Tashkent
- 2013
Tashkent (Toshkent) is the capital, and most cosmopolitan city in Uzbekistan.
It has a population of more than 2½ million people.
At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Tashkent was the fourth-largest city
in the USSR and a centre of learning in the fields of science and engineering.
We stayed at the Hotel Uzbekistan.
A typically large Russian hotel, it was built over 35 years ago.
It was very conveniently located on the edge of the large Amir Temur Square in the centre of the city.
Despite the solid Russian furniture, the rooms were quite spacious.
We made some friends in the hotel foyer.
Amir Temur (1336 - 1405) is Uzbekistan's "hero".
He conquered West, South and Central Asia and founded the Timurid dynasty.
Also known as Timur, injuries have given him the name of Timur the Lame or Tamerlane by Europeans.
Timur's armies were feared throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Sizable parts of Asia were laid to ruin by his campaigns.
Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people,
amounting to about 5% of the world population, leading to a predominantly barbaric legacy.
He was the grandfather of Ulugh Beg, who ruled Central Asia from 1411 to 1449,
and the great-great-great-grandfather of Babur Beg, founder of the Mughal Empire,
which ruled parts of South Asia for around four centuries, from 1526 until 1857.
On 26 April 1966, much of the old city was destroyed by a huge earthquake (7.5 on the Richter scale).
More than 300,000 residents were left homeless.
A model Soviet city of wide streets planted with shade trees, parks, immense plazas for parades,
fountains, monuments, and acres of apartment blocks was created after the earthquake.
A wedding reception at our hotel.
Tashkent has a modern underground metro rail system.
The stations rival the famed Moscow metro stations for their beautiful interiors.
We were not allowed to take pictures of the interiors of the stations.
Since independence in 1991, many modern Uzbek-style buildings have been built throughout the country.
Word War 2 Memorial.
Waiting for news of a husband? son? or grieving over them?
The names of all the soldiers from Uzbekistan who died during World War 2
are inscribed on the hinged panels of this war memorial.
A Uzbekistan service station.
Tashkent (Toshkent) is the capital, and most cosmopolitan city in Uzbekistan.
It has a population of more than 2½ million people.
At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Tashkent was the fourth-largest city
in the USSR and a centre of learning in the fields of science and engineering.
We stayed at the Hotel Uzbekistan.
A typically large Russian hotel, it was built over 35 years ago.
It was very conveniently located on the edge of the large Amir Temur Square in the centre of the city.
Despite the solid Russian furniture, the rooms were quite spacious.
We made some friends in the hotel foyer.
Amir Temur (1336 - 1405) is Uzbekistan's "hero".
He conquered West, South and Central Asia and founded the Timurid dynasty.
Also known as Timur, injuries have given him the name of Timur the Lame or Tamerlane by Europeans.
Timur's armies were feared throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Sizable parts of Asia were laid to ruin by his campaigns.
Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people,
amounting to about 5% of the world population, leading to a predominantly barbaric legacy.
He was the grandfather of Ulugh Beg, who ruled Central Asia from 1411 to 1449,
and the great-great-great-grandfather of Babur Beg, founder of the Mughal Empire,
which ruled parts of South Asia for around four centuries, from 1526 until 1857.
On 26 April 1966, much of the old city was destroyed by a huge earthquake (7.5 on the Richter scale).
More than 300,000 residents were left homeless.
A model Soviet city of wide streets planted with shade trees, parks, immense plazas for parades,
fountains, monuments, and acres of apartment blocks was created after the earthquake.
A wedding reception at our hotel.
Tashkent has a modern underground metro rail system.
The stations rival the famed Moscow metro stations for their beautiful interiors.
We were not allowed to take pictures of the interiors of the stations.
Since independence in 1991, many modern Uzbek-style buildings have been built throughout the country.
Word War 2 Memorial.
Waiting for news of a husband? son? or grieving over them?
The names of all the soldiers from Uzbekistan who died during World War 2
are inscribed on the hinged panels of this war memorial.
A Uzbekistan service station.