Tashkent (Uzbek: Toshkent or Тошкент; Russian: Ташкент) is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan, with a population of just over 3 million in 2024. It was an ancient city on the Silk Road, the network of trading routes between China and Europe, but what you see now is mostly modern - it was wrecked by an earthquake in 1966 and rebuilt in Soviet style, with humdrum medium-raise lining interminable boulevards.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
This area is an oasis in an arid land, and from the 5th century BC a town grew up called Chach, which eventually morphed into "Tashkent", city of stone. Conditions suited settled agriculture rather than a nomadic way of life, but the nomad warlord Genghis Khan wrecked Tashkent in 1220. It recovered through trade, and there was a golden age of mosque building through the 15th century, but the medieval city was outshone by Samarkand and Bukhara. What promoted it into central Asia's greatest city was industrialisation and Russian colonisation from the 19th century. The original town centre was west of the Chirchiq river, around Chorsu Bazaar.
The Metro is fast, safe and inexpensive. It's the obvious way to get downtown from the main railway station but doesn't reach the airport or bus terminal. Opened in 1977, it's a typical Soviet-era network with large, richly themed stations, for example Kosmonavtlar celebrates Uzbekistan's contribution to the Soviet space programme. The Metro has four lines: Chilonzor (red) from Buyuk Ipak Yoli north to downtown and Chinor south. Oʻzbekiston (blue) from Beruniy northwest to downtown, the main railway station and Doʻstlik southeast. Yunus-Obod (green) from Turkiston north to downtown and Ming O'rek south.
This refers to the area west of the river around Chorsu Bazaar which has the oldest buildings, but much of it is modern, with boulevards seething with traffic. The little higgledy-piggledy streets further north still have something of an old town ambience, but the developers are laying waste to them with a vigour worthy of Genghis Khan. 1 Khazret Imam Complex is a collection of religious buildings 2 km north of city centre (Metro Gafur Gulom). It was assembled piecemeal from the 16th to 21st centuries, so although it's impressive, it doesn't have the unity or geometry of (for instance) the Registan of Samarkand, and it's transected by the wide pedestrian mall of Zarkaynar Street.
National Library of Uzbekistan is a pseudo-classical building at Navoi 1 in the government quarter (Metro Mustakillik maydoni). It has a comprehensive stock, but you have to register (in Uzbek) to get in. 1 Alisher Navoiy Park (Metro Milly Bog). Large popular park with fairground and artificial lake. (updated Dec 2024) 2 Do’stlik Recreation Park, Bobur (corner with Shota Rustaveli). Daily 08:00-23:00. Pleasant park with a boating lake. (updated Dec 2024) 3 Aqua Park, Amir Temur 100 (Metro Bodomzor), ☏ +998 71 235 0250. Daily 10:00-20:00. Water park 500 m south of TV tower with several pools, wave machine, water chutes and slides. There's a restaurant and bars within.
Bravissimo (Junction of Shahrisabz & Movarounnakhr), ☏ +998 99 816 8080. Daily 10:30-22:30. Coffee shop with cakes and local food. (updated Dec 2024) Cafe Bukhara, Abdulla Kadiry 18 (Metro: Abdulla Kadiry), ☏ +998 99 823 1023. Daily 10:30-22:30. Relaxed cafe near the concert hall and government quarter. (updated Dec 2024) Besh Qozon, Guards Colonel Khodjaev 1 (100 m north of TV tower), ☏ +998 71 200 9444. Daily 09:00-23:00. Busy, somewhat chaotic place but it serves great plov. Far better value than the restaurant in the TV tower. (updated Dec 2024) 1 Ariston Park, Gandhi (north end of Mirzo Ulug'bek Recreation Park), ☏ +998 71 237 2614. Daily 10:00-23:00. Acceptable place by the park.
Tea (choy, чай) fuels Central Asia the way gasoline fuels Texas. It's usually taken black, without milk. Tap water safety is not guaranteed, drink bottled. Beware that ice (eg for drinks) is probably from unboiled tap water. Kuratny is the pricy bar, nightclub and shisha cafe within The Chimes on Amir Temur Square, open daily 13:00-03:00. Scandalist is a cocktail bar at Istiqbol 8, open Su-Th 12:00-01:00, F Sa 12:00-03:00. The Irish Pub at Taras Shevchenko 30 (by Ming O'rik Metro) smells like an authentic pre-1980s Irish boozer, heavy with cigarette smoke.
Tashkent is generally safe. Beware traffic, safeguard valuables, don't get mixed up in local politics like demonstrations and suspect a scam if a suave local approaches you. Unified emergency service number: 112 - for all emergencies. A 24/7 service operating without holidays. Call here in any urgent situation. Optionally, individual emergency numbers are 103 for medical, 101 for fire and 102 for police. Seek advice from your accommodation on nearby medical, dental or pharmacy services. Standards of health care are well below those in the west, and anything serious will probably need a medical evacuation flight.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Tashkent typically sees ~39°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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