Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis in Samarkand

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, a remarkable complex of medieval Samarkand mausoleums and other cult buildings (over 20 in number), called ‘the street cemetery’ by the locals, is located near Bibi-Khanym Mosque on the slope of ancient Samarkand settlement Afrasiab.

The complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a major Samarkand tourist attraction and an important Islamic holy site. They say going on a pilgrimage to it equals a hajj to Mecca.

Archeological studies indicated that the earliest Shah-i-Zinda mausoleums date back to the 11th - 12th centuries, with only some of their foundations and tombstones surviving. Most of the buildings date back to the 14th - 15th centuries. The portal and a few buildings at the foot of the hill are the youngest, built in the 19th century.

http://www.centralasia-travel.com/en/countries/uzbekistan/places/samarkand/shakhi-zinda

😋Uzbek Kebab

Kebab (shashlyk, shish kebab), is a favourite both in Asia and in Caucasus. It can be easily made from any type of meat or fish.

The meat is cut in cubes which then are skewered and roasted over an open fire on the chargrill. Shashlyk is garnished with fresh vegetables, pickles, sauces, and fresh herbs, of course. Shashlyk better be eaten hot.

Gastronomic Group Tour to Uzbekistan: 11.10 - 18.10.2018

http://www.centralasia-travel.com/en/countries/uzbekistan/tours/culinary

Video: Uzbekistan: Traveling the Silk Road. DW Documentary.

With its magical buildings, fascinating landscapes and friendly people, Uzbekistan has a lot to offer. It is a country caught between rich traditions and modernity.

Wild equestrian games, fairytale palaces and hospitable people proud of their magnificent culture - all this will be encountered by those traveling through Uzbekistan on the Silk Road. The central Asian country borders Kazakhstan to the north and Afghanistan to the south. The journey begins in Samarkand, one of central Asia’s oldest cities.

For centuries cities like Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva provided the necessary infrastructure for the caravans on the Silk Road, allowing merchants to trade their goods and providing accommodation for them and their animals. Many buildings still survive to underline the splendor and wealth that trade once generated. In Samarkand, one of the world’s oldest cities, three outstanding Koran schools, known as madrasas, on Registan Square have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the Boysun region in the Hissar Mountains the ancient, and none-too-gentle riding game known as Kopkari is held at Nowruz, the New Year festival. More than a hundred horsemen try to pick up the body of a dead goat from the ground and to escape with this from all the others. In 1380 the Uzbek folk hero Amir Timur (Tamerlane) had the gigantic Ak Sarav, the White Palace, built in Shahrisabz, the town of his birth. It had a thousand rooms adorned with gemstones.

Sourse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoH2bU9xADg

Islam-Khodja Complex, Khiva, Uzbekistan.

Islam-Khodja Complex is one of the pearls of Ichan-Kala - Khiva’s historical part, which was the first Uzbekistan’s site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990.

Islam-Khodja Madrasah and Minaret are the most prominent of Ichan-Kala, its landmark. The complex is famous thanks to the contrast between its Ichan-Kala’s tallest minaret and smallest madrasah, as the architect of the complex designed. Thus the minaret, visible at a long distance, looks even grander. At the beginning of the last century the minaret helped travelers to orientate themselves and find the way to the city faster.

Details about this sight: http://www.centralasia-travel.com/en/countries/uzbekistan/places/khiva/islam_hodja

Po-i-Kalyan Complex. Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

🕌The architectural complex Po-i-Kalyan is the central Bukhara tourist attraction located in the main Registan Square. Po-i-Kalyan, ‘the foot of the great’, consists of three structures built in the 12th - 16th centuries: Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Mir-i Arab Madrasah.

➡Read more about Po-i-Kalyan Complex:

http://www.centralasia-travel.com/en/countries/uzbekistan/places/bukhara/poi_kalyan

Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Calendar.

Now you know when should visit Uzbekistan and enjoy the best fruits and vegetables there!

🇺🇿Electronic visa to Uzbekistan

Since 15 July 2018 travellers from the countries listed below can obtain an e-visa to Uzbekistan by simply visiting the governmental portal e-visa.gov.uz. In this case, tourists need not gain a visa support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan or visit the premises of the country’s diplomatic missions abroad.

The e-visa enables its holder to make one visit to Uzbekistan and stay there for a maximum of 30 days. The visa remains valid within 90 days after its issue. Only the tourist version of the e-visa can be obtained via the portal.

To get an e-visa to Uzbekistan you need to pay a fee of 20 US dollars using the VISA paying system. You should apply for the e-visa to the portal not later than 3 working days before the trip to Uzbekistan, as the consideration term lasts 2 days, excluding the submission day.

E-visa can only be valid if presented together with the passport used to obtain it.

❓Who can apply for an e-visa to Uzbekistan?

The citizens of the following countries can obtain a tourist e-visa to Uzbekistan:

• Australia • Austria • Albania • Andorra • Belgium • Bulgaria • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Vatican • United Kingdom • Hungary • Germany • Greece • Denmark

• India • Ireland • Iceland • Spain • Italy • Canada • PRC (including Hong Kong) • Kuwait • Latvia • Lithuania • Liechtenstein • Luxembourg • Macedonia

• Malta • Monaco • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • United Arab Emirates • Oman • Poland • Portugal • Romania • San marino • Saudi Arabia • Serbia

• Slovakia • Slovenia • USA • Thailand • Finland • France • Croatia • Montenegro • Czech Republic • Switzerland • Sweden • Estonia

❓How to get an e-visa?

The e-visa can be obtained via the state portal E-Visa https://e-visa.gov.uz/main

☑The applicant needs to fill attentively blanks in the application form and attach their scanned photographic image (size 35х40 mm, quality 300 dpi, the face occupies 70-80% of the image, the background is light and uniform in colour) and a scanned copy of your (travel) passport (a clear image, the maximum size of the file is 500 Kb). The form must be filled correctly, without errors, and the data given must coincide completely with those in your valid document (passport), based on which the tourist is planning to enter Uzbekistan. The applicant guarantees that all information about their person is reliable.

☑As the form is filled and submitted, you will receive by e-mail a letter confirming the submission and providing an application code and an activation link. You will use the application code when you are asked on the portal to pay 20 US dollars as a fee for the e-visa. After the payment you will receive one more letter informing that your application has been successfully accepted.

☑The application for an e-visa to Uzbekistan remains under consideration for 2 working days (excluding the submission day). After that you will receive by e-mail a letter with an electronic visa in PDF format, if the decision about this application is positive. The e-visa can be printed or downloaded to your mobile phone.

☑In case of refusal, you will receive a notification hereof; in this case the fee is not returned to the payer.

😋Sweet melons.

Melons are rich in glucose and vitamins.

In the East people say: "Melon makes hair shiny, eyes younger, the possibility turn to the actions, makes men strong, and women beautiful".