Stepping off the metro was like walking into a fantasy world. Unlike most drab and dreary metro stations around the world, the stations in the Uzbekistan capital are decorated in unexpected colours and styles. Come with us as we share with you the elaborate metro stations of Tashkent.
Click to go directly to Travel Tips in Uzbekistan.
Tashkent Metro
On first glance Tashkent looks like any other large, capital city. Take a look at it from below though, and you’ll find it has something special. We spent a fun afternoon exploring the underground network of Tashkent’s Metro system. Of its 29 stations, 10 stood out to us out for their unique and fabulous décor.
Our favourite station was Alisher Navoi because of the delicately painted domes on its ceiling that run the length of the platform and tile designs on the walls. The station is on the Blue Line (sometimes called Orange Line) and was named after a 15th century Uzbek poet and author.
On the same line we saw Beruniy Station’s platform with an art-deco style pattern on the ceiling and brass chandeliers.
Walking on to the Kosmonavtlar platform felt like we had entered a science fiction movie set. The shiny, blue bubbles on the pillars and blue tiles on the walls make you feel like your in space. On the walls are pictures of famous Soviet Cosmonauts. Even the ceiling makes if feel like a giant runway.
Tinchlik Station has geometric patterns on its walls with matching sconces and chandeliers. Gafur Gulom platform stands out for its green, granite pillars that run the length of the platform between the large recessed lights.
The Red Line has its own share of extravagant stations beginning with Chilonzor which was one of Tashkent’s first metro stations. Its medieval chandeliers and low ceiling felt like King Arthur may be lurking in the corners. On the walls are colourful scenes of farming life in Uzbekistan.
We loved the colourfully painted walls on Paxtakor platform. The motifs are said to represent flowering cotton plants grown in Uzbekistan. Mustaqillik Maydoni used to be called Lenin Station but was renamed once Uzbekistan declared independence. It feels quite glamorous with soft lines extending from the white, marble pillars to the patterned ceiling and elegant chandleries.
On top of the marble pillars on Milliy Bog platform are intricate flowery decorations. Bunyodkor Station (formerly Khalklar Dostligi) feels a bit futuristic with white marble walls and pillars and lace-style overlays on the ceiling.
As we stood on each platform with our mouths agog, most locals walked by not even noticing the eclectic designs. Many of them did notice us though and would look back to see what Richard was taking pictures of. Our day on the metro was also our first introduction to the polite and generous nature of the Uzbek people. Whether it was because we look like foreigners or maybe that we look old, 20 year olds passengers always offered their seat to us.
The metro is very safe and clean. It is open from 5 am until midnight, 7 days a week. We bought two loadable cards and 4 trips each for only 30,000 UZS ($2.60 USD) total.
Chorsu Market
During our tour of the metro system we got off at Chorso Metro Station to check out Chorsu Market. As expected, it was buzzing with activity as locals bought their daily goods. It is filled with vegetables, meats, nuts and dried fruit as well as clothing, cooking utensils and even hunting knives. It’s always fascinating to experience daily life in the outdoor markets of foreign cities.
Hazmat Imam Mosque
Uzbekistan is known for its colourful and historic architecture. Tashkent is not the best city for historic sites, but they do have a lovely mosque which was a great introduction for us to typical Uzbek architecture. Hazmat Imam is a large brick mosque with a mosaic of blue tiles on its entrance gate.
The ladies’ prayer room is small, but the men’s room is very large and has beautiful details on its ceiling and walls. Behind the mosque is a small library and what used to be a madrasah (school). Today the building is used by vendors selling tourist trinkets. A massive new mosque is being built on the same grounds and will be an impressive building when complete.
Amir Temur Monument
An important hero in Uzbekistan history is Amir Temur. In the 14th and early 15th centuries the Turco-Mongol commander led a large army that conquered lands both near and far. Born in Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan, his empire eventually included Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, northern India, parts of Turkey and Georgia. He was known as a great miliary strategist, but also as a brutal barbarian by torturing his enemies and enslaving many. The Timurid Empire collapsed soon after his death but he is a hero to the Uzbek people today and a statue to honour him stands in Amir Temur Park. We will mention his name a lot as we travel through Uzbekistan.
Read our post about Amir Temur’s Mausoleum here.
Across the street is Amir Temur Museum. An interesting part of Temur family history is that Timur’s great-great-great-grandson Babur, also became the leader of large empire. He fled Uzbekistan for India where he founded the powerful Mughal Dynasty.
When we were inside the museum we had our first of many requests to have our picture taken with locals. I’m sure we’re on several Uzbek Facebook pages by now.
After our introduction to Uzbekistan we are excited to continue our travels in this fascinating country.
Where to stay in Tashkent
This large city is quite spread out and with an efficient metro system, the main thing to consider when booking a hotel is that it is within walking distance of a metro station,
Travel Tips for Uzbekistan
Transportation – The railroad system is an excellent option to travel across the country. There are three types of trains: Aefroib (fast trains), Sharq (slow trains) and overnight trains. Aefroib trains are very smooth and comfortable, but only travel between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. Sharq trains are a little bumpier, but still have comfortable seats with a lot of room. The trains are very prompt, clean and affordable. The only problem we encountered is that tickets can sell out early. A couple of times we found that there were no available seats on-line, but we were able to buy tickets from the train station ticket counter.
Ride share – Yandex is the ‘Uber’ of Uzbekistan and works seamlessly. It’s available in most large cities, except Khiva. Download the app before arriving. If you don’t have it when you arrive in Tashkent don’t use the taxis at the airport. They will try to charge between 150,000 – 350,000 UZS. Instead walk to the road outside of the airport parking lot and flag down a passing car. You can usually pay 30,000-40,000 UZS for a ride.
SIM cards – We purchased a month of data with Ucell. Purchasing the SIM card and data at a Ucell store was very easy. We found that their coverage is mostly reliable, but weaker in Bukhara and Khiva. We purchased 20GB for 50,000 UZS ($4.40 USD).
The SIM card is good for 30 days, but if you require it for longer you will have to register your phone at a cost of 8,500 UZS. This is true even if you don’t use the card for the full 30 days. We used our for 21 days and then left the country. When we returned to Uzbekistan it was more than 30 days from the start of our contract. In order to buy a new SIM card or to reload the old one we had to either register that phone, or use another phone.
ATM – We were able to take cash out of every ATM we tried. The fees seemed consistent at 15,000 UZS ($1.30 USD) for every 1,000,000 UZS ($90 USD). It is a cash based economy. We only used our VISA a couple of times at large hotels.
Safety – Uzbekistan is a very safe country for tourists. We walked everywhere when visiting Uzbekistan and never felt unsafe. The people are incredibly kind and friendly and will often ask if you need help if you look even the slightest bit lost. The only potential dangerous areas are the land border crossings so make sure to research the current situation before crossing.
Spelling – There are many different spellings of Uzbeki cities and points of interest. Instead of listing every variation, we chose to use the most common and/or the spelling used on signage at a site.
Visa – Citizens from many countries are able to get a 30-day visa on arrival. Others need to apply for a tourist visa in advance, so research the policies for your citizenship.
Language – People in Uzbekistan speak either Uzbek or Tajiki as well as Russian. School aged children and youth may know some English. In tourist areas there is a little more English spoken and most of the menus have English. Richard learned Russian growing up and it has helped us immensely. Note that in Central Asian languages kh is pronounced with a hard H as in Boo-ha-ruh for Bukhara, or Hee-vah for Khiva.
What to wear in Uzbekistan
It is generally a conservative country when it comes to women’s attire. In most cities, local women wear long sleeve tops and long pants. Some younger women have short sleeves, but never sleeveless. In Khiva, the local women dressed less conservative with short sleeves and mid-calf skirts. Tourists should also wear conservative clothes. I wore short sleeves with long pants or skirts, but did see a few tourists wearing tank tops and shorts which is very inappropriate and culturally insensitive.
To read our other posts from Uzbekistan click here.
Coming Next – Samarkand – Registan Square
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To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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