Streets squares and districts to visit Central Asia

In the centre of Tashkent, on square Flotilla Timur, a huge statue by Timur on horseback replaced that of Karl Marx shortly after independence. Recently, with the construction of the new congress centre, the statue was designed to deal with the latter, while it was previously facing the pedestrian street Saligoh (ex-Karl Marx). All around, pluricentenaires trees were brutally shot to "set the horizon on the city". You will appreciate, or not, the view on the new shopping centres of the president's daughter, who has completely reviewed and corrected the city centre for his benefit….

To the west of the square is the colossal Uzbekistan hotel, whose architecture evokes an open book while the «web» of concrete on the façade symbolize Koranic writing. Many buildings, in Tashkent and Uzbekistan, have the facades hidden by massive geometric motifs evoking the cotton flower, the Koran or traditional Uzbek ornaments.

The covered market of four doors, the typical architecture of the shops located at the intersection of the shopping routes. One part is covered, the other in the open air. It offers the whole range of fruits and vegetables in the region, in a very authentic atmosphere. Although Shahrisabz's production does not contain any specific items to the city, this bazaar is a good opportunity to find a low price for traditional clothing, especially manteaux and Uzbek caps, accessible at more favourable prices than Samarkand.

The Bazar bazaar is known as one of the largest and most animated in the region, especially on Sundays, and even more when the melon season beats its full. In this very traditional bazaar, you can cross the femmes of the parandja, who have returned to some surrounding villages. If the centre of the bazaar seems rather classical, it is by bypassing the Rue street that you discover its picturesque face. The street is bordered by craftsmen who produce and hone tools or manufacture the traditional Ouzbeks berceaux, all in an extraordinary hubbub. The textile side, located across the street, offers a much more modern face. According to the trend of recent years in Uzbekistan, a modern metal structure has been built, divided into dozens of numbered stalls where traders hold their shop with an almost bewildering order…