Tashkent: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Tashkent was rebuilt almost from scratch after the earthquake of April 1966, so its centre is broad avenues and parks rather than an old town. In the middle of it all stands Amir Timur, the 14th-century conqueror the country chose as its founding hero after independence in 1991. This walk joins the square, the museums and the Russian-era buildings around it. About two and a half hours on flat pavements; in summer start early, because the heat reaches 40 degrees by noon.

A short history of Tashkent

People were living here, on an oasis in the Chirchiq River valley, more than two thousand years ago, and the city was called Chach or Shash until, in the 11th century, the name Tashkent, "city of stone", began to appear. In 1865 the Russians captured it, and two years later it became the capital of Russian Turkestan. In 1930 it became the capital of Soviet Uzbekistan. During the Second World War hundreds of thousands of refugees arrived, among them many Jews who joined the long-established Bukharan community. On 26 April 1966 an earthquake destroyed the city centre, and it was rebuilt as a broad Soviet city. In 1977 the first metro in Central Asia opened here.

The ten best sights in Tashkent

1
Amir Temur Square
Zero point of the city; the main streets fan out from the statue
2
Amir Timur Museum
The blue dome off the square; an hour on the Timurid dynasty before Samarkand
3
State Museum of History of Uzbekistan
The best overview of the country, from Buddhist finds to the Silk Road
4
Museum of Applied Arts
Come for the house as much as the collection: carved plaster and painted ceilings
5
Hazrati Imam Complex
The religious heart of the city; modest dress, and women cover their hair in the mosque
6
Muyi Muborak Library
Holds one of the oldest Qurans in the world, shown behind glass
7
Kukeldash Madrasa
A working religious school by Chorsu; the courtyard is open to visitors
8
Alisher Navoi Theatre
Opera and ballet at local prices; check the week's programme at the box office
9
Romanov Palace
Seen from outside only, but worth the two-minute detour from the square
10
Shahidlar Xotirasi Memorial
A quiet park and museum for the victims of Soviet repression

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Free walking tours in Tashkent

Timur's capital

Amir Temur Square · The horseman was put up in 1993. Before him the plinth carried a bust of Karl Marx, and before that a string of Russian and Soviet figures — each regime has used this spot to say who rules.
Amir Timur Museum · It opened in 1996 for the 660th anniversary of Timur's birth. The dome copies the shape of Timurid domes in Samarkand, and inside are manuscripts, weapons and models of the buildings you will see further down the road.
Romanov Palace · It was built in 1891 for Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich, a cousin of the Tsar sent to Tashkent in disgrace after diamonds went missing from his mother's icon. In exile he dug canals and started irrigating the Hungry Steppe south of the city.
State Museum of History of Uzbekistan · It began in 1876 as the Tashkent public museum, which makes it the oldest museum in Central Asia. Look for the Buddhist statues from Fayaz Tepe near Termez — a reminder that the Silk Road brought Buddhism here before Islam.
Independence Square · Under the Soviets this was Lenin Square, with one of the largest Lenin statues in the Union. In 1992 he was replaced by a globe showing only one country, Uzbekistan; the arch at the entrance carries storks, the local sign of peace.
Alisher Navoi Theatre · The theatre was finished in 1947, much of it by Japanese prisoners of war, and it came through the 1966 earthquake almost untouched. A plaque on the wall thanks the Japanese builders; each foyer is decorated in the style of a different region of Uzbekistan.

Old city, faith and craft

The part of Tashkent that survived the earthquake lies west of the centre, around the Chorsu dome. Here are the madrasas, the main Friday mosque and the library with the oldest Quran in the city, and the bazaar that has fed the town for centuries. The route ends with two quieter places: the Ashkenazi synagogue and a merchant's house turned museum. Take a taxi between the two halves; allow half a day.

Chorsu Bazaar · Chorsu means 'four streams' or 'four ways' in Persian — the crossroads where caravans met. The domed hall was built in the 1980s, but a market has stood on this spot since long before the Russians arrived in 1865.
Kukeldash Madrasa · It was built in the 16th century by Kulbobo Kukeldash, a vizier of the Shaybanid khans. In the 19th century it served at times as a caravanserai and even a fortress; today it is again a school, and the students' cells line the courtyard.
Hazrati Imam Complex · The complex is named after Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi, a 10th-century scholar and poet from Tashkent — Shash was the old name of the city. His mausoleum stands beside the large Friday mosque, which was rebuilt in its present form in 2007.
Muyi Muborak Library · The Quran kept here is believed to be the copy of the Caliph Uthman from the 7th century. Timur brought it to Samarkand, the Russians took it to St Petersburg in 1869, and it came back to Central Asia in 1924.
Beit Menachem Synagogue · During the Second World War Tashkent took in hundreds of thousands of evacuees, many of them Jews from Ukraine and Belarus, and the Ashkenazi community grew far beyond its pre-war size. Most later left for Israel, but this synagogue still holds services.
Museum of Applied Arts · The house was built in the 1890s for the Russian diplomat Alexander Polovtsov, who hired master craftsmen from Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara to decorate it. The carved plaster, known as ganch, and the painted wooden ceilings are their work.

Metro, memory and the tower

Soviet Tashkent was a showcase city, and the best of it is underground: the metro that opened in 1977, the first in Central Asia. This route rides it, then heads north to the memorial for the victims of the purges, the TV tower and the plov centre where half the city eats lunch. It is a taxi-and-metro day rather than a walk. Plov is served from late morning and often runs out by early afternoon, so time lunch carefully.

Kosmonavtlar Metro · The station opened in 1984 and is dedicated to space: blue walls and ceramic medallions of cosmonauts, Yuri Gagarin among them. Photography in the metro was banned until 2018, so most of these pictures are new.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Monument · In January 1966 the Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri came to Tashkent to sign a peace with Pakistan, and died here of a heart attack the night after the signing. The city named a street and this statue after him.
Shahidlar Xotirasi Memorial · The memorial stands where mass graves of people shot in the purges of 1937–38 were found beside the Bozsu canal. The small museum under the dome tells the story of Uzbek writers, clerics and officials who disappeared in those years.
Tashkent TV Tower · At 375 metres it is the tallest structure in Central Asia, finished in 1985 and built to withstand strong earthquakes. Foreign visitors need a passport at the gate.
Central Asian Plov Centre · Plov here is cooked in huge kazans over open fires, each pot enough for hundreds of portions. Tashkent plov is made with yellow carrots, chickpeas and raisins, and on Thursdays and at weddings it is the meal everyone expects.
Tashkent Botanical Garden · The garden was laid out in 1950 under the botanist Fyodor Rusanov, whose name it carries. It holds thousands of species collected from Central Asia and beyond, and its shade is a real relief on a July afternoon.

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Getting to Tashkent and getting around

Tashkent International Airport · Direct flights from Tel Aviv land here, about 15 minutes by taxi from the centre
Tashkent North Station · The fast Afrosiyob trains to Samarkand and Bukhara leave from here; book days ahead
Kosmonavtlar Metro · The metro is the fastest way around and a sight in itself; a ride costs a few thousand som

Cheap eats in Tashkent

Tashkent eats plov at lunch, somsa at any hour and bread with everything; bread is never put upside down and never thrown away. Uzbek food is meat-heavy, mostly mutton and beef, and many places cook in cottonseed oil. Prices are low: lunch can cost less than a sandwich in Tel Aviv, and cash in som is still the easiest way to pay at the bazaar.

Central Asian Plov Centre · A plate of plov with salad and bread, about 45,000-60,000 som
Chorsu Bazaar bread and somsa · A round non loaf about 4,000-6,000 som, a tandoor somsa 8,000-12,000 som
Super Gumma · Gumma, fried pies with meat or liver, about 3,000-5,000 som each
Oloy Bazaar · Dried apricots and nuts by weight, a bag of mixed snacks around 30,000 som
Uzbekona · Lagman or shashlik in the centre, a main about 40,000-60,000 som

Museums in Tashkent

Amir Timur Museum · Manuscripts and models of Timurid buildings; an hour
State Museum of History of Uzbekistan · The oldest museum in Central Asia; good before the road west
Museum of Applied Arts · Embroidered suzani, ceramics and the carved house itself
Shahidlar Xotirasi Memorial · Small museum on Soviet repression; quiet and moving
Alisher Navoi Theatre · Opera and ballet; tickets at the box office for a few dollars

Nature and day trips near Tashkent

Tashkent Botanical Garden · Shaded paths and a big collection; go in the morning
Tashkent City Park · Lawns and a lake below the new towers; nice at dusk
Navruz Park · Ponds and pavilions near the centre; locals picnic here
Gazalkent · About an hour north-east; the gateway to the Chimgan mountains

Things to do in Tashkent with kids

Magic City · Free to walk in; rides and shows paid separately
Tashkent TV Tower · The lift and the view; bring passports
Tashkent Zoo · Next to the Botanical Garden; combine the two
Kosmonavtlar Metro · A ride under the cosmonaut ceilings; children love it

Where to eat in Tashkent

Rayhon · Uzbek national dishes, easy menu with pictures
Nayat Art Restaurant · Uzbek food on Broadway, near the square
Xiva · Khorezm-style dishes on Navoi Street
Granat · Relaxed dinner on Istiqbol Street
Eski-shahar · Simple Uzbek kitchen by Chorsu

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Frequently asked questions about Tashkent

What is there to see in Tashkent?

The top sights in Tashkent are Amir Temur Square, Amir Timur Museum and State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Tashkent?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Tashkent without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Tashkent?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Tashkent, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Timur's capital.

How do you get to Tashkent and get around?

The main ways are Tashkent International Airport, Tashkent North Station and Kosmonavtlar Metro. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Tashkent, and for how much?

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