Uzbekistan! I had to save the best for last since Uzbekistan was my favorite of the 5 Stans that I visited. What can I say about this beautiful country? A WHOLE LOT! from the historical sites to the good food, to the colorful bazaars, to the cool city vibes and friendly people, this country has a lot to offer and to be honest with you, I wouldn't mind visiting again just to see more.
Uzbekistan has major cities through which the Great Silk Road traversed, we had the great opportunity of visiting these cities and it truly was the highlight of the whole Central Asia adventure. These cities are: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Samarkand was particularly important because its location was considered a halfway stop for the trade caravans. Uzbekistan really reminded me of Iran especially with the historic architecture, but this shouldn't have come as a surprise because it was all one land historically. Walking along some of the streets of these cities truly felt like being in an outdoor museum observing the beautiful historic structures that have been well restored and preserved. One can only imagine how much more beautiful they must have looked in their original glory. Anyway, I will just go ahead and share photos I took through the cities visited.
Tashkent - The capital and the largest city in Uzbekistan
Samarkand - known for it's mosques and mausoleums, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia.
Bukhara - was one of the main centers of Persian civilization and served as a major center of Islamic culture for many years.
Khiva - considered the pearl of Uzbekistan, it is often described as a living museum with its well preserved historic streets, mosques and fortress walls. Legend had it that it was founded by Shem, one of Noah's sons from the Bible. It was named 2024 tourism capital of the Islamic world
That's it folks! this trip was truly one for the books and unforgettable, Central Asia is a region worth checking out because of all it has to offer, there is literally something for everyone. If you love nature there is plenty of that to see and appreciate, if you love history and culture, there is that too and if you are more into exploring modern cities, you will definitely find that. Well, this is where I bid adieu until my next adventure.
