From traditions to the modernity 16d.15n

Direct flight to Tashkent. Arrival at the International airport of Tashkent.
At the airport you’ll be met by the English speaking guide who will follow you during your entire trip. Accommodation at the hotel. The history of Tashkent counts almost 2000 years and during this period the city passed a long way from a small settlement to the metropolitan center. Nowadays, Tashkent is one of the most important industrial, financial and cultural centers not only in Uzbekistan but also all over the Central Asia. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast transfer to the railway station for the high-speed train Tashkent – Samarkand. Samarkand is one of the most ancient cities in the World, founded in 700 B.C. it was a capital of a Sogdian satrapia of the Akhemenids’ Empire. After the arrival we’ll start to explore Samarkand city: the Guri-Emir Mausoleum (where the tumb of Tamerlane is located (XIV–XVc.) buit for the favourite grandson of Tamerlane Mukhammad Sultan. Later the tombs of other members of the Timurids’ family were added to the a burial site like Miranshakh and Shakhrukh, and the grandson astronomer of Tamerlane, Ulugbek. Visit to the Registan Square – “sandy place”, the main square of Samarkand with three madrassas Ulugbek, Sher-Dor – the door of lions (XVII c.) and Tilla-Kori – decorated with gold. Lunch at a local restaurant.

The necropolis of Shakhi Zinda – «alive king», one of the most beautiful complexes of the East. The visit of the Cathedral mosque of Bibi-Khanum, buit by the wife of Tamerlane (XIV c.),  the Siab bazar (oriental market). Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast we’ll continue to visit Samarkand to explore the architecture of the Timurids’ epoch: Visit of the observatory of Ulugh Beg – important astronomer, scientist, governor and the favourite grandson of Tamerlane.  The  archeologic mueseum of the antique ruins of Afrasiab (antient Samarkand). Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon the visit of a small Factory of silk paper located 10 km outside Samarkand. At this factory they’re still using the antique techniques to produce paper as our ancestors did. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Shakhrisabz by cars passing the mountain chain of Zarafshon and the pass Tahtakaracha (1788 m.). We’ll have a panoramic stop at the place called Ming Chinor where a small market of spices and dried fruits is located. Continuation of the trip to Shakhrisabz, the motherland of Tamerlane that is located in a small valley surrounded by the Mounts of Pamir. The name of the city means “green city” and here we’ll visit some monuments of the Timurids’ epoch of the XV and XVI cc. Lunch at a local restaurant. The remains of the Ak-Saray Palace – “White palace”, the summer residence of Tamerlane, the remains of a giant entrance of 38 m high, even if it should have been of 70 m high in origin. The Kok-Gumbaz Mosque – “blue dome” and the Dorut Tilovat – “the house of meditation”, a big Friday mosque that was built by Ulugbegh in 1437 in honor of his father Shakhrukh, son of Tamerlane. Complex of Khazrati-Imom, and the Dorus Saodat mausoleum – terminated by Tamerlane in 1392. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we’ll returnt to Samarkand.  Dinner at a local restaurant, overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Bukhara. The next stop is Rabati-Malik – the remains of a caravanserai of XI c. and the Sardoba (XIV c.) a water reservoir along the Great Silk Road that is situated in front of the caravanserai. During the trip we’ll also stop at Gijduvan town (45 km). The visit of the house museum of Abdulla Nazrullaev the family of ceramists in the 6th generation. Master will demonstrate us the process of fabrication of the ceramics, in his private museum he’ll tell about the various ceramics schools of the Central Asia and their characteristics. You can also visit their shop where there are a lot of craftwork made by the members of the family (ceramics, embroidery, etc.). Lunch in the house of ceramist. After lunch continuation of the transfer to Bukhara – city that is rich of art, history and Islamic civilization. Accomodation at the hotel. Free time for a walk in the magnificent an fabulous historical centre of Bukhara. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we’ll start to visit the historical centre of the city. During the centuries Bukhara had been one of the most important cities of Islamic Transoxiana, it was called the saint city «the pillar of Islam».  The ancient name of the city was Vihara, that means Buddist monastery, because the Buddism prevailed in this territory in the preislamic period, as well as the Zoroastrian pagan religion. “Bukhoro-i-Sharif”  “Bukhara the Noble”, it was the main and the most important centre of the Great Silk Road. And it is also one of the cities of the great triangle of East, together with Samarkand and Khiva it made a huge contribution to the development of the Central Asia.   

We’ll start our visit of Bukhara with the Samanids Mausoleum (IX-X c.) – one of the first funeral Islamic monuments; the Chashmai Ayub mausoleum; the Bolo Khauz mosque;  the Ark citadel – the ancient residence of the kings of Bukhara (khan, emir) with the Reghistan square. After the visits some free time for a walk in the historical centre. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast we’ll continue with the complex of Poi Kalon with its majestic minaret (XII c.), the Kalon Mosque (XVI c.) and the Miri Arab Madrassa (XVI c.). Lunch at a local restaurant. The Trading domes (XVI c.) – toki Zargharon, toki Telpak Furrushon and toki Sarrafon; the Ulughbek Madrassa (XV c.) – the Koranic school of the favorite Tamerlane’s grandson; the Abdulazaz khan Madrassa (XVII c.). The Magokki attori Mosque (XII-XVI c.) – the most ancient mosque of Bukhara, related to the preislamic period, the Liabi Khavuz Complex (XVII c.), we’ll also visit the laboratory of marionettes made of papier-mache. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Early breakfast and drive to Khiva, through the Kizilkum desert (red sands) along the ancient carovan roads (480km). Panoramic stop at the riverside of Amudarya (called also Oxus by the Greeks). Lunch in the desert in one of the small local restaurants. Arrival to Khiva that is considered to be a city museum; it also was an ancient capital of the Empire of Khorazmia from the XVI to the XX cc. Accommodation at the hotel. Free walk to Ichan Kala – the inner city of Khiva that is still surrounded by the walls of the ancient city, made of clay and straw. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast we’ll start to visit the historical centre of Khiva – Ichan Kala: the Complex of Kalta Minor – the short minaret (XIX c.), the royal residence – Khunya Ark (XVI-XIX cc.), Mukhammad Rakhimkhan II Madrassa (XIX c.), and the Friday Mosque – Juma mosque with its 213 columns. Lunch inside one of the historical madrassas, transformed in a restaurant. In the afternoon we’ll continue – with the fortress of Tosh-Khavli – the stone house (XIX c.) where the harem was located; the complex of Islam Khoja (XX c.), the Pakhlavon Makhmud mausoleum (XIV-XIX sec.). Return to the hotel, dinner with the folk consert and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast some free time till the lunch. Lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch drive to Ellik kala, located in the territory of the Ancient Khorazmia where we’ll visit the ruins of the antique Khorazmian fortresses Toprak-Kala and Ayaz-Kala. After the visiting of the «sand castles» continuation of the transfer to Nukus. Nukus is the capital of the Republik of Karakalpakstan that is the part of Uzbekistan. The population of the city is 271.500 citizens. The city was developped suring the soviet period (in 1932 for example it was just a small settlement), so the city has a typical soviet style of the constructions and the large alleys.  After the arrival accommodation at the hotel, dinner and the overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast we’ll go to visit the Nukus Museum of Art. The State Museum of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, named after I.V.Savitsky was opened in 1966. The museum collection is over 82,000 items, ranging from antiquities from Khorezm to Karakalpak folk art, Uzbek fine art and, uniquely, the second largest collection of Russian avant-garde in the world. The museum represents the life’s work of Igor Savitsky – the Russian painter, archeologist and collector. He first visited Karakalpakstan in 1950 and later moved to Nukus. During 1957-1966, he assembled an extensive collection of Karakalpak traditional jewellery, carpets, coins, clothing and the artifacts, convinced the authorities of the need for a museum, and, following its establishment, was appointed its curator in 1966. Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch transfer to Muynak. Muynak is a small town of Karakalpakstan located 210 km to the North of Nukus. Formerly an important sea port of the Aral Sea is now dozens of kilometers from the rapidly receding shoreline of the Aral Sea. And it has become a symbol of an ecologic catastrophe of the region.  There is “the cemetery of the ships” in Muynak that we’re going to visit; you’ll see some old rusty ships left in the sand. Then the visit of the Museum of History of the region and the Aral Sea. Return to Nukus and dinner at the hotel. After dinner transfer to the airport of Nukus fo flight Nukus-Tashkent. After the arrival to Tashkent, accommodation and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast we’ll start with the visiting of the Complex of Khast Imam – the holy heart of Tashkent consisting of Barak Khan Madrassa (XVI c.) which was founded by a descendant of Tamerlane Khan (king) Barak, Tillya Sheykh Mosque – built in the same time as Barak Khan Madrassa, today used as a Friday Mosque and Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum (XI c.) – with the tomb of a local healer, philosopher and poet of Islam who lived from 904 to 979. The museum with the most ancient Koran in the world (VII c.). Then the market Chorsu Bazaar. Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon the visit of the museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan. It contains a large collection of craftwork from all over Uzbekistan. The Independence square of Uzbekistan and the square of Amir Timur, a small market of pictures of the local painters. The metro of Tashkent, the unique one in the Central Asia. Dinner at a local restaurant, overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast transfer to the railway station for the high-speed train Tashkent/Andijan to go to Kokand. The Fergana Valley is crossed by the Syr Darya River, and it gradually becomes more narrow to the West, and large only for some kilometers; it’s a large oasis with the best climate and soil of the Central Asian region. The valley is approximately 300 km long and up to 70 km wide, it’s surrounded by the Tien-Shan mountain system in the north and the Gissar-Alai in the south. The railway passes through the mountain gallery of 19.2 km long. After the arrival to Kokand we’ll visit some historical monuments of this city. Kokand – “the city of winds”, it was the capital of the powerful Khanate of Kokand in the XIX c. It was consequently separated from the Khanate of Bukhara. The conflicts between the city-states of Khiva, Bukhara e Kokand were dominating the political scene till the middle of the XX c. Kokand was a big commercial, art and religious center. After lunch at a local restaurant we’ll start with the visit of Khudayarkhan palace, big and fortificated, built by Khudayarkhan in the 1860s – 1870s., it was the official residance of khans (kings) of Kokand; the Juma mosque – Friday mosque, built by Umarkhan at the beginning of the XIX c., it was the biggest mosque of Khanate with 98 wooden columns that are decorating the big cult hall, the Royal Cemetery with the mausoleum of Madarikhan. Continuation of the trip to Rishtan. This city is famous for the crafts production of blue, turquoise and green ceramics. We’ll visit the house of the ceramist with his pottery of the ceramics of Rishtan. The continuation of our transfer to Fergana. After the arrival accommodation at the hotel, dinner and the overnight at the hotel.    

After the breakfast drive to Marghilan. This city is famous for its silk production in the Central Asia. The biggest plant of the silk production of the country is located here. It’s also due to the large diffusion of domestic breeding of silkworms in the zone. Visit of the Said Akhmad-Khoja madrassa. Today there is accommodated a craftsmen centre in this madrassa where the carpets, embroidery (suzani), the different types of fabric and the handmade silk are produced. Lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we’ll continue our way to Andijan with the stop in the province of Quva to visit a small archeological site near the statue of Akhmad Al-Farghoni, the scientist, mathematician of the XI century, after the arrival to Andijan the visit of the Friday mosque, the market (bazaar) where the craftsmen alley is possible to visit, the Babur’s Park with the Museum of Babur, the last Timuride and the founder of the Moghul’s dynasty in India. After the visits we’ll return to Ferghana. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel.  

After the breakfast drive to Tashkent. The stop at a small bread market of Kokand. Lunch at a local restaurant along the highway. After the arrival to Tashkent, accommodation at the hotel and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.  

After breakfast we’ll visit some historical places of Tashkent: the Complex of Khast Imam – the holy heart of Tashkent consisting of Barak Khan Madrassa (XVI c.) which was founded by a descendant of Tamerlane Khan (king) Barak, Tillya Sheykh Mosque – built in the same time as Barak Khan Madrassa, today used as a Friday Mosque and Kaffal Shashi Mausoleum (XI c.) – with the tomb of a local healer, philosopher and poet of Islam who lived from 904 to 979. The museum with the most ancient Koran in the world (VII c.). Then the market Chorsu Bazaar. After the lunch at a local restaurant transfer to the International airport of Tashkent for flight to the country of provenience.

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