TEHRAN (Iran News) – In February 2021 and on the eve of presidential election in Uzbekistan, I had this opportunity to visit this beautiful Central Asian country and it was amazing experience for me especially when I visited two historic cities of Bukhara and Samarkand following my landing in the capital of the country Tashkent.

Tashkent, the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a city with the climate of the former Soviet Union which is gradually reforming and getting international and international climate which can attract millions of tourists. Although Uzbekistan due to its cultural and historical background is considered as a pleasant destination for cultural tourists, the country is also a good place for other types of leisure tourism because the country has kept its historical structure and at the same time it has developed cities and towns based on the international taste and is modernizing them.

Bullet train is one of the best means of traveling between the cities in Uzbekistan and the ticket fare is logical for foreign tourists and even for the locals. Modern Samarkand is an important railway center of Uzbekistan; all national east–west railway routes pass through the city. The most important and longest of these is Tashkent–Kungrad. High-speed Tashkent–Samarkand high-speed rail line trains run between Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara. Samarkand also has international railway connections: Saratov–Samarkand, Moscow–Samarkand, and Nur-Sultan–Samarkand. Afrosiyob is the fastest train in Uzbekistan, allowing you to quickly and comfortably travel between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara.

Samarkand is one of the cities that I could visit and I recommend those who are cultural tourists or fun seeking tourists to visit this city because the officials of the city have kept perfectly the historic sites and at the same time have developed the texture of the city and modernized it. The city is gradually becoming international and you can find information signs in English or even signs of the stores and markets are some mostly in English.

Because of this change and development, young generation is interested in learning international languages and the number of foreign language universities or colleges is on the rise and foreign tourists can interact with them, something which was very difficult in the past because of the language barrier and domination of Russian language in the country.

Samarkand is located in northeastern Uzbekistan, in the Zarefshan River valley, 135 km from Qarshi. Road M37 connects Samarkand to Bukhara, 240 km away. So one can get to this historic city from Tashkent and with train in around two hours. Samarkand is a city in Uzbekistan known for its mosques and mausoleums. It’s on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking China to the Mediterranean.

The city is noted as a center of Islamic scholarly study and the birthplace of the Timurid Renaissance. In the 14th century, Timur (Tamerlane) made it the capital of his empire and the site of his mausoleum, the Gur-e Amir.

The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery, goldwork, silk weaving, copper engraving, ceramics, wood carving, and wood painting. In 2001, UNESCO added the city to its World Heritage List as Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures.

Modern Samarkand is divided into two parts: the old city, and the new city, which was developed during the days of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. The old city includes historical monuments, shops, and old private houses; the new city includes administrative buildings along with cultural centers and educational institutions.

Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Sher-Dor Madrasah, Tilya Kori Madrasah, and Ulugh Beg Madrasah courtyard are of famous historic mosques in Samarkand where visitors can enjoy it.

Samarkand has a Mediterranean climate that closely borders on a semi-arid climate with hot, dry summers and relatively wet, variable winters that alternate periods of warm weather with periods of cold weather. July and August are the hottest months of the year, with temperatures reaching and exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). So the city is a good and pleasant place for tourist and it is unlike other cities in the Central Asia which have very cold weather.

The state and official language in Samarkand, as in all Uzbekistan, is the Uzbek language. Uzbek is one of the Turkic languages and the mother tongue of Uzbeks, Turkmens, Samarkandian Iranians, and most Samarkandian Arabs living in Samarkand. About 95% of signs and inscriptions in the city are in Uzbek, mostly in the Uzbek Latin alphabet).

As it has been said earlier, this city is land of mosques and even churches because of its historic background and many famous poets of Uzbekistan and Iran lived there and there toms are in this city.

But unlike Samarkand, Bukhara is totally different and it is a blender of history and modernization as the city is divided into old and new Bukhara. Historic monuments are located in the older part of the city and the new part is getting modernized and being internationalized.

Bukhara, which is situated on the Silk Route, is more than 2,000 years old. It is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact. So one can see signs of this history in the older section of the city and many international tourists rush to this city especially Italians who are interested in cultural tourism and they are mostly busy filming the monuments.

Because of the rise in the number of foreign tourists to Uzbekistan and especially to Bukhara, boys and girls are interested in studying foreign language and even those who study medical science like Ms. Dilobar who was a medical science student and was learning foreign languages especially English.

This city can be said is a duplicate of Iran’s Kerman and Yazd cities with the same historic and cultural climate and tombs of many famous Uzbek poets and writers are in this city.

Iranians can enjoy visiting this city where they can feel at home because this city is mixture of culture and modernization so that tourists can have a good time there. Uzbeks are really friendly people and Bukhara citizens are really super friendly.

Karakul lambs’ fleeces, silk, cotton, leather, carpets and clothing were all traded from Bukhara, as well as gold embroidery and metal work, and many of these crafts are still practiced in the city today. I had this occasion to talk with one of these craftsmen who was a skilful carpet weaver with many awards and honors in his workshop.

Bukhara, “The city of museums”, contains more than 140 architectural monuments of the Middle Ages. Such buildings as Poi – Kalan, Kosh Madras, mausoleum of Ismail Samoni, minaret of Kalyan and others were built 2,300 years ago, and today are popular with tourists. The famous poets Narshahi, Rudaki Dakiki and others have played an important role in the development of Bukhara.

Ark citadel is one of the most attractive historical monuments of this city which hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The Ark was the fortified residence of the rulers of Bukhara. Everything could be found there – palaces, temples, barracks, offices, the mint, warehouses, workshops, stables, an arsenal, and even a prison. Nowadays there are a few museums inside. It was a fortress even before the Arab conquest, and received its present form under the Shibbhanid dynasty (from 1500).

Tourists usually go to the Ark citadel to take photo while sitting on the king’s throne. Of course the number of sites for taking photos is considerable and one has to spend at least one week to visit all of these historical sites.

Uzbekistan is one of the best and almost cheapest tourist destinations in 2020 that I recommend Iranians to visit this country and especially Bukhara and Samarkand during the new year (Nowruz) holidays as Uzbeks also celebrate Nowruz.