✈️ TLV to Tashkent (TAS)
Uzbekistan
Tashkent
CityTAS
IATA3218.6 km
Distance4h 23m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 41.2579, 69.2812
Airlines:
About Tashkent
Weather in Tashkent
Understand
This area is an oasis in an arid land, and from the 5th century BC a town grew up called Chach, which eventually morphed into "Tashkent", city of stone. Conditions suited settled agriculture rather than a nomadic way of life, but the nomad warlord Genghis Khan wrecked Tashkent in 1220. It recovered through trade, and there was a golden age of mosque building through the 15th century, but the medieval city was outshone by Samarkand and Bukhara. What promoted it into central Asia's greatest city was industrialisation and Russian colonisation from the 19th century. The original town centre was west of the Chirchiq river, around Chorsu Bazaar. A Russian new town developed east of the river through the tsarist then Soviet eras, boosted during the Second World War when the USSR moved strategic industries and workforce here beyond the reach of Nazi attack. Great damage was caused by the earthquake of 26 April 1966, and the ruins were bulldozed to lay out a modern grid of long, wide boulevards. Tashkent became the capital of Uzbekistan upon independence in 1991, and its leaders sought to create a showcase city and symbol of national identity. What has come about is a mix of the grandiose, the corporate, and the crumbling. It's impressive rather than beautiful, but never less than fascinating. The climate is harshly continental with hot summers and cold winters. The best times to visit are Apr-May and Sep-Oct.
Talk
Russian is the lingua franca here and in all the "Stans". If you learn nothing else of it, learn the Cyrillic alphabet to make sense of business signs, menus and the like. Uzbek is the official language, but for many here it's not their native tongue. It uses the western alphabet and (like Kazakh) is related to Turkish, but your Bodrum-Holiday-Turkish won't get you very far. English is understood by many in the hospitality sector, especially in the pricier hotels. Tajik is the main language of Bukhara and Samarkand, so you're likely to encounter it here. It's related to Persian / Farsi.
Do
National Library of Uzbekistan is a pseudo-classical building at Navoi 1 in the government quarter (Metro Mustakillik maydoni). It has a comprehensive stock, but you have to register (in Uzbek) to get in.
Drink
Kuratny is the pricy bar, nightclub and shisha cafe within The Chimes on Amir Temur Square, open daily 13:00-03:00. Scandalist is a cocktail bar at Istiqbol 8, open Su-Th 12:00-01:00, F Sa 12:00-03:00. The Irish Pub at Taras Shevchenko 30 (by Ming O'rik Metro) smells like an authentic pre-1980s Irish boozer, heavy with cigarette smoke. It's open daily 12:00-00:00. Bier Regen is a microbrewery at Taraqqiyot 67 near Ashxobod Park, open daily 12:00-23:30. Ye Old Chelsea Arms , Abdulla Kakhar 25 ( 200 m south of Dostlik Park ). Daily 18:00-06:00 . "Ye Old" is the warning that this is overpriced and not remotely like a London pub, but aiming for how they think the punters would imagine one. ( updated Dec 2024 ) Pelican , Sadik Azimov 47 , ☏ +998 97 755 3388 . Daily 10:00-01:00 . This is primarily a beer store with a few tables where you can sit and drink. ( updated Dec 2024 )
Stay safe
Tashkent is generally safe. Beware traffic, safeguard valuables, don't get mixed up in local politics (eg demos) and suspect a scam if a suave local approaches you. Emergency numbers are 103 for medical, 101 for fire and 102 for police. Seek advice from your accommodation on nearby medical, dental or pharmacy services. Standards of health care are well below those in the west, and anything serious will probably need a medical evacuation flight. Your hotelier will know which doctors and hospitals are doing their best within limited facilities, and which are seeking to empty your wallet.
Go next
Samarkand and Bukhara are the fabulous highlights of the Silk Road. Shahrisabz has the tomb intended for Timur, but he never reached it. Almaty in Kazakhstan is a Soviet-era city on a grid pattern, with lots to do and see.