Tashkent 101

I learned so much about Tashkent from our guide, Batir, a longtime resident of city, once our tour officially began. One interesting fact I recall is that the name of city means “stone city.” This is a reference to turquoise, the semi-precious stone that comes from the nearby mountains and was traded in the city for many centuries. 

 

Although Tashkent is a modern city in many ways, it has a long, long history (over 2000 years). I was eager to learn more from Batir. But before focusing on history, we had to turn our attention to food. OAT makes sure its travelers eat well and sample the local cuisine, so immediately following our group meeting, we headed out by bus for lunch. As we worked our way to the restaurant through a sea of white cars, Batir explained that white is the color of choice for cars since it’s associated with purity in the Islamic world. I thought to myself, but didn’t say aloud, that a car may be the color of purity but it still pollutes the air. 

 

Although the restaurant was somewhat curiously named Bavaria Plaza, the cuisine was decidedly Uzbek. We worked our way through a four-course meal of typical Uzbek specialties. We started with two popular salads (tomato and cucumber; eggplant and peppers) featuring locally grown produce. Next came a hearty vegetable soup with noodles and meatballs. The main course was chicken breast in a creamy mushroom sauce served with rice. We finished up the meal with baklava and tea, sipped from small porcelain bowls. By the way, the Uzbek version of baklava is filled with raisins and walnuts, and is more cake-like than the Greek or Turkish version. All the food was delicious. 

Uzbek style baklava

 

After eating so much, I was ready for a nap. But that wasn’t on the agenda. Instead, we got back on our bus and headed to the bustling Chorsu Bazaar, a daily market that’s the biggest and oldest marketplace in the area.

 

The virtual mountain of squash at the entrance reminded me that it would soon be pumpkin season back home.

 

With an average monthly salary of $400 per month, most locals find the bazaar more affordable than the supermarkets and mini-markets that you can find throughout the city. They come here to purchase a wide variety of provisions, such as eggs, meat, fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese, spices, sweets, etc. 

 

It was easy to spend an hour or so roaming through the bazaar. In addition to the area under the huge dome, there was a vast outdoor area. I was impressed by how well-organized and clean it was.  

I had never seen such artfully packaged gift assortments of dried fruits and nuts. 

 

There was a large area devoted to carry-out food. We gazed through the steamy air at mounds of fresh noodles and inhaled the aroma of frying vegetables and meats. 

In the bread section, we were offered samples and even invited back into the working area to observe the preparation of the loaves and to gaze into the ovens. (And the vendors were generous about handing out samples.)

 

Late afternoon traffic was quite heavy on the drive back to the hotel. After a brief rest, we regrouped to walk to our official welcome dinner at an elegantly appointed restaurant. It was another four-course Uzbek meal. This time the salad with local vegetables included strips of beef, plenty of Uzbek flat bread, a delicious pumpkin soup, a main course of beef and potatoes, and for dessert, chocolate lava cakes with vanilla ice cream. I still hadn’t recovered my appetite after the big meal at lunch, so I nibbled, eager to taste everything. 

The following morning, we started the day with a drive through the city. On the way, Batir filled us in on more interesting information about Uzbekistan. 

 

I learned that the population of the country is ethnically mixed, as a result of the national borders drawn up by the Soviet Union in 1920. The majority of the population identifies as ethnic Uzbeks but there is a significant minority of people who identify as Tajik. During the Soviet era, Russian was taught in all the schools. However, each ethnic group maintained its own language. With independence, Uzbek, a Turkic language, became the official language of the country, replacing Russian. As a result, Tajiks, who speak a language related to Farsi/Persian, are at a disadvantage in terms of employment opportunities. This is also true for Russians, some of whom chose to remain in Uzbekistan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

 

In city of Tashkent, located in the extreme northeastern part of the country, ethnic Uzbeks make up about 65% of the population. Ethnic Tajiks make up the largest portion of the remaining 35%. Among the other significant minorities are Russians and Koreans. 

 

It was easy for me to understand the presence of Russians, but I wondered about Koreans. What would bring them to Central Asia? As usual, our tour leader had the answer: When Uzbekistan became independent, the country’s leaders looked for guidance on how to develop a free market economy. South Korea was one of the models they turned to. Korean advisors and investors came to Uzbekistan to assist in the transition and many remained in the country. 

 

As we drove through the city, Batir pointed out several examples of Soviet-built apartment blocs. Tashkent is located in an area of seismic activity and frequently experiences tremors. An earthquake in 1966 destroyed much of the city and Tashkent was subsequently rebuilt in the Soviet style. Many Russians involved in the rebuilding efforts remained, changing the ethnic makeup of the city. 

 

We eventually reached the oldest section of Tashkent, where the low-rise houses are constructed of mud brick, which is covered with straw and mud. These buildings survived the 1966 earthquake. 

Khast Imam Square (aka Hazrat Imam Square), considered the spiritual center of Tashkent, is located in the old part of the city. It’s the site of a religious complex which includes Tashkent’s largest mosque as well as a madrasah that was built in the 16^th century. I was eager to see the complex’s many fine examples of Islamic architecture. 

 

The Hazrat Imam Mosque, which was opened in 2007, is the largest place of worship in Tashkent. Its two minarets, in 16^th century style, reach a height of 50 meters (164 feet). 

 

We were able to enter the mosque to admire the interior. The area reserved for women is separated from the main worship area.  

 

A small library stands in front of the mosque. According to legend, the library houses the Caliph Usman Quran, a copy of the holy book which dates back to the mid-600s. However, modern research disputes that claim, and dates the book in the library back to the 8^th century. In addition, display cases contain translations of the Quran in several different languages, including Hebrew and Persian.

The former Barak Khan Madrasah is also located in the complex. It is now a center for local artists and artisans. We admired the beautiful tile work that decorated the façade of the building. 

In the shaded areas of the courtyard, artisans and souvenir vendors displayed their wares. 

 

The Islamic religion arrived in the region in the 7^th century with the Arab conquerors. However, it took several centuries for the population to be converted. Previously, Buddhism had been the main religion while there were also Nestorian Christian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish communities. 

 

In answer to our questions about the role of religion in Uzbekistan today, Batir clarified that Uzbekistan is a secular country. Religion is not taught in the schools, nor does any religion receive government funding. While approximately 88% of the people identify as Sunni Muslim, most are not practicing. In fact, women are not encouraged to attend the mosques. Veils for women were outlawed during the Soviet era. However, many women, particularly older women, cover their hair with scarves. According to Batir, they do this as a fashion choice, not necessarily for religious reasons. It’s certainly a convenient way to deal with a bad hair day. 

There is still a certain legacy from the Soviet era restrictions on religious practice. The government has a special committee to oversee religious affairs. One of its purposes is to prevent extremist Muslim views from being introduced to the country. The committee oversees the education of imams, who may only be trained in state-approved madrassahs (schools for religious education). Individuals who receive their religious education in other countries are not allowed to work in Uzbekistan’s mosques. 

 

For lunch, Batir brought us to the famous Plov Center, where we sampled the national dish of Uzbekistan. Plov, or pulau, is the Uzbek version of rice pilaf. The base is rice, to which meat, carrots, onions, raisins, and chickpeas are added. Cumin is often used for seasoning the pulau. The dish is traditionally cooked over an open fire. 

Batir assured us that Uzbeks eat pulau at least once a week. When we reached the Plov Center shortly after 1pm, it was jampacked with diners. The multi-level restaurant serves thousands of meals everyday at its outdoor and indoor tables. 

 

We shared pulau with lamb, tomato salad, bread, yogurt, fruit water, and green tea. The food was tasty and inexpensive (about $3 per person). 

The plov lunch didn’t leave much room for dinner, but once evening came, I ventured out with five fellow travelers for a walk. The fresh air must have piqued our appetites, and we soon found ourselves at Navvat, the restaurant I had discovered on my first day in Tashkent.(3095) This time, I tried not to over-order. I limited myself to a small salad, a pumpkin samsa – a baked turnover filled with pumpkin and lamb manti – a steamed dumpling stuffed with lamb (3109), followed by a single chicken skewer.

Samsa filled with pumpkin

Manti filled with lamb

 

After we satisfied our hunger and thirst (alcohol is readily available in Uzbekistan), we strolled along Broadway Alley under blue and white lights. 

Thus ended our exploration of Tashkent, at least temporarily. We’d be back for the final day of our trip. But for now, it was time to pack up. After breakfast tomorrow, we’d be on our way to legendary Samarkand.