TASHKENT

Tashkent is one of the largest ancient cities in Central Asia — the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The first information about Tashkent as an urban settlement is contained in the ancient Eastern Chronicles of the II century BC; in Chinese sources it was called Yuni; in the inscription of 262 BC Persian king Shapur I on the «Kaaba Zoroaster» Tashkent oasis was called Chach. Chach was a crossroads on the way exports gold, precious stones, spices and excellent horses to other cities and States. Today Tashkent, translated from Uzbek as «Stone city», is the capital of the modern Republic, keeping the evidence of the past, the memory of many events in the history of Uzbekistan, is one of the largest industrial centers of Central Asia, with a population of more than 2 million people.

The capital of the country is Tashkent, located in the foothills of the Tien Shan, in the heart of a blooming oasis in the valley of the Chirchik river. For many centuries Tashkent was the intersection of various trade routes, which formed an extremely diverse appearance of the city. The first information about ancient Tashkent appears in the Eastern Chronicles of the II century BC. Caravans going along the Great silk Road passed through the city of Shash (the ancient name of Tashkent). In VIII—XI centuries the city was called Binkent. Favorable location predetermined the choice of the capital of the Republic in our days. Manuscripts claim that in ancient times there were beautiful palaces among green gardens, mosques and shady streets.

During its existence, the city has suffered both UPS and downs, but always remained at the intersection of international trade, as well as being a center of culture and art. There are many mosques, mausoleums (one of the best — the Mausoleum of Yunus Khan), minarets, there are active, Kukeldash madrasah (XV century, recently restored), madrasah Barak-Hanai madrassah Abdul Kasim-eshon (XVI century), scenic Jami mosque (XVI C), Mirza Yusuf (XIX century) and Hayrabat-eshon (XVIII—XIX centuries). There are also Orthodox churches, a convent, churches, including even the Polish Church — the tolerance of local rulers was known far beyond the country.

You can visit historical museums, such as the Museum of Art of Uzbekistan, containing more than 4,000 exhibits (including artifacts of the Sogdian period, Buddhist statues, whose age is more than 1 thousand years, and religious objects of Zoroastrianism), and the Museum of History of Uzbekistan. The most beautiful Museum of the city — the Museum of the history of Timurids (Amir Temur Museum), is located in the heart of the city and deserves a visit to the wealth of its exposition. Also very interesting to visit and the old part of Tashkent — Eski Shahar. Despite the strong earthquakes constantly occurring in this seismically active area, many old buildings and streets are surprisingly well preserved. Against the background of Kukeldash madrasah — Chorsu is not just the largest and richest shopping center of the city, but also the embodiment of all the legends about the Ancient East.

Today the capital of Uzbekistan is the largest cultural center not only of the country, but also of the whole Central Asia. Conservatory, 9 theaters (including the world-famous State academic Bolshoi Opera and ballet theatre. Navoi), concert and exhibition halls, stadiums, swimming pools, libraries, parks, blooming gardens and fountains will not leave anyone indifferent. Tashkent TV tower is the highest building in Central Asia (height — 375 meters).

Historical and architectural monuments of Tashkent:

· Kukeldash madrasah (14C).,

· Mausoleum of Kaffal-Shashi (15B).,

· Architectural ensemble of Hazrati Imam (16B).,

· Medrese of Abul Kasim (19th century).,

· Madrasah Barak — Khan (16V).,

· Juma mosque (19c).,

· Amir Temur Museum — a masterpiece of modern architecture,

· Amir Temur Square,

· Mustakillik Square,

· The Area Of Friendship Of Peoples,

· Monument Of Courage,

The Square Of Hasti Imam,

· Tilla Sheikh mosque,

· Hadra Square,

· Mausoleum Of Sufi OTA.

SAMARKAND

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world. Known since the middle of the 1st Millennium BC as Markand, mentioned in the Chronicles of the era of Alexander the Great as the legendary Sogdian Afrasiab, and in the days of Genghis Khan has already gained its modern name. In the era of Amir Timur and his grandson Ulugbek, the city was called the Great Samarkand. In the XIV—XV centuries. the city entered a period of unprecedented prosperity — and erected the citadel walls, laid wide streets, erected magnificent architectural ensembles — El-Registan, Shahi-Zinda, the mausoleum Gur-Emiri Bibi Khanum, and on the perimeter of the city surrounded with the extremity of a giant ring of 13 huge parks and gardens.

Samarkand amazes with the decoration of its buildings-monuments, it is here that the art of glazed cladding has reached its highest point — there is not the slightest area of the surface of buildings without decoration. And such an unrestrained abundance of multicolored ornamental paintings, gilding and glazed facings, does not know any architecture of the world either before or after. A striking example is mareseille-Kari (XVII C.), have received even the name «Gilt» thanks to the interior of the dome of the hall, made painting «kundal». Such solid gilding of huge areas not even know the celebrated masters of Timur.

The main attraction of the city is one of the most beautiful squares in the world Registan (El-Registan, XV—XVII century), surrounded by so many majestic ancient buildings, minarets and mausoleums that the area itself seems a giant exhibition hall history. Especially impressive is the meeting of sunrise, when deep shadows create the most fantastic combinations of forms and show the most imperceptible at first glance features of the pattern of filigree stone carving decorating the walls and portals of the buildings surrounding the square.

In the southern part of the settlement of Afrasiab unique stretches the necropolis of Shakhi-Zinda, the street is a cemetery, formed by standing on both sides of mosques and mausoleums XI–XV centuries. Closer to the city center rise the giant ruins of the Bibi-Khanym mosque, which was built by order of Timur, as the largest building in the East. Its dome in ancient times was compared with the vault of heaven, and the arch of the portal — with the Milky Way. There is also a mausoleum of Timur and his descendants — Gur-Emir, striking with its perfect proportions and proportionality of forms resembling a giant blue Tulip. The panels of its inner walls are made of yellow-green marble, painted with blue paint and gilded so that in the dome space creates the effect of flickering and airiness of the entire internal volume of the tomb.

The history of Samarkand — has about 2750 years, and architectural monuments Dating back to the reign of the Timurid dynasty are as important as the architectural masterpieces of ancient Egypt, China, India, Greece and Rome.

Historical and architectural monuments of Samarkand:

· The ancient settlement Afrosiyob (the 8th century BC.)

· Observatory Of Ulugbek (1428-1429),

· Architectural ensemble of Shahi Zinda.

· Hazrat hizr mosque (mid-19th century).)

· Bibi Khanum Mosque (1399-1404).

· Ulugbek Madrasah (1417-1420)

· Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619-1635/36).

· Tillya-Kori (1647-1659/60).

· Chorsu Bazaar (late 18th century).)

· Rukhabad mausoleum (1380s).

· Mausoleum Of AK-Saray (1470).

· Gur-Emir Mausoleum (1404).

· The mosque of Namozgoh (17th century).

· Mausoleum Of Ishrat Khona (1464).

· The ensemble of Hoja Ahror (15-20 century).

· The Mausoleum Of Chupon ATA (1430-440).

· The cemetery of Hoja Abdu derun (15-19vv.)

· Imam al-Bukhari memorial complex

BUKHARA

Bukhara is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, an old legend says that the light of grace descends from the sky on all Muslim cities, and only above Bukhara it rises. This amazing city did not go beyond its city wall, built in the XVI century., and contained more than 200 madrassas and many bazaars, which could, without exaggeration, buy everything! Walk on the Old Bukhara, founded in the first centuries BC, have literally on the monuments of ancient civilizations. Its present shape the city acquired during the Ming dynasty and Sheibanids ashtarkhanids in XVI—XVII centuries, when it was built most of its amazing mosques and madrassahs, caravanserais and baths, city walls and gates, and large architectural ensembles and tombs. Up to now preserved the walls of old citadel, more than 140 architectural monuments of Muslim era (the minaret of Kalyan (XII century), Kukeldash and Ulugbek (XI—XVI centuries), Lyabi-Hauz (XVI—XVII CC.), mausoleum of Ismail Samani (IX—X CC.), etc.), wonderful neighborhoods and narrow streets of the old town.

The pearl of the city is a small mausoleum of the Sassanid dynasty, which recently celebrated its Millennium. At a distance, this extremely proportional tomb looks like a carved Golden casket, crowned with a low dome. Close to many tourists ‘ surprise, literally, «eyes on the forehead climb» — the whole mausoleum is built of ordinary brick, but the skill with which performed masonry and intricate carvings (brick by brick) creates a play of light and shadow, the whole appearance of the mausoleum is filled with air and perfect grace. The architectural symbol of Bukhara — the Great Kalyan Minaret, built in 1127, and considered one of the highest in Asia-is made in such a technique. With a circular gallery at the lantern minaret with a spectacular panorama of ancient Bukhara — the famous square POI-Kalyan (formed by the Great Minaret, Kalyan mosque and Miri-Arab, built in 1536), Chashma-Agrob (1380), ARH fortress (XVIII—XX centuries), a unique mosque Magoki-Attari, the mausoleum of Buyan Kuli Khan with fine terracotta finishing of walls, wonderful conglomeration of domes market Toki-Zargaron and many other beautiful monuments.

Labi-Hauz is the centre of another magnificent monument of Bukhara. «House» — a pond, and probably not worth talking about the role played by the ponds in the life of this city, lying on the edge of the hot deserts. Here is Labi house — rectangular, with cut corners pool, framed by three monumental madrassas XVI–XVII centuries, was once the focus of social life of the city.

Bukhara — «city Museum», has more than 140 architectural monuments of the middle ages. Such ensembles as POI-Kalyan, KOs Madras, Ismail Samani mausoleum, Kalyan minaret and others built 2300 years ago attract great attention to this day. Famous poets like Narshahi, Rudaki and dakika, scientist Avicenna and others played an important role in the development of Bukhara.

Historical and architectural monuments of Bukhara:

· Arc (11-20vv).

· An ensemble of Bola-Hauz (beginning of the 18-20 C).

· Mausoleum of Samani (9th-10th CC).

· Mazars Chashmai-Ayub (1380 or 1384/85).

· Madrasah of Abdulla-Han (1596/98).

· Madrasah of Madari-Han (1556/57).

· Baland mosque (early 16th century).

· An ensemble of Gaukushon (the Mosque, Minaret, Madrassah), (16).

· Honaka Zainutdin Khoja (1555).

· Ensemble of POI-Kalon (12-14 in).

· An ensemble of Lyabi-Khauz (16th-17th C).

· Kukeldash Madrasah (1568/69).

· Hanaka Of Nodir Nodir Divan Begi (1620).

· Ulugbek Madrasah (1417).

· Madrassah Of Abdullaziz Khon (1652).

· The Mosque Of Bola Hauz (1712).

· Mausoleum of Sayfiddin Boharzi (second half of 13th century-14th C.).

· The mausoleum of Violent Kuli Han (the second half of 14, 15 or 16 V.)

· Namazgoh mosque (12-16 C).

· Hanaka Faizabad (1598/99).

· Chor-minor (1807).

· Palace of Bukhara Emir Sitorai Mohi Hoss (late 19th-early 20th century).

· Chor-Bakr — the burial Place of the family of Sheikh Zubairi (1560/63).

KHIVA

Khiva is a real city-reserve. Legend has it that it was founded by Shem himself, the son of the legendary Noah. Once one of the main centers of the Great silk road, in the XVI century. it was the capital of the Timurid dynasty and served as the main slave market and the center of the khanate for the next three centuries, until the entry into the Russian Empire. It is useless to describe the city with words, it should be seen. It survived more than a hundred of monuments of different epochs and peoples — the ancient city wall, the citadel of kun-Ark, Icheon-Kala — the walled inner city, the Palace Tash Hawley, rabad Dishan-Kala, the minarets of the madrasah of Islam-Khoja, Muhammadamin Khan and Kalta-Minor, Juma mosque with 218 pillars, the mausoleum of Mahmoud Pahlavi, and many other unique structures. Morning and evening are the best time to visit Khiva.

The mystical city of Khiva managed to preserve the exotic image of the Eastern city in the ancient part of Ichan-Kala, where numerous monuments of architecture are located.

Historical and architectural monuments of Khiva:

· Ichan-Kala: the Mosque and Madrassah of said-Bay (end of 18th century.- the beginning of the 19th century.);

· near the Palvon Darvoz gate.

· Madrasah Allakulikhan (1834/35).

· Madrassah of Kutlug-Murad-inak (1804/12).

· The Tim and the caravanserai of Allakulikhan (19c).

· Madrasah Of Abdulla Khan (1865).

· Mosque and the Chamber of Anush-Khan (1657).

· Tash-Hauli (Palace of Allakulikhan) (1830/36).

· OK mosque (1832/42).

· Juma Mosque and Minaret (1788/89).

· Mausoleum of said Alauddin (14th century BC).

· Madrasah Of Muhammad Amin Khan (1851/52).

· Minaret Of Kalta Minor (1855).

· Kunya-Ark (1868/88).

· The Minaret Of Tura-Murat-Tur (1888).

· Madrasah of Muhammad Amin Khan (1871).

· Shirgaziz Khan madrasah (1718/20).

· Bagland Mosque (19th century).

· Madrassah Of Arabhan (1838).