Our friends did not want to leave Tashkent without visiting the Minor Mosque. Their review is below. Views of the Minor Mosque and tourists’ impressions The stunning view of the white-marble Minor Mosque with its two minarets, located on the banks of the Ankhor Canal, is impressive at any time of day or night. Our… Read More »
It is still unknown whether Khoja Nasreddin actually existed. However, if he did live, it would have been in the 13th century and most likely in Turkey (those who disagree are welcome to share their versions in the comments, including the idea that he was from Bukhara). The unproven historical reality of this folklore character… Read More »
I have been to Norway twice – the last time in Oslo, and the first time I mostly stayed in Lillehammer, the very city where the 1994 Winter Olympics took place. Sports facilities in Lillehammer Both times I visited Norway were in the late 2000s, about fifteen years after the Olympics had ended, but of… Read More »
Tamerlane’s Gate, also called the Jizzakh Pass (or “Snake Gorge”), is the narrowest part of the Sanzar River gorge between the Malguzar and Nuratau mountain ranges. It’s a vital route from Tashkent to Samarkand. The name comes from the resemblance to a gate formed by two massive vertical slate cliffs. Geography (Sanzar River, gorge, roads)… Read More »
The Qur’an Museum in Tashkent is one of the most significant Islamic sites in Uzbekistan. It houses the legendary Qur’an of Uthman, also known as the world’s first Qur’an. This 7th-century manuscript is kept in the Muyi Muborak madrasah, located within the Khast-Imam complex, and attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Many ask where the… Read More »
What we now call the old Tashkent Zoo appeared almost 100 years ago, back in 1924. The inhabitants got there from the menagerie, located on the territory of the former country house of the Governor-General of Turkestan. By the twenties of the last century, the suburban dacha had become an urban area due to the… Read More »