With a potent mixture of new and old, the city of Tashkent has something or the other to offer to travellers of every budget and taste, says Saurabh Kumar Shahi
There is a flurry of images that the word Tashkent evokes inside the minds of every Indian: 1965 Indo-Pak War, the Tashkent Agreement, the sad demise of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and the image of his body being flown back to New Delhi. That was 1965. After that there is nothing much to recall.
But while we were busy doing what we do, some tectonic changes occurred. The Soviet Union dismantled and Uzbekistan emerged as an independent nation with Tashkent as its capital. The 90s saw developments at breakneck speed as the newly independent nation was inspired to gift itself a city worthy of being a national capital. Tashkent changed, and changed for good.
First the essentials. Uzbekistan Airways runs direct flights between Delhi and Tashkent, as well as Amritsar and Tashkent. Being a relatively new airline, Uzbekistan Airways boasts of some sparkling new carriers, a mixture of Boeing, Airbus and Ilyushin, in its fleet. The flight from Delhi takes a little over two hours and the ticket prices are affordable. The Uzbekistan Embassy in New Delhi will be eager to provide you with visa and other travel related documents provided you are going there as a tourist. Individual travelers face little problem unlike some of the famous tourist destinations nearby. In fact, the liberal visa regime has seen sudden spike in number of Indian tourists who are flocking to Uzbekistan these days.
While in Tashkent, the only hurdle that you might face will be at the Customs. The law requires you to declare every penny that you are carrying inside the country. You have to sign a declaration form that has a counterfoil and keep a stamped copy with yourself. This copy needs to be returned when you leave the country. Also, once inside Uzbekistan, tourists staying for more than three days need to get registered with the bureau. If you are staying in a hotel, the onus lies on the hotel to do it for you. Once done, you are set to explore the queen of Central Asia.
Tashkent is a well-laid out city with broad boulevards and even broader squares. Taxis are affordable but motorbikes are a strict no no. City buses are in plenty with widespread routes. But the best option to see the city around is through city's well laid metro network. A mixture of Soviet era and modern routes, the metro can be used to visit almost all the areas of new city and the downtown and a few areas in the old city as well. And, like its counterpart in Moscow, the metro stations are in themselves a delight to see. Adorned with murals and engravings, and a design reflecting Soviet era aesthetics, each metro station represents a unique theme. But as much as you feel like doing it, it is strictly prohibited to click the pictures of metro stations. The security inside the network is unprecedented and tourists are advised to keep their travel documents handy.
You can cover some sections of the city on foot. In fact, if you divide the city between the old and the new part, you can actually cover each part on foot. The city has mild and pleasant summers and bitterly cold winters with the mercury dipping way below zero. The best time to visit the city is from April to September. As there is little or no humidity, the walks are pleasant and does not exhaust you beyond a point.
There are two squares that define the new part of the city and it is in between these two that many of the attractions are situated. The city's biggest square is Mustaqillik or Independence Square and it serves as the nerve center of the Uzbek government. Spread over an area of 30 acres by the side of the magnificent buildings of Government Secretariat and Oliy Majlis, the square draws substantial crowds at both daytime and evening.
Adorned with green zones and fountains the square is overlooked by the Arch of Independence. Nearby is the Monument to Independence and Humanism. There is a pedestal with a bronze replica of the earth on its top. On this bronze sphere, the territories of Uzbekistan are engraved. Prior to 1991, this pedestal had the statue of Lenin adorning it. Below is a statue of a seated mother with a child in her lap symbolising the new nation.
On its right is the Monument of Courage, build to commemorate the courage of the people who suffered the 1966 earthquake that almost flattened the city.
Further right is the World War II memorial dedicated to the fallen Uzbek soldiers. The monument consists of a flame and sad woman and a building with two corridors with the names of fallen written on it. The design is distinctly Japanese as it was constructed by the Japanese POWs. You can also catch a show in the adjoining Turkestan theatre which is well known for its aesthetics and acoustics.
The square is linked to another famous square, Amir Temur Square, through a boulevard locally known as Broadway. The city boasts of street artists and painters, who display and sell their original artworks. There are many shopping centers, boutiques and cafes around and spending an evening here is highly recommended. You can also catch street performers in the late evening. Also, this is the place where you can pick some good souvenirs and Soviet era antiques. You also have the Palace of Symposiums and National Library of Uzbekistan nearby.
Read more....
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There is a flurry of images that the word Tashkent evokes inside the minds of every Indian: 1965 Indo-Pak War, the Tashkent Agreement, the sad demise of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and the image of his body being flown back to New Delhi. That was 1965. After that there is nothing much to recall.
But while we were busy doing what we do, some tectonic changes occurred. The Soviet Union dismantled and Uzbekistan emerged as an independent nation with Tashkent as its capital. The 90s saw developments at breakneck speed as the newly independent nation was inspired to gift itself a city worthy of being a national capital. Tashkent changed, and changed for good.
First the essentials. Uzbekistan Airways runs direct flights between Delhi and Tashkent, as well as Amritsar and Tashkent. Being a relatively new airline, Uzbekistan Airways boasts of some sparkling new carriers, a mixture of Boeing, Airbus and Ilyushin, in its fleet. The flight from Delhi takes a little over two hours and the ticket prices are affordable. The Uzbekistan Embassy in New Delhi will be eager to provide you with visa and other travel related documents provided you are going there as a tourist. Individual travelers face little problem unlike some of the famous tourist destinations nearby. In fact, the liberal visa regime has seen sudden spike in number of Indian tourists who are flocking to Uzbekistan these days.
While in Tashkent, the only hurdle that you might face will be at the Customs. The law requires you to declare every penny that you are carrying inside the country. You have to sign a declaration form that has a counterfoil and keep a stamped copy with yourself. This copy needs to be returned when you leave the country. Also, once inside Uzbekistan, tourists staying for more than three days need to get registered with the bureau. If you are staying in a hotel, the onus lies on the hotel to do it for you. Once done, you are set to explore the queen of Central Asia.
Tashkent is a well-laid out city with broad boulevards and even broader squares. Taxis are affordable but motorbikes are a strict no no. City buses are in plenty with widespread routes. But the best option to see the city around is through city's well laid metro network. A mixture of Soviet era and modern routes, the metro can be used to visit almost all the areas of new city and the downtown and a few areas in the old city as well. And, like its counterpart in Moscow, the metro stations are in themselves a delight to see. Adorned with murals and engravings, and a design reflecting Soviet era aesthetics, each metro station represents a unique theme. But as much as you feel like doing it, it is strictly prohibited to click the pictures of metro stations. The security inside the network is unprecedented and tourists are advised to keep their travel documents handy.
You can cover some sections of the city on foot. In fact, if you divide the city between the old and the new part, you can actually cover each part on foot. The city has mild and pleasant summers and bitterly cold winters with the mercury dipping way below zero. The best time to visit the city is from April to September. As there is little or no humidity, the walks are pleasant and does not exhaust you beyond a point.
There are two squares that define the new part of the city and it is in between these two that many of the attractions are situated. The city's biggest square is Mustaqillik or Independence Square and it serves as the nerve center of the Uzbek government. Spread over an area of 30 acres by the side of the magnificent buildings of Government Secretariat and Oliy Majlis, the square draws substantial crowds at both daytime and evening.
Adorned with green zones and fountains the square is overlooked by the Arch of Independence. Nearby is the Monument to Independence and Humanism. There is a pedestal with a bronze replica of the earth on its top. On this bronze sphere, the territories of Uzbekistan are engraved. Prior to 1991, this pedestal had the statue of Lenin adorning it. Below is a statue of a seated mother with a child in her lap symbolising the new nation.
On its right is the Monument of Courage, build to commemorate the courage of the people who suffered the 1966 earthquake that almost flattened the city.
Further right is the World War II memorial dedicated to the fallen Uzbek soldiers. The monument consists of a flame and sad woman and a building with two corridors with the names of fallen written on it. The design is distinctly Japanese as it was constructed by the Japanese POWs. You can also catch a show in the adjoining Turkestan theatre which is well known for its aesthetics and acoustics.
The square is linked to another famous square, Amir Temur Square, through a boulevard locally known as Broadway. The city boasts of street artists and painters, who display and sell their original artworks. There are many shopping centers, boutiques and cafes around and spending an evening here is highly recommended. You can also catch street performers in the late evening. Also, this is the place where you can pick some good souvenirs and Soviet era antiques. You also have the Palace of Symposiums and National Library of Uzbekistan nearby.
Read more....
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