PROGRAM
FOR 10 Days and 9 Nights
Tashkent-Fergana-Tashkent-Nukus-Khiva-Bukhara-Shakhrisabz-Samarkand-Tashkent
DETAILED
PROGRAM
DAY 1 | Tashkent
Arrival in Tashkent international airport and meeting with the guide and driver. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.
Breakfast at the hotel. Whole day dedicated to visiting the old city: Tashkent is an ancient city on the Silk Road. Little remains of its past due to an earthquake that destroyed it in 1966 and above all due to the creation, in the Soviet era, of an urban plan developed since 1916. The result is that today’s Tashkent has the typical physiognomy of a city of Eastern Europe, with monumental administrative buildings, immense parks and enormous condominium-dormitories that inevitably hark back to the years of the Stalinist regime. We begin with a visit to the Kast-Imam complex which refers to a group of buildings including the Kafal Shashi mausoleum, the mausoleum built in the 16th century on the tomb of AbubekrMukhammad, the Barak Khan madrassa, founded in the 16th century by a descendant of Tamerlane, the TillyaSheykh mosque, the Muyi Mubarak madrassa to which is attached a library with religious texts including what is believed to be the oldest existing Koran, marked with the blood of Caliph Osman himself, murdered in 655. The visits continue with the Chorsubazaar , is a huge open-air oriental market with a variety of fruit-vegetables and dried fruits and teeming and fragrant spices.
We continue with Memorial complexCourage in Tashkent which is dedicated to the 1966 earthquake in Tashkent. Next is the Independence Square, Grieving mother memorial complex, Romanov palace, AlisherNavoiy theatre, the Amir Temur Square.
Overnight at the Hotel in Tashkent.DAY 2 | TASHKENT – KOKAND
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the Fergana Valley. The fertility of the soil and the climate suitable for agriculture were already famous in Greek times, since the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, because they guaranteed 240 days of harvesting per year; for about two millennia this region has borne the name golden valley. In an area of 22,000 square kilometers, equal to one twentieth of the surface area of Uzbekistan, 8 million people are concentrated, that is to say almost a third of the entire Uzbek population: the valley of Fergana is the most densely populated region of Central Asia. Fergana is substantially based on agriculture, waterways and canals built by man support the massive production of cotton, as well as silk (mulberry is the most widespread tree in Fergana) produced through sericulture; furthermore, most of the fruit and vegetables consumed in Uzbekistan come from the cultivations of the Fergana valley: the grapes of this region are abundant and particularly tasty. Arrival in Kokand.
Tours begin from the city of Kokand – the second important city after Fergana, which was the capital of Kokand Khanate in the 19th century.
Visit to the Palace of Khan Khudayar; the public park dedicated to the poet Muqumiy (1851-1903); the Juma (Friday) mosque built by Omar Khan between 1809 and 1812, was closed throughout the Soviet period, reopened after restoration in 1989 and converted into a museum a few years ago.
After the visits, hotel accommodation in the late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel in Kokand.
DAY 3 | KOKAND – RISHTAN - MARGILAN – TASHKENT
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Rishtan – the province which is famous for its ceramics. Visit the house of potter Said, learn about the process of making pottery and enjoy tea (green or black) served alongside local sweets. Continuation to Margilan (50 km). The visits begin with the “dehkan bazar” market (Farmer’s Market) or the Sunday market (Kuntepa Bazar), here the market stands out from the markets of other Uzbek cities for its particularity with both the products and the sellers. In this bazaar the main attraction is not so much the goods, but the naturalness and spontaneity of the Uzbek sellers and buyers – most of whom are dressed in traditional clothing -; even the endless ceremonies of pleasantries and long drinks of tea are a strong point of this weekly meeting; the Yodgorlik Silk Factory artisan workshop. In 1983 a group of silk producers from Margilan decided to escape the grips of the industrial market and concentrate on preserving the traditional methods of Central Asian spinning; thus they founded the Yodgorlik Silk Factory. In this artisan workshop the number of employees has risen to two thousand in the last five years, everything is done according to ancient instructions, and auspicious incense perfumes the looms daily. The factory collects silkworms fed exclusively on mulberry leaves from hundreds of families in the area, before boiling them and unrolling them into kilometers and kilometers of pure thread. Customers pay up to three times the normal price for a roll of handcrafted silk if it comes from Yodgorlik, because this is where the real khanatlas (batik and ikat) is found. After Yodgorlik the return to Tashkent.
Overnight at the hotel in Tashkent.Day 4 | TASHKENT – NUKUS (HY) - AYAZ kala – TOPRAK kala – KHIVA (198 KM)
The visit begins at the Igor Savetsky museum. In addition to representing the base for excursions to what remains of the Aral Sea, Nukus hides an extraordinary attraction, the Igor Savitsky museum, which in addition to offering a vast collection of Central Asian finds, houses the extraordinary works of Russian non-conformist painters from the beginning of the century, banned by the Soviet regime. The first – if not the only – destination for a tourist in Nukus is undoubtedly the impressive “Igor Savitsky” art museum, “The Louvre of the Steppes” as it was defined by a well-known French magazine. This museum houses the world’s second largest collection of avant-garde nonconformist Soviet art (after the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg) and was voted one of the 29 most incredible places in the world in May 2009 by the New York Times. After the museum, departure for the ancient fortresses (198 km). In Karakalpakistan, of the 300 archaeological sites (in a more or less advanced state of abandonment) linked to the Khorezm period, about a dozen can be visited, in particular the ruins of the Ayaz kala fortress (4th century BC), the Tuprak kala fortress (1st century BC). BC) the residence of the ancient capital Kushona are the most beautiful of the 50 fortresses of ancient Khorezm, which is spread over three levels and dominates the vast plain of Amu – Darya
Return to Khiva. Overnight at the hotel in Khiva.Day 5 | KHIVA
Khiva – The city is close to the border with Turkmenistan, in an oasis at the edge of the Karakum desert. The whole day dedicated to the excursion to the city of Khiva: a treasure of ancient Uzbek architecture, placed in the hands of historians, archaeologists and architects to restore and conserve its precious monuments. Visit the Ichan Kala citadel “the internal fortress”, rectangular, whose most spectacular feature is the brick walls and the four doors located on the sides. The foundations date back to the 10th century, but today’s walls, about 10 meters high, were built in the late 17th century, and later restored. Since 1990 it has been included among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Biblical origins are said of Khiva: according to the myth it was founded by Shem, the son of Noah, who dug a well right where it stands now. The old city has kept the original urban structure intact and contains over 50 historical monuments and 250 old houses, mostly from the 17th-19th centuries: the Kunya Ark complex with the harem, the old prisons, the mint, the stables, the the arsenal, the barracks and the mosque; the Koranic School of Amin Khan (1852-1855), the largest in the city, capable of holding up to 250 students, with the Kalta Minor minaret (the short minaret) with turquoise tiles which should have reached 70 meters in height height and being the tallest in the entire Islamic world, but whose construction was abandoned at the death of the Khan at only 26 meters; the beautiful Juma Mosque-the Cathedral Mosque (also called “Friday Mosque”), built in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1788-89, interesting for its 218 wooden columns of 3.15 meters supporting the roof, of which 6 originals.
Continuation of visits to the Tosh Hovli (Stone Mansion) was built by Allah Kuli Khan between 1832 and 1841 as a more elegant alternative to the residence of Kunya Ark. Visit Kuli Khan Madrassa, Bazaar and Caravanserai. Continuation of visits with the 19th century PakhlovonMakhmud mausoleum, the most beautiful and sacred of Khiva’s mausoleums, dedicated to the doctor and poet who lived from 1247 to 1325 and today venerated as a sacred person. His tomb from 1326 was requisitioned in 1913 by Khan to transform it into a family mausoleum. The Persian style room, the turquoise dome, the courtyard and the decorative tiles make this place the most fascinating in the city. After a day among the winding alleys, visiting minarets, madrassas, palaces and mosques, at sunset you go to the top of the Islam Khodja minaret, the highest at 56 meters high from where you can enjoy a superb view of Khiva, in the light of the sunset, it really seems like the most beautiful city in the world
Overnight at the Hotel Khiva.DAY 6 | KHIVA - BUKHARA (450km)
Breakfast at hotel. Departure for Bukhara. The route leads through the Red Desert (Kizylkum), the route that winds along the edge of the large bed of the Amu – Darya river. In Central Asia there are two large rivers between which Uzbekistan is located. The Amu-Darya in classical antiquity was known by the Greek name of Oxus and the Syr – Darya, known by the Greeks as Jaxartes or Yaxartes. The Amu-Darya flows through Turkmenistan from south to north, crossing Turkmenabad and marking the border with Uzbekistan from Khalkabadan. The Kizilkum Desert is a large desert that extends between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The territory consists mostly of a plain covered with sandy dunes. Stop at a local chaykhana in the desert. Late afternoon arrival in Bukhara and hotel accommodation and free time.
Overnight at the Hotel in Bukhara.DAY 7 | BUKHARA
Breakfast at hotel. Bukhara is the city of poetry and fairy tales, in Sanskrit it means “monastery” and this city was once a large commercial center on the Silk Road. It is located in an oasis of the Kizilkum desert east of the Amu-Darya and on the lower course of the Zeravshan River. It is one of the oldest cities in the world: the foundation dates back over 2,700 years. Its importance derives from its geographical position, a crossing point of the caravan routes that connected Arabia to India and ancient Cathay (China). In the 12th century its religious prestige in Islam was great with important families of scholars and Muslim dignitaries, the “Ali burkan” who governed it. Conquered by Gensis Khan in 1220, it remained a Mongol possession until the end of the 15th century. In 1500 it was invaded by the Uzbeks and became the capital of the house of the same name which in 1868 came under Russian rule. In 1920 the Bukhara Soviet People’s Republic was formed in Bukhara and from 1924 it was part of the Uzbekistan RSS until the birth of the independent Uzbek State in 1991: today it is one of the major centers of industry and economy and the largest city of Central Asia. In 1993 its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Polo brothers, Matteo and Nicolò, at the time of their first journey to the East, still without Marco, were forced to remain besieged for three long years in this city which they described thus: “[…] you arrive at a city called Bukhara, which is great and noble very much. Here there is a market where all the expensive goods of India and China are sold, with many precious stones, with many thick and good fabrics, and there are also abundant spices. In short, there is such a coming and going of goods in that place that it is a wonderful thing to behold. On every market day all the squares are overflowing with men. Everything is peddled. The merchants are numerous and the goods abundant. […]” It has remained the same as it was at that time! The visits begin with the Samanid mausoleum (10th century) built in the period of Ismail Samani (892-907) to celebrate the founder of their dynasty buried inside with some descendants, a very ancient example of refined architecture; the 12th century ChashmaAyub-the Fountain of Job mausoleum; next to the basin in front of the entrance to the Ark is the Bola-Hauz mosque (1712), the official place of worship of the emir of special beauty; Ark citadel(18th-19th centuries) – a royal city within the city, center of the state organization of Bukhara. In the afternoon the visits continue with the main symbol and landmark of the city: the Kalyan Minaret “the great minaret” 47 m high. with the nearby Kalyan Mosque, connected to the minaret by a small bridge above; the Mir-Arab madrassa – Koranic school that functions to this day; in Bukhara there is one of the oldest mosques in Central Asia – the Mogaki-Attari (10th-12th-16th century) spared with the high Kalon minaret from the destructive fury of Genghis Khan; we pass through Lyabi – Hauz, the main square and the quietest place in the city in the shade of ancient mulberry trees, built around a basin in 1620, where, in the 20th century, in the garden in front of the madrassa, the monument of legendary folk character KhodjaNasriddin. (Lyabi-hauz, means “around the pool” in Tajik and constitutes the vital hub of the city) To the east of the statue there is the Nodir Divan – Beghi madrassa (1622), initially built as a caravanserai. To the north, there is the Kukeldash madrassa (1568-1569), the oldest and largest building in the Lyabi-Hauz complex; the visits come to an end with the Chor Minor “four menarets” complex, one of the most fascinating and original buildings in Bukhara built to the design of the Tadj – Mahal in India. Visit to the traditional puppet atelier to watch the presentation of the puppets. Participation in the folklore show in the Madrasa Nodir Devon Beghi.
Overnight at the Hotel in Bukhara.DAY 8 | BUKHARA – SHAKRISABZ - SAMARKAND (349 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Shakhrisabz “the green city” located 250 km from Bukhara with a stop on the way. Arrival in Shakhrisabz. Visit to the splendid ruins of this ancient and glorious city with over two thousand years of history. It was built according to a model typical of the Early Middle Ages with a central structure similar to those of Samarkand and Bukhara and continued to develop during the 9th and 10th centuries despite the continuous conflicts between the Samanid dynasties and the Turks. It is the birthplace of Tamerlane and once upon a time his fame probably even overshadowed that of Samarkand. In fact, he had the Ak-Saray Palace (1379-1404) built there, “the white palace” whose grandeur and magnificence are astonishing. Then we visit the DorusSaodat complex, “residence of power and fortress” intended for the burial of the ruling families with the mausoleum of Jahonghir (Tamerlane’s eldest son), the crypt of Tamerlane designed for the leader but containing the remains of two bodies not still identified, the Kok-Gumbaz mosque with its “blue dome”, DorulTilovat (the House of Meditation) – the mausoleum of Shamsiddin-Kulyal and that of Gumbazi-Saidon.
After lunch the road continues towards Samarkand. Late afternoon arrival in Samarkand, hotel accommodation. Overnight at the Hotel in Samarkand.DAY 9 | TASHKENT
Breakfast at the hotel. The whole day dedicated to visiting the capital of the empire of Timur the Lame, with its twenty-five century history. Samarkand is the same age as Babylon, Athens and Rome. Located in the oasis of the Zarafshan River, in the heart of the Central Asian region, it is one of the oldest cities in the world. Founded in the 5th century BC. it was piously subdued by the Persians; conquered by Alexander the Great who, according to legend, married Roxana right here, and said of Samarkand “Everything I have heard about this city is true, except for the fact that it is more beautiful than I could have imagined”; plundered by the Mongol hordes of Gensis Khan. It was Tamerlane who rebuilt it and enriched it with palaces so splendid that it gained immortal fame. In 2001 UNESCO included the city in the list of World Heritage Sites. Samarkand is a true “threshold of paradise”, it bears a magical and somewhat mysterious name, an invitation to travel for artists and dreamers, it has retained its blue glass-enamelled domes, its brightly colored walls and mausoleums which constitute the treasure of Central Asian architecture. The visit begins from the Gur-Emir mausoleum (15th century) – which means “the tomb of the Emir” where Tamerlane and his followers are buried. The mausoleum was built by order of Tamerlane for his nephew Mukhammad Sultan, who in practice was supposed to be his successor, who died prematurely in 1403. Registan Square, “Royal Square”, is the symbol of Samarkand (14th – 17th century) , the largest square limited on three sides by imposing madrassas built over two centuries: Ulug Beg, Sher –Dor the “madrassa of the Lions” and Tilla-Kori, decorated with dazzling majolica that testifies to the evolution of architecture of the Temurids. We continue with the mosque of Bibi-Khanum (15th century), the largest of his time in Central Asia, which Tamerlane dedicated to his favorite wife using the loot after having sacked the city of Delhi India. Nearby is the lively oriental bazaar Siab.
In the afternoon the visits continue with the necropolis of the ShahiZinda nobles, which means of the “living king”, the ancient funerary monument of the Tamerlane dynasty, the most important complex of the Islamic Middle Ages that has survived to us where it is very probable that there is the tomb of Caliph Qusam Ibn Abbas, cousin of the prophet Muhammad, around whose tomb the cemetery complex was formed over the centuries.The complex extends on the Afrosyab hill where Maracanda stood and currently around 20 buildings of high artistic value are visible decorated with glazed ceramic tiles with a predominance of blue that cover the entire walls; the remains of the medieval observatory of the famous astronomer, grandson of Tamerlane – Ulugbek built between 1428 and 1429 on the acropolis of Samarkand and destroyed by religious fanatics in 1449, today it is possible to visit the underground rooms that escaped the devastating fury of religious fanaticism.
Dinner a traditional Uzbek home. A friendly meeting with members of the Uzbek family and participation in the preparation of the chief Uzbek dish-Plov.
Overnight at Hotel in Samarkand.DAY 10 | SAMARKAND (surroundings)
Breakfast at the hotel. The visits continue to the complex of Imam al Bukhari, 12 km from Samarkand, the burial place of the Master who collected the most complete version of the writings of the Prophet Muhammad. Return and visit the artisan factory where paper is obtained using the bark of the mulberry tree; the Afrasiabmuseum which tells of the ancient history of Samarkand until today; the mausoleum of HodjaDonyor (St. Daniel); after lunch in the afternoon transfer to the railway station to take the fast train to Tashkent.
Arrival in Tashkent and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the Hotel in TashkentDAY 11 | TASHKENT
Departure in time for the scheduled flight….
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The price includes:
– Domestic flight in tourist class (Tashkent-Nukus)
– Overnight stay in tourist category hotels (3*/4*) in a double and single room
– Transfers to and from the airports
– Local guide in English
– Visits, entrance fees to museums and tourist sites
– Transfers in a comfortable vehicle with air conditioning
– Shark or Afrosiyob fast train tickets (Samarkand – Tashkent)
– 2 bottles (half liter) of mineral water provided in the vehicle during the journey
– Folklore show in Bukhara
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The fee does not include:
– Personal expenses and extra and optional excursions
– Meals, drinks, tips and anything else not expressly indicated.
– Cancellation insurance and supplements for higher limits for medical expenses, available on request.
– Camera fees in some museums
– Anything not expressly included in “the price includes”
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