Uzbek Non and other Uzbek food we tried

Uzbek Non

Everywhere we were in Uzbekistan, we came across lots of Uzbek bread called non. Round in shape, each non had a very unique pattern stamped on it. Some non have meat fillings or sesame seed toppings, other are plain. There are also special and more elaborately decorated non that are prepared for festive occasions such as birthdays etc. Non are usually baked in tandyr oven / clay oven.

Uzbeks considers non as sacred and respects it. There is even a local saying that translates to "Respect for non is respect for country". Non are always placed with the patterns facing up and never

Chust city and our leisurely drive to the border

The city of Chust is located in the northern corner of Fergana Valley, about 40km west of Namangan. This city is well known for its handmade knives. The craft has been handed down through generations of blacksmiths. Known locally as pichak, each knife serves a different purpose such as  hunting, cutting meat, cutting veg, peeling fruit etc.



The Chust knife and scabbard made of leather we bought as a souvenir at Chust bazaar.
The knife has the inscription reading "Chust" with stars and crescent and the year it was made (ie. 2013). It also came with a piece of note detailing the info of the blacksmith who forged it.

Chust knives have handles made of horns or bones and decorated with simple embroided patterns.

Margilan silk factory visit

Location: Margilan, 20km north of Fergana city, Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Date: 29 July 2013

Uzbekistan is the third largest silk producer in the world after China and India, though the volume produced still pales in comparison to the latter two countries. Nevertheless, Uzbek silk have in the past travelled along the old Silk Road to various countries such as China, India, Iran etc. Uzbek silk with its signature patterns are known as 'ikat' derived from the malay word meaning tied.

Today we visited a Silk Factory in Margilan that still preserved the old ways of producing silk.

Silk caterpillars feed on mulberry leaves and take a few days to spin the cocoon completely around its body. These cocoons are then immediately collected for processing into silk threads. They are not left to grow to the pupae stage to ensure than once unravelled, each cocoon is able to produce a single continuous strand of silk thread. This continous strand ensures stronger cloth once woven.

Our drive from Tashkent to Fergana with a stop at Rishton pottery town

We drove on the A373 to get from Tashkent to Kokand, passing through the Kamchik Pass along the way.

There are a lot of sunflower fields along the road from Toytepa to Ohangaron.

Tashkent City

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. The city is located near the Chirchik river valley at the foothills of Tien Shan mountains. This prosperous city was also along the old Silk Road. 

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Chorsu Bazaar

The main attraction that we enjoyed visiting was the Chorsu Bazaar.

The Bazaar, a traditional domed shaped building, is several hundred years old.

 The blue Domes... that's where we are heading.

Samarkand to Tashkent

Leaving Samarkand for Tashkent

We took the M39. At Jizzakh we turned right and took the A376 to Hovos, a town near the border with Tajikistan. At Hovos, we turned north and took the M34 to Tashkent, passing by Gulistan.
Along the way we passed through numerous police check points.

On the M39, at Jomboy

Samarkand, capital of the Timur Empire

Location: Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Date: 23 Jul 2013

One of three ancient stopping point along the old Silk Road, the city of Samarkand was once under the rule of the Timurid Empire. The Timurid were related to Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, however, they were strongly influenced by Persian culture. The Uzbek captured Samarkand in 1500s and the city became part of the Khanate of Bukhara.

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Registan

A complex with a public square and 3 madrasas built in the 15th to 17th century. It is the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand under the rule of the empire of Timur. 

Ulug'bek Madrasah in the west with its mirror, the Sherdor Madrasah in the east and the Tillya-Kori Madrasah in the north completes the Registan Ensemble.

Ancient city of Bukhara

Location: Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Date: 20-21 July 2013

A prominent stop along the old Silk Road linking China to the Mediterranean, this 2000+ year old ancient city where the dominant religion is Islam, was also the center for Islamic theology and culture. There are so many mosques, madrassas, caravanserai etc that are centuries old, yet still well preserved. The city centre of Bukhara has the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia and it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bukhara ...here we come...show us your Silk Road bazaars....and ancient architectures...

1. Ark of Bukhara

The Ark of Bukhara is a 5th century fortress and it is the oldest structure in Bukhara. This imposing structure was the seat of the rulers / emirs right up to 1920 when the Soviet took over. Today, the fortress houses a museum.

Turkmenistan (16 July – 20 July 2013)

   Ashgabat is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan in Central Asia, situated between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range.

Ashgabat has the world's highest concentration of white marble buildings.

With its lavish marble palaces, gleaming gold domes and manicured parkland, Ashgabat has turned itself into a showcase city. Built almost entirely from Turkmenistan’s oil and gas revenues.

MARKET AT ASHQABAT - 17 JULY 2013 8.30 AM

FRUIT STALLS