Not many people from India count Central Asia as their next tourist destination. But Samarkand is always referred as a land of Mughal royalty. Most of the sultans of Delhi come from this area including Babar who is originally from a place called Fergana in eastern Uzbekistan. Not that far from India, this place provides view of unique muslim architecture, rich history, lush green meadows and wonderful people.
Reaching there: Uzbek airlines runs daily flights from Delhi to Tashkent (capital of Uzbekistan). Its a short 3.5 hours flight and booking in advance might cost you $300 for a round trip. From Tashkent to Samarkand there is a bullet train service costing ~$20. The train leaves at morning 7:30 AM and reaches the destination at 9:30 AM. Tickets can be booked online.
Uzbekistan visa: For Indians the process is very straight forward with minimum documents required. They only give single entry e-visas and after the application it takes two days to receive the visa in email. The fees is $20 as of 2018. We intended to enter multiple times so every time we arrive inside Uzbek border we would apply for another single entry visa. So not much hassle here. The link for the application is here.
Accommodation: It’s advisable to stay close to the city centre. We made multiple trips to the monuments to have a good view of it at different times of the day. We stayed at Emir Hotel which is right next to Gur-e-Amir complex. ( Emir B&B )
Things to do:
–The Registan Complex: When you search for Samarkand, this is the first picture that comes up. Built over a span of 300 years, it has three Madrasah’s in it : Ulugh Beg Madrasah ( Built by the scholar/ruler Ulugh Beg who did some pioneer work in astronomy at that time. This Madrasah was a very popular university for learning and produced some great students all the way till Persia), Sher-Dor Madrasah (This was built by the ruler of Samarkand in 17th century) and Tiya-Kori Madrasah (Built by the same ruler, this building was a residential college as well as a mosque). The ticket costs around 4 dollars and the entry starts at 8 AM. But if you want to take good pictures of the complex without crowd then its easy to get there early and bribe your way in. We did that twice. Several dormitories of this complex are now leased out to shopkeepers selling local items and souvenir. The interiors are very pretty with lot of detailed craftsmanship done on the walls and the domes of the buildings.
–Light and Sound show: This show happens at evening 9 PM on the Registan Complex but not on all days. We were there on the founding day of Uzbekistan and hence it was presented for free to everyone. The show is spectacular with a lot of 3-D effects depicting the rich history of Samarkand. When you visit this place during day time then do check at the ticket counter if any show is planned for next 1-2 days and you can attend it.
–Gur-e-Amir complex: This is a relatively smaller monument within walking distance from the Registan. It contains the tombs of Taimur and few of his descendants. It has a beautiful entrance and the view at night is amazing. This complex is inside a large park which is frequented by both tourists and locals to take rest.
–Tashkent Street:This pedestrian street starts from the Registan complex and has a lot of shops selling the local items. It is a beautiful street and good for an evening walk even if you are not purchasing anything. It has some good eating joints as well.
-Bibi-Khanym Mosque: It is located at the end of Tashkent street. At one time it was the largest mosque in Islamic world and later left in ruins. There was major restoration work done in soviet time and the building now looks complete without losing its ancient look. You can have a very good view of the mosque if you cross the main road next to it and look from the elevated area there.
–Siyob Bazaar: This is not a place to shop for anything in particular but just to look at the hustle bustles of local life. The bazaar hosts hundreds of shops selling daily use items like spices, breads and other household items. It is located right next to Bibi-Khanym mosque and can easily be clubbed with your tour.
Food:The typical meal consists of Uzbek bread (a combination of naan and english bread), kebabs, salad, stew and tea. Two restaurants really stood out during our trip. One is called Babar which is behind the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. This is a small kebab shop visited by locals and the food is really good. Second one was Bibikhanum Teahouse. It is located on Tashkent street and the food is served in proper Uzbeki style tables. The price was very reasonable at all the places.
People: The local people are super nice to tourists. Very frequently we were stopped by locals who welcomed us to their country and asked our whereabouts. They were really happy to know that we are from Hindustan (yes, they don’t use India 🙂 ). Many people took selfies with us and we felt like celebrities while we were there. This is one city where you can claim that the people are even more beautiful than the city itself.
Overall it was a very unique experience for us visiting a country with a very different and welcoming culture.