Tashkent Travel Guide

Totalled in the massive earthquake of 1966, rebuilt to a large extent to a Soviet blueprint, Tashkent is today less a legacy of the Silk Road, somewhat a rumination on Russian rule, but more a picture of urban Uzbekistan.

Today the capital city of Tashkent is lovely. The sights and sounds of Tashkent are nowhere near as stupendous as those of Bukhara, Khiva or Samarkand but its tree lined avenues, wide roads, fountains and parks, universities, and its culturally unchallenged personality makes Tashkent a good introduction to Uzbekistan. It has the best international connections and can be reached by air, rail and road; it is very well connected to the rest of Uzbekistan; and even otherwise, it has the best tourist infrastructure of any place in the country. A lot of Soviet architecture exists now where beautiful Islamic structures stood earlier. The earthquake of 1966 levelled many of Tashkent’s old buildings and Soviet architects subsequently rebuilt the city. But, there’s no denying that Tashkent is a pleasant city.

Vodka on rocks - the most widely available alcoholic drink in Tashkent is vodka. That and tea are the beverages of choice here, and shots of either are on hand at every nook and corner and along the highways at chaikhanas or choyhonas, literally, tea houses!