Uzbekistan’s capital has none of the monumental historical sights that Khiva, Bukhara or Samarkand are famous for, but has other treasures. I expected not much from this modern city, but quickly made came to like it.
Chorsu Market – a great place to spend a day
We spent a whole day wandering around Chorsu Market, under its doomed roof you find any vegetable, fruit, nuts, herb, spice on this planet. Add dairy products, pork feet, fish, honey and most important: super cheap little eateries.
Chorsu Market Tashkent
Chorus Market Tashkent
Chorsu Market Tashkent
Chorsu Market Tashkent
Chorus Market Tashkent
Chorsu Market Tashkent
Our flight was after midnight so we headed out Chagatai Cemetery, the place is a bizarre mix of graves and tombs in Muslim and Soviet style with large portraits of the deceased right next to each other. Some are even on top of each other due to lack of space. The grand tombs were for the dignitaries and celebrities of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, the small graves for their servants. Unfortunately, we only learned about the place while in Tashkent, since it would have been great to be guided around and learn about the stories of the people buried there. Like the first woman to drive a cotton-picking machine or the first Uzbek to play Othello. So impassioned was his performance, he almost strangled Desdemona for real.
Chagatai Cemetery
Chagatai Cemetery
Travelling to Chagatai Cemetery: the closest metro station is Tinchlik from there is it a 10-minute walk or you hop on a taxi.
Khast Imam Complex
Not too far from the cemetery is the massive Khast Imam Complex with a new mosque and a large madrassa. It is very new and without character, but it was mind-boggling to see how much money is being pumped into religious buildings. The most interesting part what the tiny building with the oldest Koran in the world, the certificate is also exhibited in this new mosque. Weirdly it was the capital of Uzbekistan where I saw the first completely veiled women, not in other, more rural parts of Uzbekistan.
Oldest Koran in Khast Imam Complex Tashkent
Certicate for oldest Koran
On our last night I panicked since I had not travelled on Tashkent’s famed metro. Claudia was tucked in already, but I headed to the station closest to our hostel, which was near Chorsu Market. I felt familiar with the area so I figured I can do this at night. Well the place was very different in the dark and I had great difficulties finding the metro station, slipping on rotting vegetables in the market area. The stalls were all covered with huge white sheets at night, looking like phantoms. Why would I do such thing? The stations are pieces of art, all different and elaborately decorated. You may not like the style, but what country except Russia, pays such attention to the state of its Metro system. For a couple of cents I travelled a few stations, got off at some, took photos, moved on and even found my way back to the hostel without difficulties.
Tashkent metro station
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