Visit Uzbekistan 9th Issue

Your Personal Travel Magazine

Design Your Style Silk&Spices Festival

Top

Coffee shop in Tashkent

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Reasons to Visit

Kashkadarya

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Founded by

Editor-in-chief Dinara Dultaeva Editor Alina Musyakaeva Coordinator Ekaterina Emirosan Graphic designers Alexander Varlamov Egor Alekseev Editorial team Farangiz Salakhodjaeva, Matluba Mustaeva Dinara UZ

@dultaeva

dultaeva

Only a year ago the first issue of our magazine Visit Uzbekistan was presented in London.

This dynamic year marked the rapid changes in the life of our editorial team as well in the life of the country. Tourism Development Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan became the official partner of our magazine, spreading the monthly issues around the world. Visit Uzbekistan was presented in India, Japan, Spain, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Korea and now back to the Great Britain again. This issue of the magazine is proudly prepared in cooperation with Uzbekistan’s Embassy in London, which kindly was an initial supporter of the editorial team since the first days.

During this year, Uzbekistan introduced a visa-free regime for 30 days for citizens of seven countries and a simplified procedure for issuing tourist visas for citizens of 39 states. Uzbekistan continues to diversify its economy and increase regional trade, increases international connections among the economies and people.

Uzbekistan is a home to a charming blend of 12th century mosques and classical architecture, incredible respect of traditions and a vibrant lifestyle of modern days. As part of Central Asia’s most mixed cultural experiences along the Silk Road, Uzbekistan is truly a nation that embraces the beauty of its homeland and its people. And we truly happy to keep introducing our country to the world travelers and to invite you to visit Uzbekistan.

Dinara Dultaeva

Contributors Sharof Egamberdiev, Farkhod Kadirov, Sabrina Heinekey Photography Yuriy Korsuncev, Nozim Nizomovich COVER Photography Nozim Nizomovich Visit Uzbekistan magazine N9, Special issue, 2018 Circulation 5.000 Official partner State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development Published in partnership with Embassy Of The Republic Of Uzbekistan To The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Dinara Media Relations PC Dinara&Co. Trademark Tel.: (+998 93) 500 55 65 www.dinara.co The magazine is registered by Press and Information Agency of Uzbekistan on 12.05.2017. Registration number N 0915 ISSN 2181-9254 Printed by «Helloprint» 100 Pall Mall, St James SW1Y 5NQ London Order #1228957.

All rights reserved. © Dinara&Co. © Dinara Dultaeva

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Contents

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

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10

INTERVIEW

LANDMARK

Uzbekistan-United Kingdom open up new horizons

Louvre in the Desert Nukus Museum of Art

Uzbek Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alisher Shaykhov in exclusive interview to Visit Uzbekistan magazine speaks about bilateral relations.

Admire one of the finest museums in Uzbekistan and in all of Central Asia.

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GASTRONOMY Top coffee shops in Tashkent Venues, where you can try the best coffee of the capital.

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FASHION Design your style Amazing young Uzbek designers whose clothing you could not stop admiring.

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NATURE

TRAVEL

Mysterious Uzbekistan Gissar Range

5 reasons to visit Kashkadarya

In the southern part of Uzbekistan there is the country’s high-mountainous region – Gissar range.

The ancient cultural center of Uzbekistan with original history.

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HERITAGE Silk and Spices Festival The traditional event is one of Uzbekistan’s oldest festivals, organised in the wonderful ancient Bukhara.

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Highlights

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Alan Duncan discuss the Uzbek-British relations President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, during a brief technical stop at the airport in London on 15 May.

The development of practical cooperation, the promotion of joint programs and projects in trade and economic, investment, innovation, financial, cultural, humanitarian and other issue were discussed during the meeting.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev underscored the importance of tapping the existing huge potential of bilateral cooperation. Alan Duncan conveyed to the President of Uzbekistan greetings and best wishes on behalf of the Prime Minister of UK Theresa May. Alan Duncan highly commended the current reforms, and Uzbekistan’s active efforts to ensure security, stability and sustainable development in the region, including the successful holding of the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan in March 2018, and confirmed UK’s readiness to strengthen full-scale cooperation with Uzbekistan.

IFC places bonds nominated in Uzbek soums on London Stock Exchange The International Financial Corporation (IFC) placed bonds in Uzbek soums “Samarkand Bonds” on the London Stock Exchange.

The total volume of the issue is 80 billion soums, the maturity period is 2 years, the coupon rate is 9.5% per annum. This was reported by the press service of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

The bonds sale agreements were concluded with three European asset management companies. The brokerage company ING Capital Markets undertook the transactions. Information on the terms of this bond is placed on the terminal of the information agency Bloomberg.

The attracted resources will be used to open a credit line in national currency to finance small business projects in Uzbekistan.

This transaction is the first of its kind operation with securities in Uzbek soums in international capital markets.

The appearance of bonds nominated in Uzbek soums on international markets will positively affect the image of the

country, stimulate the interest of institutional investors in Uzbekistan.

The interest rate of IFC bonds on the international market will be an indicative benchmark for foreign exchange risk in Uzbekistan. This should help in

assessing the economic situation both to foreign financial institutions and investors, and to the economic departments of Uzbekistan.

Expansion of lending to projects in Uzbekistan by IFC in the national currency will promote the development of the money market and reduce the level of dollarization in the banking sector.

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First Uzbek-UK Energy Forum The First Uzbek-UK Energy Forum “Investment Potential of the Oil and Gas Industry of Uzbekistan”, organized by the State Committee of Inventions and JSC “Uzbekneftegaz”, with the direct support of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the UK was held on April 18, 2018.

The main objectives of the forum are to discuss the organization of financing investment projects in the oil and gas industry of Uzbekistan, to attract modern technologies, and to attract the international consultants.

Within the framework of the Forum, the British side received the information about Uzbekistan, its favorable investment climate, the development of the oil and gas industry in the country, as well as proposals for financing individual investment projects through loans from British financial institutions. The rich business program of the forum included a number of plenary sessions, meetings in B2B format, as well as presentations of participating companies.

Issues of further development and introduction of non-traditional and renewable energy sources were also discussed.

Contemplating an Asian escape?

Lonely Planet’s travel experts have combed the charming beach towns, scoured the cloud-snagging skylines and poked around the prehistoric temple complexes of the ever-changing Asian continent to bring you their recommendations of the most exciting spots to visit over the next 12 months.

Uzbekistan has long held sway over travellers’ imaginations, with its dreamy mosaic-clad mosques and Silk Road lore.

But the country has remained largely closed off to the wider world due to tight control following the end of the Soviet era.

Thankfully, change finally appears to be afoot.

In late 2017, Uzbekistan took huge strides in opening up to tourism, announcing visa-free and e-visa schemes, new air routes and also extensions to its shiny high-speed rail network, making access to its collection of jewelled architecture and ancient cities easier than ever. Whilst the country lags behind its neighbours in a few ways, particularly regarding human rights, there is a feeling of hope that, as Uzbekistan enjoys the benefits of being welcoming to all, positive change will follow.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Asia 2018

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Interview

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

UzbekistanUnited Kingdom Open up new horizons Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom Alisher Shaykhov in exclusive interview to Visit Uzbekistan magazine speaks about bilateral relations.

What changes in the relations between two countries happened during the year of your work as Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom?

Uzbek-British relations are becoming more and more dynamic with growing number of delegations visiting both countries to establish new partnerships in variety of areas – from trade and investment to political consultations and cultural cooperation. In my view, this trend reflects the genuine interest from both sides to utilise all potentials of bilateral relations based on modern-

isation process and all-encompassing reforms initiated by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. We can firmly say that these reforms opened up many new opportunities to expand mutually beneficial interaction, as between official entities, as well as private organisations and individuals.

Suffice to mention that since last August only via our Embassy there were organised over 100 visits of different delegations, about 60 business, expert and cultural events, and we are actively using such new formats as video-conferencing. And there is a tendency for

further expansion of bilateral contacts that are already bearing results in many fields.

What are high-level bilateral contacts and exchange of visits plannedduring this year?

The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev made a transit stopover in London on 15th May 2018 and met with Sir Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, as well as with Mr Gareth Bayley, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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During the conversation, the Uzbek leader emphasized the importance of effective implementation of the existing great potential for bilateral cooperation. Important attention was paid to intensifying contacts at various levels, developing practical cooperation, promoting joint programs and projects in trade, investment, innovation, financial, cultural, humanitarian and other areas. Sir Alan Duncan conveyed to the President of Uzbekistan greetings and best wishes on behalf of the Prime Minister of UK Mrs Theresa May. British Minister highly assessed the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan, as well as active efforts to ensure security, stability and sustainable development in the region, including the success of the International Conference on Afghanistan in March this year in Tashkent.

It should be mentioned that the British delegation led by Mr Gareth Bayley participated at the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan and we are grateful to the United Kingdom for supporting the Tashkent Declaration. Our positions with regards the regional security are very much in common, as Tashkent and London share interests in promoting stability and economic development in Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Since the start of this year, there were also visits to London by the Deputy Minister of Finance with signing the important agreement of taxation; Head of the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan, also with signing £1.25 billion credit line agreement with the UK Export Finance Agency. Member of the House of Lords Baroness Suttie was in Tashkent in April, having very productive meetings at the Oliy Majlis, Ministry of Healthcare and other organisations on issues of cooperation and assistance ranging from countering TB to strengthening the role of the Parliaments in our country.

Currently we are working with British colleagues on organising visits of other ministers, as well as parliamentarians.

Here I should also note very productive visits to Uzbekistan by representatives of the National School of Governance International (NSGI) and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). If the first is working out a joint programme with the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan, second has already established the partnership with the Oliy Majlis.

I can add many other examples and future visits that reflect the readiness of both sides to strengthen full-scale

cooperation between our nations. One of the important events in our calendar is, of course, the next session of the Uzbek-British Trade and Industry Council (UBTIC) later this autumn.

Could you tell us about the investment attractiveness of Uzbekistan for British businessmen, as well as share successful examples of jointly implemented projects?

For British businessmen, as for foreign investors in general, Uzbekistan is becoming an increasingly attractive and desirable destination. Uzbekistan’s advantages – like the young demographics, growing domestic market, abundant natural resources – are now also boosted by the ongoing progress of structural and dynamic economic reforms launched by the new leadership since late 2016.

One prominent example of the increasing interest of British investors in Uzbekistan is the success of the inaugural FT UK-Uzbekistan Energy Forum, which took place in London on 18th April 2018 and resulted in the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Export Finance and the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan worth £1.25 billion.

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Interview

Another significant driver of cooperation between businesses in Uzbekistan and European countries is the EBRD. Since Uzbekistan-EBRD re-engagement in the end of 2017, the Bank has already signed several contracts worth in sum over US$250 million.

Speaking about the UK in particular, first of all we proceed from the fact that London remains one of the key international financial centres in the world.

We actively work on the efforts to lead Uzbekistan and our national companies onto the international capital market.

One exemplary achievement is the listing of the first-ever international Uzbek Soum-denominated bond on the London Stock Exchange on 20th June 2018.

By the end of the year, we plan to obtain a sovereign rating and issue Eurobonds.

Moreover, the opportunities of introducing Islamic financing to Uzbekistan are also being currently explored.

There are promising opportunities in many other areas, such as construction market. For example, we are working now with leading architects and specialists from Cambridge and other British universities and companies to develop new range of innovative building materials.

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Are Uzbek products interesting to the British market? How can you increase the Uzbek-British trade turnover?

In my opinion, Uzbek products are not only interesting, but rather indispensable to the UK market. Think of the outstanding quality of our fruits and vegetables, which stand out for their organic and gustatory qualities. Although we are still conducting our market research, the current observable trend shows that Uzbek cherries, melons and apricots have high competitive potential on the UK market.

Furthermore, Uzbek dried fruits already present in the UK market and continue to steadily strengthen their position. Thus, in the beginning of this year, our compatriots from Kashkadarya province launched an online retail for dried fruits, spices and other products from Uzbekistan, via the website www.uzbekshop.co.uk. Having established partnership with “Hunarmand” Association, the British company “Silk Route Global” is actively preparing the opening of a showroom in London for the sales of Uzbek artisan goods.

Without a doubt, Uzbek textile and garments have big perspectives in the British market. Uzbek traditional fab-

rics like ikat are quite popular among Western fashion designers. We are now looking out for collaboration opportunities with leading brands and highstreet retailers in the UK. Yet, I believe that the greatest potential for big increase of bilateral trade turnover resides in the outsourcing of services and the export of IT products from Uzbekistan to the United Kingdom. Our bright and tech savvy young specialists, like those at the Mirzo Ulugbek Innovation Center, could export their value-added products and services in such spheres as fintech, blockchain and others. This is the future!

In your opinion, what are the main similarities and differences between the cultures of the two countries?

Of course, we can talk a lot about differences between the West and East, but what I see is that Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom has a long history of interaction, going back to the Medieval times. And this enabled very strong cultural links and inter-influence. We are proud by the fact that cooperation in fields of culture, science and education is probably the strongest element of bilateral relations.

11 This was evident when the joint delegation of directors of number of Islamic and cultural research centres of Uzbekistan were in the United Kingdom during February-Match this year. Meetings at the leading museums, academic and religious institutions in London, Oxford and Cambridge demonstrated the existence of impressive expertise and artefacts related to our historic heritage, as well as desire of both sides to promote better knowledge about the true meaning of Islam, as a religion of peace and mutual respect. This is exactly what the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev underlined in his initiatives aimed on countering extremism and wrong interpretation of our sacred faith, i.e. by actively disseminating the knowledge and educating young people. And we are confident that this is relevant for both of our countries.

It is also worth to say about the intensification of cooperation between such well-known institutions as British Museum or Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies with partner organisations in Uzbekistan. The Embassy hosted on April 18th the presentation of the international project “Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the world collection”, which also includes publishing of books and film series about artefacts related to our history at the museums and libraries in the United Kingdom. In October the British Museum will open its new Albukhari Islamic Gallery, which to include number of artefacts related to Uzbekistan, including the famous Cup of Ulugbek as one of the centrepieces.

Can we talk about the growing interest of the British people to Uzbekistan?

If there is such trend, what is the reason for this?

I think the strongest evidence of the rise of interest of British people to Uzbekistan is the fact of 34 per cent growth of number of tourists from the United Kingdom during last year. It is very encouraging, because President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made tourism as one of the most important priorities for national development. Along with such measures as visa simplification and improving existing facilities, there is a huge programme of tourist infra-

structure development and training for international quality standards. Here, of course, we wish to work closely with British specialists as well.

Returning to reasons for the growth of interest to Uzbekistan, I can also mention intensified cooperation with the leading British and international media. From the start of this year, we helped on organising visits, meetings and filming in Uzbekistan for representatives of BBC, ITV, Financial Times and other outlets, being quite open when it comes to highlighting not only our cultural and historic legacy, but also current developments and challenges.

We intend to continue cooperation with media, culture and academic institutions in Britain. One new tendency is so called “Ziyorat tourism” or pilgrimage to holly places in Uzbekistan. And our country is graced to have places important for many world religions, such as the tombs of Imam Al Bukhari or Saint Daniel in Samarkand, as well as the Spring of Saint Job in Bukhara or Buddhist shrines in Surkhandarya province.

What events does the Embassy organise this year to increase interest in Uzbekistan?

The Embassy works closely with number of partners by organising various events to attract interest to Uzbekistan. I must mention the active role of the British-Uzbek Society that increased its membership many times in only one year by organising monthly lectures on various aspects of culture and modern life in Uzbekistan. The highlight of the BUS programme is the Summer Garden Party – the annual festivity with music, food, fashion and many other elements that serve as most effective instruments for bringing more friends of Uzbekistan.

Along with this, there is an extensive programme of events with the Cambridge Forum for Central Asia, two Oxford societies dedicated to our region, number of partners in other British regions.

One relatively new trend is the active collaboration with the Uzbek diaspora in the United Kingdom. Merely in 18 months we saw establishment of number of groups of interests that unite our compatriots here – the UK-Uzbek Business Club, London City – Uzbekistan Bridge, Education Bridge etc. And, being true patriots, they all are eager to promote contacts and cooperation, contribute for the development of our Motherland.

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Landmark

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Louvre in the Desert Nukus Museum of Art Photo by Yuriy Korsuntsev

The Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art named after I.V. Savitsky is world famous and metaphorically named “Louvre in the Desert” for its world’s second largest collection of the Russian avant-garde in a place unexpected for foreigners.

13 The story of the museum’s establishment and development is as unique as the collection. Opened in 1966, the museum houses about 90.000 items illustrating cultural periods from the third century BC to the present day.

There are items of the material and artistic culture of ancient Khorezm — the homeland of Avesta, and including the Folk and Applied Art of the Karakalpaks, a small, formerly semi-nomadic ethnic group with a primordial history and original culture. The Fine Arts section of the museum is represented with the contemporary art of Uzbekistan and Russian avant-garde of the 1920-30s of the 20st century.

The founder of the museum – Igor Savitsky – first visited Karakalpakstan in 1950 to participate in the Khorezm Archaeological & Ethnographic Expedition as a painter. Having familiarized himself with amazing history and ancient culture of Karakalpakstan, he took a great interest in ethnography and archeology, and this region became his second homeland. Savitsky, collecting the items of Folk and Applied art, noted that this art was going swiftly disappeared. It had occurred to him to establish a museum — the museum of Folk and Applied Art. Today, the number of its admirers and supporters in Uzbekistan and around the world, while still relatively few, is gradually increasing, and this vast collection of Russian art has become a “must-see” for any visitor to Uzbekistan. The Nukus Museum is now one of the finest in Uzbekistan and in all of Central Asia.

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Fashion

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Design your style Matluba Mustaeva

Uzbekistan is probably not the first country which comes to the mind when you talk about fashion. But with the new generation of talented Uzbek designers it has caught attention. Using the rich culture, traditional silk and cotton textiles and combining them with modern cuts, Uzbek designs have been showcased all over the world. Visit Uzbekistan is going to tell you the story of two Uzbek designers who possibly will make you put a new pin on your fashion map.

MON SHERI

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hirin Igamberdiyeva is the founder and owner of Mon Sheri studio, which is spoiling Uzbek ladies with classic tailor made chic. They create exclusive individual clothing.

Mon Sheri is faithful to the little black dresses to the tweed jackets. They are helping their customers to wear serious outfits with easy manner. They are brightening an office lady’s routine with the individual touch and elegance.

But by doing this Mon Sheri is making an impact into something much more - they are helping to create a modern image of Uzbek woman - motivated, dynamic, goal oriented, chic!

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ANOR ATELIER

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fter entering the fashion world through the debut collection in style.uz - an important fashion event in Tashkent back in 2012, Dilnoza Umurzakova established Anor Atelier – a team of talented, passionate designers and professionals.

In 2014 Anor Atelier came up with the idea of introducing each region of Uzbekistan in the form of new collection.

The idea turned into a tradition that reveals the beauty of every corner of the country. Since then Dilnoza Umurzakova was presenting her collections at fashion shows in Kuala Lumpur, Baku, Moscow. And she is about to participate in Arab fashion week with luxurious evening dresses enriched with traditional Uzbek embroidery. But among achievements of Anor Atelier is participation in Olympic Games “Rio 2016” - through creating a uniform for the athletes of the national team of Uzbekistan. It was done brilliantly, borrowing a sketch from their Khorezm collection - Uzbek sport stars were in quilted chapan-traditional Uzbek handmade robe.

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Gastronomy

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Coffee Break

How a Small Coffee Shop Changed Tastes

Jahongir Umarov, Founder of B&B Coffee House

Classy interior, heartwarming atmosphere, cosy furniture, fragrant and invigorating coffee, and most importantly, the team that is in love with their work - this all could be addressed to B&B Coffee House. The founder of the popular coffee shop chain in Tashkent, Jahongir Umarov speaks with our editorial team how he built a restaurant business from the ground up and greatly succeeded in this.

B&B Coffee House (short for Beans & Brews) first opened its doors in 2015.

Before that, we carefully worked on business plan taking into account all the details for launching the first point.

Me and my team wanted to create a new format of the coffee shop, that supposed to differ from what generally urban coffee shops offered.

One of the schticks of our venue is a fashionable interior in black and white colours that harmoniously blend with decorative elements made of bricks and wood. This design is very common in Europe.

The main idea of my business was to popularise among urban dwellers the consumption of coffee made from quality imported grains and make it affordable. Gradually, we wanted to create the “coffee art� philosophy and spread it into masses.

My professional experience greatly helped me in opening the first coffee shop. When I was a student and lived in London, I worked at restaurants, bars, hotels and got a huge experience. After

university graduation, I came back to Tashkent and became the manager of the restaurant chain. However, the idea of starting my own business was always with me.

First it was a small coffee shop for 13 seats, which later grown, due to increasing demand, into a large coffee shop with two floors and an outdoor

terrace at the prestigious dormitory district - Novomoskovskaya. Of course, we faced difficulties: from the delivery of food to recruitment. In November 2015, there were only 8 employees in our team, and today the staff is about 90 people. And we have grandiose plans: we are going to open new coffee shops all around the city and even go-

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ing out into the regions - to establish a chain.

If to draw a parallel between UK and Uzbekistan, then both countries historically have a culture of tea drinking.

Despite this, today British people drink coffee twice more than tea - for each cup of tea there are 2.5 cups of coffee.

And I want to transfer this unique experience to our country.

I travel a lot and I am inspired by the atmosphere of other restaurants and cafes in different cities. I really like such coffee houses as Costa or Starbucks.

During my stay in London, I was their regular visitor.

I would like to note that creating a coffee house that would be the real manifestation of this word is the best way to enter the market. There should

not be anything superfluous in it that could cast doubt on the very format of the venue. The idea and concept of the place work for the recognition of the shop, and then visitors come back not only for coffee and dishes, but also for the unique atmosphere and wonderful mood. A properly chosen location is already 60% of success.

Our shop is cheaper and more affordable than the coffee business of key players of this industry. It is very important for us that everyone can buy a cup of coffee in our house. Since the very opening, our service has been maintained at a consistently high level with the help of excellent management and teamwork. We want our visitors to feel like home, but at the same time they could enjoy a high class service.

Due to my persistent character and creative mindset, I have never done anything half-measure in my life, and do not limit myself in the coffee business.

For instance, I recently launched a new restaurant called Roots. For a long time me and my business partners came up with the concept of the project - the name, authentic design and menu, I wanted every detail to bring its nuance to the interior and create a unique atmosphere. The concept of the project: Africa is our roots, where the history of mankind began. Visual design and interior – it is me and my companions̀ vision of the continent - vibrant colours and crazy combinations, African motives. All dishes were created by our well-deserved chef, he invented all

these exotic sauces, combined spices, sought harmony of tastes.

Over the years of boiling in that pot, I learned to appreciate what we possess and not take everything for granted - if you have high-quality service and good cuisine, it does not mean that you can stop working on yourself and hope that this situation will last forever. My advice is “Never rest on the laurels”.

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Gastronomy

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

10 REASONS TO VISIT UZBEKISTAN 304 pages / 250 photos Language: Russian, English Circulation: 3000 units Printing: Turkey

On 304 highly visual pages the book presents masterpieces of photography some specially made for the project, others taken from the 15 years long archives. More than 250 works of the prominent photographer Ernest Kurtveliev reflect an extraordinary atmosphere, picturesque nature and marvellous architecture of Uzbekistan, as well as authentic lifestyle of its openhearted people.

Preview and order: uzbekistanbook.dinara.co For wholesale orders call +998 (93) 390-00-98 “Knijniy mir� Bookstore Tashkent: +998 (71) 252 74 99

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365 DAYS OF SUN Your gastronomic journey to the world of plov, samsa and thousands of other delicacies.

365 pages / 230 photos Language: Russian and English Circulation: 2000 units VIP version: 100 units Printing: Turkey

If you have ever tried plov, but not in Uzbekistan - you did not try the real plov. If you left Uzbekistan without having tried the masterpieces Uzbekistan’s “Jamie Oliver” Bahriddin Chustiy - you need a ticket back to Tashkent.

But there is luckily a second option, the first Uzbek foodguide “365 Days of Sun”. This book has become famous far beyond Uzbekistan and is a great opportunity to enjoy the flavour of spices, the taste of roast meat and the softness of flour delicacies.

Preview and order: 365days.dinara.co For wholesale orders call +998 (93) 390-00-98 +998 (71) 252-74-99

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VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Uzbek silk actual forever Silk is a delicate fabric that has been prized for centuries. The history of silk began in China and continued to spread throughout the world. The history of silk showed that it was the finest material that could ever be obtained; therefore the people who possessed silk were most often those who could afford it, royalties and wealthy individuals. Silk has always been a desired fabric. Even today, silk remains the more favorite material.

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B

ukhara Brilliant Silk company, operating in the ancient city Bukhara, has a centuries-old history of silk and silk traditions in Uzbekistan. “Bukhara Brilliant Silk” LLC is a member of “Uzbekipaksanoat” association. The company turns out high-quality, competitive products based on modern technologies, qualified workers. Elegant ornaments, geometric patterns and kaleidoscope of fairy flowers - the East fascinates with expressiveness and mystery. Silk is largely valued because of the sensual luxurious feel that the material has. It also has other features that make it more preferred than other materials; it is the most comfortable and absorbent. Not only does the physical properties make it treasured, the also silk production that manufactures the silk is labor intensive and time consuming. Its explicitness makes it desirable.

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he main activity of the enterprise is the production of silk raw materials and silk products grown by farmers in agriculture. The more work that’s put into making a material such as silk, the more valuable it is. The venture has production that labored the most skilled staff. There are many steps of the production process that have different functions, but all add up to being very important in the development of silk.

The different steps that contribute to the finished product include, first off, having the raw materials to begin the creation, having the machineries or manual laborers to process the silk, and lastly the manufacturing of silk fabric that turn the silk thread into fabrics that we wear. The enterprise produces fabrics such as crepe, atlas, muslin, serge, and many other silk items such as scarves, various necklaces. The products are export-oriented and exported to many countries such as Iran, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, UAE, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Poland, Italy, France.

Adress: 200100, Uzbekistan, Bukhara region, the city of Bukhara, Bahauddin Naqshbandi street, 256 Tel: +998 (91) 443-94-49 Mail: bbsilk@mail.ru Services are licensed

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Nature

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Mysterious Uzbekistan Gissar Range Text and photo by Sharof Egamberdiev

Mountains – the most picturesque miracle of nature. Staying in the mountains everybody feels indescribable pleasure and full unity with nature. The regions of Uzbekistan are interconnected by multi-kilometer picturesque roads and passes that offer a great opportunity to explore the unique combination of culture and heritages of the country.

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n the southern part of Uzbekistan, there is the country’s high-mountainous region – Gissar range. The major part of this mountain system is located in Tajikistan, but its highest point, found right on the border of these states, is the highest peak (4643 m) of Uzbekistan. The landscape type changes from east to west – hilly slopes gradually transform into colossal rock massifs.

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long with that, for millions of years, the mountain rivers of Gissar range cut huge canyons in the ground. In the center of the Uzbek part of Gissar range there is the samename Gissar Reserve, inhabited by the animals listed in the Red Book: the Tien Shan brown bear, snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, golden eagle, kumai and so on. Flora is also rich featuring juniper, maple and ash groves, as well as vast grasslands with different kinds of herbs and flowers.

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Travel

5

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

reasons to visit Kashkadarya Farangiz Salakhodjaeva

Kashkadarya is a landmark region of Uzbekistan. This is the birthplace of the great ruler and commander Amir Temur, and the place where the unique acting observatory is located. This region, which has a beautiful nature and rich mineral resources, attracted the attention of many conquerors and still remains one of the must see places of the country.

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The land of the greats

The history of the Kashkadarya region is connected with the names of many rulers and outstanding figures of the past. The homeland of the great Central Asian ruler, Amir Temur, was repeatedly destroyed by various conquerors, but quickly restored its power and grandeur. The history of the commercial, cultural and military center of the Sogdian state began 2700 years ago. The city now known as Qarshi, was called Nakhshab or Nasaf by the Arabs. The region gave the world the names of many scientists, poets and thinkers, including prominent figures like Najmuddin Nasafi, Abu Makhul al-Nasafi, Shihabuddin Nasafi, Abul Barakotan Nasafi, Abul Harris Varsini and others who were active in one of the four centers of hadith studies of Central Asia - the city of Nasaf. The city also inspired poets as Navoi, Jami, Ulugbek. The memory of the descendants contains the names of world-famous heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the people: Spitamenes, who astounded Alexander the Great with his heroism, as well as Hashim ibn Hakim (Muqanna), who haunted Arab invaders, Amir Temur, who liberated Central Asia from the Mongol yoke.

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2

Wonderland

In the mountains of the Gissar range 30 kilometers east of Shakhrisabz lies the village of Miraki, where the same climatic sanatorium and children’s health camp “Lochin” is located. Honored graphic artist and ceramist of Uzbekistan Abdunabi Mamadiev created an original project of the camp that united wonders of the world on a territory of 15 hectares. He argued that there are much more miracles in the world, and many of them are the heritage of culture and history of Uzbekistan. “Lochin” reminds the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis, which still remains in legends. The territory of the camp there are the famous architectural masterpieces of the world that completely replicate all the features of the original but in smaller scales. Visitors can see Registan, the ruins of Ak-Saray - the fairy palace of Amir Temur, the pearl of India - the Taj Mahal, the pyramid of Cheops, the Eiffel Tower, the Temple of Artemis, the Colosseum.

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Travel

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

4

3 Natural creation

A piece of paradise on earth with a pristine mountainous terrain and a favorable climate is located at legendary Gissar State Reserve, the largest in Central Asia. The Gissar Reserve was established in 1983 with the purpose of preserving the typical parts of natural complexes, studying natural processes, and the conservation of endangered species of flora and fauna.

On 80 thousand hectares of fertile land inhabits the heady freshness of forests and about two thousand species of plants. The historical and natural object of the Gissar Reserve, attracting the attention of scientists from all over the world, is a landmark of the protected area.

These are footprints of the dinosaurs’ feet (in a quantity of 31 pieces) of the Jurassic period.

In the mountains of Shakhrisabz, you cannot only relax, but also check the truthfulness of the legend, which local people like to tell. An evil shah lived near the town. He loved power and was very superstitious. Once he was foretold that a boy would be born in the foothill kishlak (village), and he would conquer almost the entire world. The shah was frightened and ordered to kill all the babies in the neighborhood, but one baby survived. His mother ran into the mountains and hide in a cave. This boy was Amir Temur. The legend says that the son and the mother lived in the cave for several years, and food and water appeared as if by magic. There is another legend also related to the cave. While preparing for military campaigns, Amir Temur and his comrades found shelter in this cave.

This is an incredible historical site, located 80 km far from the Gissar Range, decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, crystals like flowers and a small lake. Legends are legends, but the picturesque cave does exist.

It’s all about the meat!

Why do you think Temur’s army was so strong and invincible? It’s all about the meat! The army had plenty of it, but there was no time for cooking, so during the campaigns the riders simply put a piece of raw meat under the saddle. The meat was softened by pressure and partially baked. Was it tasty? Ask the Tartar steak fans. Calm down! You won’t be served raw meat, but you can taste a wonderful dish “kazan kabob”. You can try it in every city of Uzbekistan, but only in the Kashkadarya region this dish is prepared with the observance of all technologies. Pieces of young lamb cooked with spices and wrapped in branches of softwood, then they are hung on special hooks in the oven - tandoor, which should be pitted. For the best preparation of the meat the cook covers the pit with an iron sheet and with sand on top, so that you will not see even the smoke. As a result, the meat becomes moist and melts in the mouth. And, of course, you will be offered local wine that was awarded gold and silver medals at international exhibitions. The Restaurateur, brand-chef Bahriddin Chustiy describe the whole process and the interesting features of the preparing of this delicious dish in his famous book «365 days of the Sun».

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5

Greatness of the city

Guests should definitely visit some of the most grandiose monuments of the Timurid epoch - the Ak-Saray (White Palace) in Shakhrisabz, look at the huge blue dome of the Kok-Gumbaz mosque and the Dorus-Saodat and Dorut-Tillyavat monumental ensembles. A

For centuries, under the patronage of the Bukharan Emirates, Muslim and Jewish musicians worked together to develop the Shashmaqam into one of the world’s most sophisticated and refined classical music systems.

Shashmaqam is a canon of instrumental melodies and poetic texts set to music, traditionally performed in long suites that are organized melodically around one of the maqam. The maqam and shashmaqam form the basis of Uzbek classical “art music” (in contrast to folk music). Thus, they are the forms studied and performed by the professional classical musician. The lyrics of makoms come from ancient folk poetry and the classical oriental poetry by such authors as Khafiz, Bedil, Navoiy, Jami. Makoms stylistically fall into Bukhara cycle and Khorezm cycle.

Since 2018 in Shakhrisabz, the International Forum of Maqam Art will be held once every two years. In the historic part of Oksaroy Square, a museum dedicated to the art of maqam and a laboratory of national musical instruments will be also created in this city.

6

lot of amazing legends are associated with the history of Ak-Saray. According to one of them, Amir Temur, having conceived the idea of creating a majestic building, called for an architect.

The architect, after listening to the ruler’s idea, asked him to admit him to the state treasury. Having received a permission, the master in front of Temur began to make blocks for the foundation of clay mixed with gold.

But the ruler remained unperturbed.

Then the architect broke the blocks and returned the gold to the treasury.

To Temur’s question: “Why did you do this?” - the architect replied: “To be sure of the ruler’s decision to start a building that requires huge expenses.” So, the entrance of the building began to adorn the epigraph “If you doubt our power - look at our buildings.” Unfortunately, only a part of the structure has been preserved, but even the remainings of this portal help to present the unprecedented beauty and grandeur of this place. Ak-Saray, along with other monuments of the Kesha of the Timurid era, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Art of music

28

Heritage

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Silk and Spices

Festival Farkhod Kadirov

With history around every turn and corner, Bukhara is a vibrant and colourful city of fairytales with labyrinth-like streets taking centre stage in culture and traditions. Therefore, it was not a random choice that Bukhara has been a venue hosting one of the largest pride events, Silk and Spices Festival every summer for the past 18 years.

T

raditional fairs and live masterclasses organised by craftsmen and artisans to revive cultural legacy of the Great Silk Road and sporting events honoured the rich traditions and practices of Uzbekistan drew thousands of visitors to the Old City of Bukhara. Stretching three days, Silk and Spices welcomed more than 300,000 guests and visitors from all over the world.

S

trolling through the Old City, home to multiple UNESCO World Heritage listed sites, festival participants and its guests experienced vivid colours and texture of silk fabric, unfamiliar sounds of traditional musical instruments and the exotic aromas of spices in the air.

U

nder bustling trading domes which the caravans of the Silk Road once

made their ways through, it was no wonder to see tourists haggling for spices and tasting extraordinary flavours of Bukhara cuisine. While some guests could not help tapping their feet on music, others were enthusiastically mimicking traditional dances and marching along with the festive parade passing through all three existing domes.

29 Vinod Kumar, Ambassador of India in Tashkent, sharing his impressions:

“It has always been my childhood dream to visit Bukhara one day. Now it is my fourth visit to Bukhara and compared to my earlier visits, there has been a great improvement in the whole atmosphere for tourists and more facilities have been built to comfort their stay here. This time, of course, we have come here to admire the festival. Such events as Silk and Spices Festival will go a long way in attracting more tourists. The festival dazzled me with a rich display of craftsmanship in Uzbekistan, famous throughout the world history and improving tremendously in the last couple of years. Therefore, displaying these skills to the whole world has become the main priority and in that context, to have so many stalls within historical sights, I think, was a great idea. In organising such a large festival, there are usually two most important things to consider. One is what is being displayed and the other is how the visitors are being managed.

I believe on both these points, the organisers scored 10 out of 10. There were huge crowds but there was no confusion.“

T

he rich and diverse program of the festival did not leave anyone unimpressed. National Gallery of Fine and Applied Arts and the exhibition of painters, presentations of blacksmith, pottery, gold-embroidery, copper coinage and carpet weaving schools dazzled each and every festival participant and visitor with the demonstrations of the work process.

T

he entertainment part of the program of the festival presented concerts of folk groups not only from different regions of the country but also from festival participant countries.

The gala concert with participation

of popular and talented young artists held in Register Square of Ark fortress brought all festival attendees together and concluded Silk and Spices Festival by cultural composition program, reflecting the essence of cultural heritage, and the ceremony of awarding the winners of the festival in several categories.

Although representatives of international organizations, NGOs, diplomatic corps and embassy workers were officially invited to the festival, for majority of foreign visitors, the festival was a pleasant coincidence. Albertine de Montmolin, a traveller from Switzerland could not hold emotions back: “It’s my first time in Uzbekistan. My participation at the festival was by chance. It’s completely amazing and everything is so different from where I come from: people, how they look, how they act, the buildings and the beauty of them, incredible. I’m a History student. I have an Instagram account and I’m posting every single picture I’ve been taking about Uzbekistan.

So, I’m teaching my part of the world about Uzbekistan. I can also say that the organisation works done are superb and you know why? Because it’s not specially made for tourists, I feel that there’s really something of soul from the people for their own people; the Silk and Spices is not mainly for tourists. It’s for local people and I feel and love it”.

30

Experience

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan:

Tr avels beyond Samarkand

M

illennia of travellers have taken the golden road to Samarkand. The glittering turquoise and lapis tiles of the Shah-i Zinda, the huge dome of the Bibi Khanym Mosque, and the gilded interior of the Tilya Kori Madrasah in the Registan are just as mesmerising now as they were when the great emperor Timur made Samarkand his capital and home.

B

ut in their bid to tick off the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, most tourists overlook Uzbekistan’s other treasures.

No visit to the country would be complete without sightseeing in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, but every corner of Uzbekistan has its wonders, and they too warrant time to be explored. Take as much time as you can, and travel as far as you can, to gain real insight into this beautiful, nuanced country.

Sophie Ibbotson

W

hilst you are here, be sure to visit Nukus. The city itself is unremarkable, but it hides an absolute gem -- The Savitsky Museum -- which Télérama magazine called “Le Louvre des steppes”. Curator and founder Igor Savitsky was a painter, archeologist,

and determined collector. Amongst the museum’s 82,000 artefacts -- which includes everything from archaeological finds excavated in Khorezm to attractive items of folk art -- is one of the world’s pre-eminent collections of Russian avant garde art. Savitsky acquired these artworks from across the Soviet Union when the artists who produced them were out of favour. He bought and bartered works by the likes of Robert Falk, David Burliuk, and Alexander Kuprin. By squirrelling them away here, out of sight in remote Karakalpakstan, he preserved these masterpieces to be enjoyed by later generations.

W

hen in Bukhara, make time to go outside the city. It’s a short drive to the magnificent Sitorai Mokhi Khosa, which translates as “the palace of moonlike stars”. This was the official residence of Mir Sayyd Muhammad Alim Khan, the ill fated khan of Bukhara who was sat on the throne when the Bolsheviks rolled in. His palace, built between 1912 and 1918, nods both to Uzbekistan’s Islamic heritage and to imperial Russia, where Alim Khan was educated. The harem building, garden minaret, and reflec-

31 in prayer. It is an oasis of calm in an otherwise bustling city.

T

tion pools are juxtaposed with the main building’s white stucco facade, Venetian mirrors, Japanese porcelains, and objets d’art from Russia.

C

ombine the palace with the Memorial Complex of Naqshbandi, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Uzbekistan. Naqshbandi was a Sufi theologian and the spiritual guide of Emperor Amir Timur (Tamerlane). He is said to have visited Mecca 32 times on Hajj, and since his death in 1389, Naqshbandi has been recognised as a saint.

I like to come here and sit quietly in one of the courtyards, looking up at the finely carved woodwork or the intricate mosaic of tiles. The noise -- when there is one -- is the murmuring of Muslims

he highlights that people tell you about in Uzbekistan are more often than not man made. Aydarkul is a notable exception; it is one of the most idyllic lakes in all of Central Asia, located not far from Nurata. I first went on a warm September afternoon with friends. The beach is sandy, and the lake wonderfully clean. Casting off our shoes and outer layers, we raced into the water, swimming and splashing about for an hour like children. When we did emerge, grinning from ear to ear, it was to drive the short distance along a track to the Kazakh yurt camp to spend the night like nomads. A musician played and sang to us around the campfire, and we slept outside beneath a completely clear canopy of stars. The most magical of memories are made this way.

R

esearching and writing Bradt Travel Guides’ Uzbekistan -- the best selling travel guide to the country -- I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had months at a time to go far beyond the well worn tourist paths. You can follow my journeys with Travel the Unknown’s Uzbekistan Odyssey (www.traveltheunknown.com), an exceptional 14 night itinerary which not only showcases ancient cities and spellbinding architecture, but traditional craftsmanship, avant garde art, and the riches of the desert as well.

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Event

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

The annual event of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in London – Summer Garden Party surprised guests with the presentation of the tourist and cultural potential, and also with the fashion show of young designers of Uzbekistan.

T

he event, held jointly with the British-Uzbek Society and a number of partners, has already become an expected occasion for the British public, as annually the organizers represent new facets of culture, art and gastronomy of Uzbekistan. Summer Garden Party attracted roughly 200 high profile

guests, including members of parliament, officials, business people, tourism companies, media representatives.

The event started with welcoming speeches by Uzbek Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alisher Shaykhov, Chairman of the British-Uzbek Society

Dr. Shirin Akiner and a member of the House of Lords, Baroness Alison Satti.

Musical part of the evening included performance of London Orzu Arts Theater under the guidance of Yuldosh Zhuraboyev. Singer Guljahon Khuramova arrived specially from Stockholm to par-

33

ticipate in the event. Actor Rashid Shadat was the host of the evening, currently taking part in the shooting of the next part of “Star Wars” movie.

The fashion show of Uzbek designers Dilnoza Umurzakova, Anor Atelier and Shirin Mirsalieva, Mon Sheri was held.

Representatives of the Council of Young Designers of Uzbekistan demonstrated modern fashion trends of haute-couture and prêt-à-porter. Bright, colorful clothes attracted the attention of guests, almost everyone wanted to be photographed with models and communicate with designers.

During the evening the 9th issue of Visit Uzbekistan was presented, designed to acquaint the international community and the guests of Uzbekistan with the investment, cultural and tourist potential of the country. Published with the official support of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development, the Publishing House of Dinara & Co. in different languages of the world, the magazine becomes

the visiting card of the country. For an incomplete year since its inception, the magazine has been successfully presented in the UK, India, Spain, Germany, Russia in the framework of international tourist and cultural events, business forums and visits of foreign delegations, including the visit of the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Uzbekistan. The special issue, prepared jointly with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in London, covered the most important aspects of Uzbek-British relations, topics of investment and tourism potential, useful articles about gastronomy, fashion, and impressions of British guests about Uzbekistan. Special attention is paid to the tourist potential of the Kashkadarya region.

Traditionally, the Embassy of Uzbekistan has prepared for the guests dishes of national cuisine, as well as the best wines of Uzbekistan.

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Visit

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

I NSPI RE D BY

Uzbekistan

The British Council, together with the The Foundation for Development of Culture and Arts and the Delegation of the European Union in Uzbekistan, implemented the program “Art for Sustainable Development�. Within the framework of the project, British ceramists Matthew Foster, from the famous Leach Pottery School, in Cornwall, Lindy Martin, as well as Jacob Chan from the Carmarthen School of Art made an unforgettable trip to the ceramics schools of Uzbekistan. And shared their impressions.

35 Lindy Martin, Carmarthen School of Art During my trip to Uzbekistan, I interested in symbols of traditional Uzbek pottery. I learned that these beautiful ornaments of ceramics have its value and sense. For example, pomegranate is a symbol of fertility, or tulip is a symbol of innocence and purity, and birds mean family happiness. This really interested me and I would like to learn more about local stories and legends, about this pottery and decorative art.

It was wonderful to see Uzbek ceramics with beautiful and bright colors. But the most unforgettable impression is the warmth that we felt and the warmth that surrounds this pottery. This warmth concerns everyone and pleases every part of our life. The love I felt here is what will remain with me forever.

After the trip, I created a series of pottery dedicated to this trip and I think we will continue our cooperation.

Small Pomegranate Tea Pot Matthew Foster, Leach Pottery School It was my best experience! I have been completely blown away by Uzbekistan.

Every day you think that this is the best that can be and every day it is getting better and better. I have absolutely fallen in love with Uzbek ceramics. There is so much of it. There are so many different styles; it has such a rich history. I filled one and a half [of my] sketchbooks [with notes], and I am still learning now, just [by] watching these people, these masters. I am still an apprentice, I am two and a half years into my apprenticeship, so I have many years before I am anywhere near these guys. It is just an unbelievable experience – once a lifetime experience.

I am inspired by my environment, local materials, clay, trees and nature. Therefore, I really liked the Uzbek potters, who continue to preserve traditions and, at the same time, create in a modern style that make the items unique.

Importantly, masters use local natural materials. Ornaments, shapes, colors, patterns, design, which artists use in Rishtan, Gijduvan and Samarkand, reflect their experience and rich history.

In each work, we can feel the potter’s pride and energy. I really liked that they try to share their skills with new generation, so they can continue this craft.

United We Rise

Ghengis Khan Jacob Chan, Carmarthen School of Art

M

Almond

Large Pomegranate

y work is closely connected with my culture. Being half English and half Chinese, I like to combine two cultures together. I use materials from Liverpool beaches. I try to keep the traditional form of Chinese dishes. When I arrived in Uzbekistan, I saw the merging of various cultures that we can find in the pottery, and the fact that the masters were able to preserve the tradition. I found an amazing connection between this trip and my work. Having visited various pottery workshops in Uzbekistan, I saw traditional forms. I also try to maintain the traditions of using the same forms, styles and techniques in modern life.

The colors and patterns that are used in the craft of the Uzbek people are unique, they are the greatest pride. I think I will remember this, and I can also use it in my work in the future. I am very glad that I visited Uzbekistan it is amazing!

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38

My perfect day

VISIT UZBEKISTAN

FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Sabrina Heinekey

M

y first impression of the city as we sped towards our first meeting was how clean it is.

Tashkent’s boulevards are lined with lovely red and white roses with no sign of the litter you might see in other cities.

Rush hour traffic was a breeze as we drove past pretty pastel buildings and manicured gardens. I was surprised to see so many white Chevrolets, which I learnt were numerous because of the successful local GM manufacturing plant.

A

s someone who is looking to conduct business, it was clear from my meetings in Tashkent that a quick pace of change has taken hold in Uzbekistan. The political and business leaders I met were dynamic, educated and very willing to share useful information on the positive changes building across the country as well as on the challenges that are being addressed. My general impression was of a people who are open-minded, forward focused and friendly — for example, after every meeting our hosts

Director of International Business M&C Saatchi, London Sabrina Heinekey visited the capital of Uzbekistan and made a lot of discoveries for tourists and investors.

accompanied us right to our car, which is a cultural nicety you’d never see in London!

I

also took the opportunity to explore Tashkent’s tourist offerings, which are numerous. At the Islam Karimov Museum I learnt about Uzbekistan’s recent history and the former president’s pivotal role in Uzbekistan’s independence. The Hazrat Imam Mosque covered in azure tiles, brick and carved wood was inspiring, particularly inside the elaborate dome. In the Barak Khan Medressa I witnessed talented artisans working their craft of miniature painting, wood carving and the metal hammering. I was in awe of the skill and effort — it takes two carvers over two weeks to complete a phone stand.

I

enjoyed trying native dishes of plov with non (bread), but it was also nice to know I could order a great Caesar salad. I broadened my culinary repertoire by tasting traditional stew and fermented horse milk, which are foods I would never be able to have back in London. I was happy to discover a budding café society in Tashkent where I witnessed people chatting on trendy patios.

B

ut I also discovered it is not all about city life, as less than an hour away from Tashkent is Charvak, a beautiful turquoise glacier lake with stunning views of snowcapped mountains. Upon my return I hope to explore Samarkand, Bukhara and more.

M

y trip to Uzbekistan was too short and barely scratched the surface of what the country has to offer both from a business and a tourism perspective. I am looking forward to returning to strengthen my business connections and to discover more of Uzbekistan’s fascinating history and culture.

www.uzbekistan.travel +(998 71) 233-54-14 +(998 71) 233-38-54 info@uzbektourism.uz www.uzbektourism.uz

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