Attractions
Uzbekistan is a unique country with ancient cities, and every attraction here has its own deep history, every pebble is a witness to incredible events and adventures, scientific discoveries and achievements, palace intrigues, the decline of old and the development of new states. Time passes, people leave, but they remain like eternal guardians of bygone days.
Food and cuisine
In contrast to the Roman proverb In vino veritas, let’s say: “The truth is in the food.”
People in Uzbekistan love to eat delicious food. Here are 7 facts about food in Uzbekistan:
1. Uzbekistan has the most delicious bread
2. Many Uzbek dishes are cooked over an open fire (hearth)
3. In Uzbekistan, it is customary to eat fatty and high-calorie foods
4. After meals, Uzbeks drink hot tea
5. Uzbeks eat lamb, beef and horse meat (horse sausage – kazi)
6. In Uzbekistan, guests are greeted with aromatic tea and broken flatbread, and seen off with delicious pilaf
7. Special tea ceremony (before the guest, a bowl of tea is poured into a teapot three times, on the fourth the tea is served to the guest)
Every Uzbek guest always leaves well-fed and satisfied, and always with gifts. So: Welcome to tasty Uzbekistan!
Shopping and souvenirs
To get to know the culture and way of life of Uzbek people better, be sure to go to the local bazaar. The bazaar is a special separate world where the whole flower of the people gathers. Here you can enjoy not only an abundance of various goods: souvenirs, fruits, vegetables, spices, bread, food, but also communication with people and a special, sincere atmosphere that you will not find in any shopping center or local hypermarket.
If you want to buy souvenirs and gifts, be sure to visit the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent, the Siab Bazaar in Samarkand or Toki-Zargaron in Bukhara. Or you can visit the workshops of ceramic artisans in Rishtan or the Margilan silk factory “Yodgorlik” – real treasures of Uzbekistan.
Safety
In 2018, Uzbekistan was included in the top five safest countries in the world according to the American Gallup Institute. If you take basic precautions, traveling around Uzbekistan will be safe and comfortable.
If you still need help while traveling, then there are police stations in any public place where you will be given first aid, or you can contact law enforcement agencies by calling 102. There are also tourist police in Uzbekistan, in places with the greatest concentration of tourists, who is responsible for your safety while you are in the country.
Customs and rules
Uzbekistan is a secular country, there is no orthodox Islam, but Islam is the main religion in the country. If you go to a local mosque, you should follow some rules. Restraint and respect are required when visiting a mosque, and it is best to explore it when there is no service there. It is also very important what a person wears: shorts, short T-shirts and miniskirts are definitely not welcome here, and women should enter the mosque with their heads covered.
In many mosques, filming is not prohibited, but during prayer, this is, excuse me, taboo. Usually parishioners do not pay attention to those who have arrived during prayer, so as not to interrupt it.
If you decide to photograph citizens on the street, first of all you should ask their permission; for ethical reasons, you will never be refused, but it will also be somehow more comfortable and calm when they smile at you in the frame.
In Uzbekistan, it is prohibited to drink alcohol in open public places and while driving.
Smoking in offices, healthcare institutions, educational and sports institutions, fire hazardous places, including gas stations, on streets, stadiums, squares, parks, in all types of public transport and other public places is subject to a fine of 1/3 of the minimum amount wages.
Smoking in such places is permitted only in specially designated areas and rooms designated for this purpose.
