From admiring Silk Road architecture to wine-tasting, heli-skiing in Amirsoy, and exploring a graveyard of ships in the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan has something to offer for every type of traveler.
To help you plan your trip to this fascinating Central Asian nation, here are my favorite things to do in Uzbekistan.
1. Learn from the masters of Uzbek art forms
This Silk Road crossroads has always been a melting pot for arts and crafts, and the art scene in modern Uzbekistan is flourishing. Local artists and family dynasties make a mark in almost every area of creativity, from fashion to ceramics, suzani embroidery to knife-making, and fine art to miniature paintings.
In Tashkent, the Fergana Valley or Bukhara, you can visit local ceramic-making families in their home studios, where you can take a pottery masterclass, buy a unique art object, and, if you are lucky, cook plov together or even stay overnight. In Rishton, the Rishton Ceramic Museum, run by master potter Rustam Usmanov, is a good place to start.
To see the traditional process of making atlas (ikat) – a traditional weaving style where patterns are dyed into the fibers – head to the Yodgorlik Silk Factory in Margilan.
To learn more about the ancient art of making silk paper, visit the Meros Paper Mill in Samarkand.
The Bukhara School of Miniature Painting offers many insights into life in Uzbekistan, and some travelers spend weeks here taking classes in this unique art form. There are many creative experiences offered by local studios, craft centers and artists in their own homes.
Modern fine art is also popular in Uzbekistan, with many young artists and edgy galleries in Tashkent. Being an emerging art market, Uzbekistan is starting to attract the attention of the likes of Christie’s and Sotheby’s, but things are still at a very early stage. If you do buy a painting, valuation and certification services are now offered by the Art Vernissage gallery or you can ask an artist to get an artwork certified at the Ministry of Culture.
2. Admire the historic architecture of the Silk Road
Magnificent Samarkand, noble Bukhara, atmospheric Khiva – the cities on the path of the historic Silk Road hold a special allure. Conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Chinggis (Genghis) Khan and Amir Temur (Tamerlane) all left behind a legacy, bringing together thinkers, traders and scholars from around the…
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