following narrow lanes between trading domes, grand mosques and quiet courtyards, with time for craft workshops and tea by Lyabi-Hauz.

Poi-KalyanDiscover the twelfth-century Kalyan Minaret, the great mosque and the Miri-Arab Madrasa in one architectural ensemble.
Trading Domes & CraftsmanshipExplore sixteenth-century covered markets and shops displaying carpets, textiles and locally crafted pieces.
Samanid MausoleumDiscover a tenth-century landmark whose intricate geometric decoration is created through patterned brickwork.
Lyabi-Hauz & Old-City LifePause by the historic pool for tea, surrounded by madrasas and the lanes of the old city.

Within the city walls

Khiva

Khiva was a resting place for Silk Road caravans before the desert crossing to Persia. Today, its UNESCO-listed inner city, Itchan Kala, brings together tiled palaces, carved wooden columns and turquoise minarets within imposing fortress walls.

Itchan Kala & the City WallsExplore the gates, lanes and historic buildings enclosed by the walls of Khiva’s inner city.
Juma MosqueDiscover a quiet hall supported by more than 200 carved wooden columns from different periods.
Tash Hauli PalaceExplore nineteenth-century palace courtyards decorated with blue-and-white tiles, carved columns and painted ceilings.
Kalta MinorSee the turquoise-tiled minaret left unfinished in 1855, now one of Khiva’s most recognisable landmarks.

Silk, ceramics & craftsmanship

Fergana Valley

For generations, the Fergana Valley has been a centre of silk weaving, ceramics and craftsmanship. From the looms of Margilan to the workshops of Rishtan and the palace of Kokand, discover a region where history lives on through the work of local makers.

Margilan Silk & WeavingDiscover how threads are dyed and woven into traditional atlas and adras fabrics, following skills passed down through generations.
Rishtan CeramicsVisit pottery workshops to explore the blue and turquoise glazes, hand-painted patterns and techniques that distinguish Rishtan ceramics.
Kokand & Khudoyar Khan PalaceExplore the tiled façade, decorated interiors and courtyards of a nineteenth-century palace that tells the story of the Kokand Khanate.
Local Markets & CuisineBrowse local bazaars and discover the valley’s food traditions, including regional plov prepared with devzira rice.