Tourism in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a country with vast underused capabilities in tourism. The cities of Central Asia were the main points of trade on the Silk Road, linking Eastern and Western civilizations. Today the museums of Uzbekistan store over 2 million artifacts - evidence of the unique historical, cultural and spiritual life of the people that have resided in the Central Asian region for more than 7,000 years. Uzbekistan attracts tourists with its historical, archeological, architectural and natural treasures. Tourist activities in Uzbekistan range from outdoor activities, such as rock-climbing, to exploration of its rich archeological and religious history.

In 2005, 240,000 tourists from 117 countries visited Uzbekistan. The industry earned US$30 million (90.9% of forecast). Overall, the tourism sector served 621,700 people and rendered services for 40.6 billion soums (73.1% of forecast). The industry earned 598.4 million soums. Each autumn, the Uzbek travel industry holds an International Tourism Fair.

Uzbekistan is located on the Great Silk Road and many neighboring countries (including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) promote their products based on their location along the Great Silk Road.

The World Tourism Organization's Silk Road Office was opened in 2004 in Samarkand. This office was commissioned to coordinate the efforts of international organisations and national tourism offices of countries located on the Silk Road.

Climate and natural advantages

The climate and the natural conditions of Uzbekistan are among the most favorable in Central Asia. For example, the former capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty, which is 502 mi northeast of Tashkent, the average annual temperature is 5-8 degreesvague|identify degrees lower. At the same time, 804 mi southwest of Tashkent in Ashgabat, the average annual temperature is 8-10 degreesvague|identify degrees higher. The relatively temperate climate, plus the presence of irrigation water, enrich the land of Uzbekistan, which yields many fruit crops. The melons, grapes, apples, quinces, and pears of Uzbekistan have an incredibly delicious taste. The climate advantages attract mountain-skiers to the Chimgan-Beldersay area near Tashkent.

The combination of snow and mostly warm, sunny weather makes the Chimgan and Beldersay ski slopes extremely popular.

Mountaineering, hiking and rock-climbing

Uzbekistan Mountains are an attractive place for those who love active forms of tourism such as mountaineering and rock climbing. Most well-known for its ease of access from Tashkent is a highlands Chimgan located in the mountain massive of dominant Greater Chimgan peak (3,309 m) of the Chatkal range at an altitude of 1,620 m. This place serves as a commencement for many routes of hiking, climbing, horse riding, mountain skiing and hang-gliding.

Architectural and historical sights

Samarkand with its Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Gur-Emir and Shah-i-Zinda, Bukhara with its Po-i-Kalyan Complex, Ark citadel, Samanid Mausoleum and Lyabi Khauz Ensemble, and of course Khiva with its intact inner city Ichan Kala, mosques, madrasahs, minarets, walls and gates are acknowledged sites of world tourism.

The general conference of UNESCO accepted the decision of inclusion in the list of anniversaries the celebrating of 2750-th anniversary of Samarkand. Samarkand is one of pearls of East. Here are many unique monuments of culture and architecture, which are evidence of high mastery of the ancient architects. The restoration works are carrying out at the memorial complex Shah-i-Zinda. Basic principle of rebuilding of the centre of Samarkand is a preservation of monuments in their integrity. The complex of historical centre of the town is included in the list of a world heritage of UNESCO under the name "Samarkand is an intersection of world culture."

Though Tashkent is often overlooked in the search for the Silk Road oasis towns of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, for the traveler there is much besides this to be seen. Today one can visit such striking sights as Mausoleum of Sheikh Zaynudin Bobo and the Sheihantaur or Mausoleum of Zangiata.

Tourism in Khorezm Province and Karakalpakstan

Ancient Khiva is one of three most important tourism centers of Uzbekistan with great historical cultural and ethnographic potential. The territory of the Khorezm Province and Karakalpakstan is strewn with plenty of natural, historic, architectural and archeological sites. The Khorezm Province itself possesses near to 300 historic monuments. In the last few years, the tourism potential at the region was improved with some new facilities and attractions. One of them is the [http://www.savitsky.museum.uz Savitsky Museum] in the town of Nukus, which houses a collection of unique works of avant-gardism. The museum also has amazing regional collection. A number of ecological tours are organized to the ship cemetery located in Muynak area along what has once been the coastline of the Aral Sea.

In 2005 Khorezm was visited by 43,000 tourists, of which foreigners accounted for 19,700. The majority of them came from countries such as France, Germany, Israel, Great Britain, Australia and Japan. The visitors of Khiva were mostly at the age of 50-70 (46%); about 21% of tourists were of the age 30-40. 32% of the visitors of Khorezm was independent travelers, that received visa support from local travel agencies.

After the modernization of the airport in Urgench it received international status. Now it corresponds to the first category of ICAO.

Wildlife areas in the desert and other attractions on nomadic ways

Desert fauna of Kyzyl Kum includes many kinds of rare animals. There is a Kyzyl Kum nature reserve at the flood-land (tugai) drained by the Amu-Darya. Another reserve (eco-centre)"Djeyran" is located 40 km to the south of Bukhara.

The region of the Aydar Lake is an area of great potential for fishing, yurting and camel-back riding tourist activities.

In addition to fauna common for Kyzyl Kum, there are many kinds of water birds migrating from Aral Sea that make their homes around the lake. Many sorts of fish were introduced to the Aydar Lake, which nowadays works as a source of industrial fishing.

Another point of interest the Sarmish Gorge (Better known as Sarmishsay) is located on the southern slopes of the Karatau mountain range, 30-40 km to the north-east of the city of Navoi (Kermine) in Uzbekistan. This place is famous for various ancient monuments of anthropogenic activity concentrated in an area of about 20 km². The sights include flint quarries, mines, old settlements, burial mounds, crypts and petroglyphs, including monuments of the Middle Ages, early Iron Age, Bronze Age and even Stone Age. There are over 4,000 petroglyphs still intact in Sarmishsay. Since ancient times this territory has been a sacred zone, where locals performed their sacred ceremonies on holy days.

Religious tourism

A large number of tourists have been visiting Uzbekistan because of their religious-based interest. The followers of Sufism know that dozens of historical sights of Islam such as Mausoleum of Sheikh Zaynudin Bobo, Sheihantaur and Mausoleum of Zangiata in Tashkent or Bakhauddin Ensemble, Bayan-Quli Khan Mausoleum, Saif ed-Din Bokharzi Mausoleum and many others monuments in Bukhara are related to Sufism. Uzbekistan is a country with predominantly Islamic roots. However, small pockets of Nestorian Christians co-existed.

The first Baptist congregations in Uzbekistan were started at the close of the 19th century at small towns near to Tashkent (Gazalkent, Karabog, Iskander) where the population were mostly consisted of the colonists from Russia.

Dental Tourism

Lately many modern dental clinics were established in Uzbekistan. They provide patients with high quality dentistry services. But for all that, prices here much cheaper in comparison with Western and Russian clinics.

Uzbekistan dental clinics use high quality dentistry equipment (such as panoramic pantomograph, which allows taking the shot of all 32 teeth, making a digital x-ray, which can be immediately shown on the computer monitor), high quality materials and effective anesthetics.

The clinics provide prophylaxis, treatment, cleaning, polishing of teeth, irrigation and massage of gums, treatment of tooth canal under the control of digital x-ray apparatus. As a result of restoration, practically any defect can be removed: the color and form are identical to original healthy tooth. The prosthesis of teeth is done using primarily metal-ceramic and effective clasp dental prostheses that use special joints.

Accessibility of the country

Most travel involves entering and leaving Uzbekistan through Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. The city is serviced by an international airport, a domestic airport, two Vokzals (train stations), and numerous bus stations. Tashkent is serviced by Uzbekistan Airways, British Airways, Asiana Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Transaero, Aeroflot, Domodedovo Airlines, Air Kazakhstan and Pakistan International Airlines.

Three more airports of Uzbekistan have international status. Those airports are of Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench. Besides local flights and some regular international flights (not numerous), the charter flights on demand of local and foreign tourist agencies fly in/out of those airports.

The tickets for domestic flights cannot be reserved or purchased until 14 days prior to departure due to the specific rules of Uzbekistan airlines.

Uzbekistan Airways transported more than 1.7 million passengers in 2005

Currently, Uzbekistan Airways works on updating its aircraft fleets, changing old dates Soviet-made aircraft.

Uzbekistan Airways has 13 western-made aircraft, including seven Boeing aircraft, three A-310 and three RJ-85.

At the end of 2005 year at the Tashkent airport had put into operation a new arrival hall of local airlines. The new hall meets the modern requirements. Its technical equipment allows to serve up to 600 passenger per day. The new system of the automatized registration improved a quality and culture of passengers' service.

Photo gallery

More [http://camp4joy.org/CampClipart.htm photos of Uzbekistan] [http://camp4joy.org/ClipartNa.htm Nature] [http://camp4joy.org/ClipartFa.htm Portraits] [http://camp4joy.org/ClipartWa.htm Walking tours] [http://camp4joy.org/ClipartOth.htm Environment]

External links

*wikitravel|Uzbekistan
* [http://www.pagetour.org/khiva/index.html Khiva. Illustrated list of sights with description]
* [http://www.cookbookwiki.com/Uzbekistanian_Cuisine Uzbekistanian Cuisine]
* [http://www.uzbekistan-airlines.de/ about Uzbekistanian Airways]