Top Things to do in Uzbekistan
10 Sights & Landmarks in Uzbekistan That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan including Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Itchan Kala, Bibi Khanym Mosque, Gur Emir Mausoleum, Great Minaret of the Kalon, Samanid Mausoleum, Teleshayakh Mosque, Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, Chor-Minor.
Restaurants in Uzbekistan
1. Registan
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,737 reviews
The centerpiece of the city is one of the most important monuments of Islamic arts.
Reviewed By kterziyski - Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The most well-known sightseeing spot of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and Central Asia...at least! Also a UNESCO world heritage site. You will definitely want to visit it several times. Marvel the intricate details, enter the shops and interact freely with the merchants. Chances are, you may be actively invited to. You will not be pressed to buy anything, but I bet you will. As a nice souvenir, try to find a 200 som bill (not easy, I got one as a change in a metro station in Tashkent) and keep it! Return when the sun has set for a different view of the square...If you are lucky as we were, you may witness a nice light show!
2. Shah-i-Zinda
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 881 reviews
This street has tombs belonging to Timur and his family and favorites that are decorated with the city's finest majolica tilework.
Reviewed By noviliasjafrib
Shah i Zinda, comes from Persian which means "The Living King". Consists of several buildings in the form of mausoleums and other buildings including the mosque. Built from the 9th to the 14th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda is connected to Kusam Ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad who was buried here, who came to Samarkand along with the Arab invasion in the 7th century.
3. Itchan Kala
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 560 reviews
The ancient town has many undamaged monuments such as the Djuma Mosque.
Reviewed By PandaHouston - Houston, United States
Itchan Kala is the name given to the area inside the Khiva fort walls. We paid 150000 som for the VIP ticket which allows for 2 days of entry. There are different tickets and the VIP ticket cost the most which allows you go climb the minaret and the watchtower. The tickets are good for entry into museums and palaces and mosques. Some of the museums are not really worthwhile. This entire area is free of cars. There are souvenir stalls set up along the side of the pedestrian road. We spent 2 nights in Khiva and really enjoyed it at a relaxed pace. You can also walk along the wall. There is a steep ramp at the North Gate Entrance.
4. Bibi Khanym Mosque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 601 reviews
Built between 1399 and 1404, this was one of the Islamic world's biggest mosques which crumbled for centuries before collapsing in an 1897 earthquake.
Reviewed By davidhZ7783PK
Breath taking. Recognize that, like all the other historic buildings in Samarkand, the mosque has been rebuilt from near-rubble, with little of the original structure remaining. However, I my opinion, it’s a lot better this way.
5. Gur Emir Mausoleum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 769 reviews
The grave of Timur, built in 1404.
Reviewed By Moonamuslim
An impressive building in terms of architecture and artistic design - from the outside, but even more from the inside. Decorated and restored with great dedication down to the smallest detail. In good condition. The building includes the typical Uzbek turquoise / blue dome. The interior is wonderfully decorated. The walls are provided with hexagonal onyx tiles and is lavishly painted, the dominant colors are blue and gold. It looks amazingly great and makes a real oriental feeling, when you like architecture. The Gur Emir Mausoleum in Samarqand is the burial place of Timur Lenk and some family members, including Ulug Beg. It was built in the early 15th century and is considered as an outstanding example among the Timurids architecture. The mausoleum was commissioned during Timur's reign and was originally intended for his favorite grandson. The main entrance to the mausoleum complex is formed by a large arch 12 m high. The interior of the mausoleum has a square floor plan, which is enlarged by four niches, creating a cruciform space. Incredible for this time, when it was built. Looks also great in the evening with all the lights. Below the main room there is a crypt with a flat brick vault, in which the actual gravestones are located. The crypt is accessible, but you have to take the entrance, which is outside the mausoleum. Blessing, curse - superstition? A nice anecdote and certain facts, in any case. Timur (Tamleran) - the conqueror, the one that created terror for the Ottoman Empire and folk hero of Uzbekistan - was excavated by the Soviets in 1941. According to legend, the evil spirit of the warrior was kept in the crypt. It is said that Timur's tomb was inscribed with the words, "When I rise from the dead, the world shall tremble". Two or three days after Timur's exhumation, the German army invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. And the turn of the war in Stalingrad took place shortly after Timur was buried again according to Muslim religious customs and rites, in 1942. Timur founded the Timurid Empire in Central Asia and becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. He is regarded and revered as a folk hero in Uzbekistan, since it is independent. A visit to the mausoleum has to be part of a trip to Uzbekistan.
6. Great Minaret of the Kalon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 660 reviews
Reviewed By fivestarholidays - Chennai (Madras), India
It is an imposing structure in old town Bukhara. It is beautiful but only to enjoy the sight from outside. Entry is not permitted. We also visited the centre to see the Minaret in the night with the streets empty. Beautifully lit is was an amazing sight.
7. Samanid Mausoleum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 468 reviews
Reviewed By andrewmU2655XD
The Ismail Samanid Mausoleum is the centerpiece of an old Soviet Park. The Park area used to be a cemetery, but the Soviet invasion of 1920 caused major damage and the park was a result of the restoration. The Samanid park is easily reached by walking south on Afrosiab Street, then west through the old memory park entrance. The Shakhrud Canal runs through the park from the old city, and can be followed to the mausoleum. The tomb is the oldest in Central Asia, and the oldest structure in Uzbekistan, as it was constructed between 892-943, and housed the remains of rulers of the Samanid dynasty. It is named after Ismail Samani who ruled between 892-907, and was the dynasty's most famous ruler. The tomb is a simple but unique design. The main feature is the gallery of ten arches at the top of the tomb, which is repeated on each side. There are beautifully decorated columns at each corner and these extend to small domes at the top surrounding the central dome. At the top of the dome is a small arched structure which can only be seen from distance. We arrived in late afternoon, so were unable to access the interior. It was rare for muslim leaders to have tombs built in their honour before the 11th century, so this is one of the earliest examples of a muslim tomb. Ismael lived between 849-907, and was famous for his success in battles in Afghanistan and Iran, and spreading the muslim faith. The tomb survived the mongol invasion of 1220, as it was buried in mud from flooding. A Soviet archaeologist, V. Shishkin, discovered the tomb in the 1930's which had three bodies inside. It was restored and made the centerpiece of the park. We had visited Tajikistan, where Ismael is a national hero, and seen many statues dedicated to him. The Tajik currency is also named in his honour. We had also visited the famous Tomb of Sultan Sanjar (of the Seljuq Dynasty) in Merv, Turkmemistan which was built over 200 years later, but is said to have been inspired by this tomb. Other attractions in the park include the ferris wheel, lake with f&b and watersports activities, zoo, memorial complex of Imom Al Bukhari and talipach gate.
8. Teleshayakh Mosque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 251 reviews
Reviewed By fivestarholidays - Chennai (Madras), India
It’s a large complex. Has souvenir stores in the courtyard. The mosque is grand with a lovely dome and calligraphy. There is also a live mosque in the complex and a museum with the oldest Quran.
9. Mir-i-Arab Madrasa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 264 reviews
Reviewed By Lance_Kerwin - Tromso, Norway
Mir-i Arab Madrasah is one of the most sacred Islamic educational places throughout all of the post soviet territory. It was built during the governing period of Shaybanids in the 16th century on the trophy means won over from Ubaydulla Khan who died in 1539. The construction of Mir-i Arab Madrasah is attributed to Sheikh Abdallakh Yamani who is more well-known as Mir Arab. This madrasah is located across Kalyan mosque.
10. Chor-Minor
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 556 reviews
Reviewed By rezasattarzadeh - Muscat, Oman
I came across Chor Minor when I was walking in the old neighborhood of Bukhar. The name literally means four minarets and it dates back to the time that Bukhara was a part of the Persian empire. The structure is very interesting and eye-pleasingly beautiful. The four minarets are accessible through a very narrow staircase for a nominal fee. Great photo opportunities on the top.
