Tashkent

Tashkent is Uzbekistan's capital and largest city, serving as the country's political, economic and cultural heart and a major gateway to Central Asia. Its centre mixes a green, Soviet-planned core of wide avenues and public squares with an older district of low-rise neighbourhoods, mosques and bazaars, with Amir Timur Square and Independence Square among its central landmarks.

The city grew from the Silk Road oasis of Chach and has been shaped by centuries of trade, Islamic scholarship and Russian and Soviet rule. A powerful earthquake in 1966 destroyed much of the old centre, leading to the broad boulevards, parks and modernist buildings seen today, while restored monuments such as the Khast Imam Complex preserve Tashkent's deeper Islamic heritage.

Visitors often start around the old city's Chorsu Bazaar, then move between the State Museum of History, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Navoi Theatre and the ornate stations of the Tashkent Metro. The pedestrian Sayilgoh Street, locally known as Broadway, offers cafés, street life and a relaxed contrast to the city's formal squares.

As Uzbekistan's business and government centre, Tashkent hosts conferences, trade events and international offices, with modern hotels, restaurants and business facilities concentrated in the centre. Food is a central part of local life, from plov centres and chaykhanas to samsa, lagman and shashlik served across the city.

For leisure and business travellers alike, Tashkent is both a destination and a practical base for exploring Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva by high-speed rail, with modern transport links and a wide range of services connecting the city to the rest of Uzbekistan and beyond.