Golf in Uzbekistan
Golf, which is highly respected in Western Europe and the USA and which has become a life style for many of its fans, gains more and more popularity in Uzbekistan. Nowadays, along with great masterpieces of medieval art and picturesque ruins of ancient cities, Uzbekistan can boast of excellent golf fields. In Tashkent there was constructed a wonderfully organized golf club with first-rate golf fields. It is not surprising therefore, that high-level sport competitions are quite often held here.
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The greatest traveler of the East
The Arab traveler Abu Abdallah Muhammad known as Ibn Battuta (1304 - 1377) spent 28 years of his life traveling, in which he covered a distance of over 120,000 kilometres and won the reputation of the greatest traveler of the East.
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The Sogdian princess and the Fire Temple
Uzbekistan attracts an increasing number of tourists and scholars -historians and archaeologists from various countries. This ancient land, the seat of several civilizations, harbours enough mysteries for many generations of researchers.
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Silk Road - the routes of archaeological discoveries
Uzbekistan with confidence wins a reputation in the world as a " Mecca of tourism". Being one of the most ancient centers of human civilization, the territory, through which the important branches of the Great Silk Road passed, the country boasts unique historical-architectural buildings, rich spiritual heritage left by glorified ancestors, centers of rare national crafts, nature reserves. All this attracts in Uzbekistan many travelers from various countries.
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Ibn Fadlan. On the way to the country of Turkis
Among the IX-X centuries authors who left a documentary evidence about the life of Central Asia's and the Volga region peoples Ibn Fadlan has no match. His composition - a source of unique data, which came up to us via centuries and distances.
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A game of many people
A line of horsemen flies off at the sign of the judge. One of them outrides the others and at full speed picks up the carcass of a goat from the ground. That fraction of a second is enough for the other riders to catch up with him and try to take away his trophy. This is an Uzbek game called ulak or kupkari, which means "the game of many people". In Russian the game is also called "flying the goat".
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In the guise of a dervish
How many, Europeans charmed by the East, turned their eyes to this land - "across the three seas", across deserts and mountains! Some of them hoped to trade, while others were propelled by curiosity. However, few of their names were inscribed in history.
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Spanish Grandee at the court of Movarounnahr ruler
Unique evidences about Amir Temur's life and his state left by Rui Gonsalez de Clavijo.
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World Heritage of the Great Silk Road
Uzbekistan boasts a large number of historical and architectural buildings - invaluable heritage of the world civilization. The ancient cities of Bukhara and Shakhrisabz, historical buildings of ancient Samarkand and the Ichan-Kala of Khiva are included in the special World Heritage List of UNESCO.
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The Spellbound Wanderer - On a way of Marco Polo
For many centuries the Great Silk Road connected a complex network of trade routes from Europe with Asia. It was a way to establish contact with the great civilizations of China, India, the Near East and Europe.
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Chor Minor symbolising World unity
Magnificent architectural monuments are still being preserved in Bukhara - a city located on the Great Silk Road. Each with its own story...
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A guest in an Uzbek home
Your travels through Uzbekistan will not be complete if you have not visited an Uzbek family - sitting in a luscious garden, tasting home-cooked food, getting tipsy on sweet fragrant wines! You will become better acquainted with the traditions, culture and way of life of our country's people by meeting them in their homes.
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The Treasures of Ulugbek
Ulugbek, a name often referred to bytour guides, stirs up a keen interest wth those travelling along Great Silk Road.
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The Samanid Mausoleum boasts both Beauty and Mystery
The Samanid Mausoleum is especially significant. This architectural masterpiece was built in the 9th and early 10th centuries. Now, completely restored, it is accessible and able to be viewed from all sides.
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Samarkand Patterns
It is considered that Bukhara, Khiva and Osh made a carpet - weaving popular all over the world. But this idea is very conventional one. The Great Silk Road known at the ancient time as one of the main ways for spiritual exchange, has created a unique original culture uniting many cities and countries as well. It looks paradoxical one from the first glance but an ancient Kashgar, Termez, Samarkand and some other cities on the Great Silk Road contributed much to make the Bukharan carpets very popular.
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Sky scraping towers
The word "minaret" (or "minora") means light in the height, the same as lighthouse. Originally, in Muslim countries the huge pillars were destined to call the faithful for prayers. Minarets usually were erected near mosques and madrassahs or they were the parts of the construction. The typical minaret construction for Uzbekistan is round widening towards the ground tower made of bricks and having a steep spiral staircase inside and an arched lantern on top. To build these structures was a matter of great skill. Many factors were to be taken into account: the force of wind and seismic shocks, the soil characteristics...
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Zangi-ota Ensemble
About 30 km south-west of Tashkent you will find a little known but very interesting memorial dating back to the Middle Ages called the Zangi-ota Ensemble. The main feature is a tomb of a popular sheikh, a holy patron of herdsmen, called Zangi-ota. According to legend, construction of the mausoleum of Zangi-ota and his wife Ambar-bibi, was begun by Amir Temur.
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Birds Talk
Uzbekistan, situated between Europe and Asia has been an important crossroad on the Great Silk Road for centuries. Many of our feathered friends have too, used this strategic crossroads on their air travels. Numerous reserves and national parks make use of this opportunity to observe the various kinds of birds travelling to and from different climate zones.
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By camels through the desert
Trucks, GAS-69 and GAS-66, wait for us on the outskirts of Yangikazgan village, they will make for the desert with a stock of petrol and barrels of water. Not far from our place of departure, a majestic view unfolds before our eyes: sand dunes slightly covered with thorn bushes, the great and famous Central Asian Kyzylkum Desert. No springs can be found in these severe and remote places and only in early spring, thanks to the life-giving rains, does the desert cover itself with an emerald carpet of grass and purple poppies. These colours will sadly fade quickly.
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In the footsteps of a Buddhist Monk
The history of international links between East and West on the Great Silk Road goes back a far way and is filled with interesting topics. This ancient caravan rout helped to develop both trade and cultural interaction of the various people using this route. Buddhism was brought to Uzbekistan from India at the beginning of the 1st century A.D. via the Silk Route before moving on to China, Korea and Japan.
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