In the heart of ancient Asia

Upon arrival at Tashkent International Airport and passing border and customs control, guests will be greeted by a local representative of our office. Transfer to the hotel, check-in and accommodation, after which we will invite you for breakfast. After morning free time, we invite guests on a tour of Tashkent - the capital of Uzbekistan. We will visit the Khazrati-Imam complex, consisting of the Imam Mosque, the Barak Khan madrasa, the Kaffal Shashi mausoleum, the Sheikh Tilli Mosque and the museum of Islamic books with the Quran of Caliph Usman from the 7th century. The next stop is Chorsu Bazaar - a traditional bazaar located in the center of the old city. Under the blue domes of the bazaar and in the streets adjacent to it, all kinds of everyday items are sold. The further walk leads to Independence Square and the Romanov Palace, and ends with a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts. Overnight stay at a hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue exploring the capital of Uzbekistan with a visit to the square and the Amir Temur museum. Then we will visit the monuments of Repression and Courage. Guests will also visit the Abul Qasim madrasa, which is currently a crafts center. We will also visit the underground Tashkent, i.e. the capital's metro. After sightseeing, it's time to go to the airport, from where we will fly to Urgench. After arrival, the bus will take us to Khiva, which from the 1920th century until XNUMX was the capital of the independent Khanate of Khiva. Check-in and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we invite you for a tour of the beautiful historic part of Khiva, which includes a visit to the Ichan-Kala complex: the Muhammad Amin Khan Madrasa and the Kalta Minar, the Kunya Ark Museum and the Zindan Museum, and the Muhammad Rahim Khan Madrasa. We will then visit the Djuma Mosque, which was one of the most extraordinary buildings of this city in the Middle Ages. The current building was built in the 55th century on the site of an earlier mosque from the 46th century described by the Arab traveler Khorezm al-Maqdisi. The mosque occupies a large area of ​​XNUMX × XNUMX m, and was built on the main street connecting the eastern and western gates of Ichan-Kala. After visiting the mosque, we invite guests to the mausoleum of the local saint Pahlavan Mahmud and the Shergazi Khan madrasa, and then the minaret and the Islam Khodja madrasa. Overnight stay at a hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue our tour of Khiva, starting with the Shergazi Khan Madrasa. Then we will go to the madrasa of Allakula Khan, built between the eastern gate of Ichan-Kala and the covered Tim bazaar. Built in 1834-1835, it was once one of the largest religious schools in Khiva. Its construction was financed by Khan Allakul. The building is rightly considered one of the most perfect examples of medieval architecture in Khorezm, perfectly illustrating the wonderful harmony of tradition, proportion and grandeur. The portal and arched niches are simply and elegantly decorated with blue and black-and-white majolica (a type of faience pottery) in the Khorezmian style. In the XNUMXth century, the city library was located on the first floor of the madrasa. Then we visit the Caravanserai, followed by the Tach-Khaouli Palace, built in the XNUMXth century. This rectangular complex of buildings includes three courtyards, including in the southern part the guest courtyard, Arz-Khaouli, and the entertainment courtyard, Ishrat-Khaouli. The northern part of the palace is occupied by a harem. Labyrinths of corridors connect with courtyards and buildings. The khan's brothers and distant relatives lived in the palace. Two gates face west and south. All structures were built of high-quality bricks. The walls of the palace fence end with carved teeth, and high, proportional towers rise above the walls. At the end, free time for a walk around the ancient streets of Ichan-Kala. Return to the hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Bukhara. Overnight stay at a hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we invite guests on a tour of the city, which is the center of ancient Tajik culture, whose inhabitants still speak the Persian dialect. Here we will see gems of Islamic architecture in a place that was the center of Islamic education and learning in the Middle Ages. We will start our tour with the Ark of Bukhara, a powerful fortress built around the 1920th century. The Ark was not only a defensive structure, its walls also housed a city, which, moreover, was inhabited by various royal courts ruling the region surrounding Bukhara for most of the fortress's history. The Ark was used as a fortress until it was conquered by Russia in 1712. Opposite the Ark stands the Bolo-Khauz Mosque, built in 892, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other parts of the historic city. Then we will visit the mausoleum of the Samanid dynasty, which is considered one of the most valuable works of architecture in Central Asia. It was built between 943 and XNUMX as the resting place of Ismail Samani - a powerful and influential emir of the Samanid dynasty, one of the last indigenous Persian families ruling in Central Asia in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, after they became significantly independent from the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. In addition to Ismail Samani, the mausoleum also houses the remains of his father Ahmed and his nephew Nasr, as well as the ashes of other Samanids. We will also visit the Chashma-Ayub mausoleum. Later, guests can visit Bukhara's central market - Samani, the Kalon mosque and minaret, and the Mir madrasa. We will end the tour in Lyabi-Hauz - an architectural complex composed of three large monumental buildings: the Kukeltash madrasa in the north, the Nadir Divan-Begi khanaka and the Nadir Divan-Begi madrasa in the west and east. Overnight stay at a hotel.

In the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we continue exploring Bukhara, starting from Sitorai Mokhi-Khosa - the summer palace of the last rulers of Bukhara. Then we will visit the destination of Muslim pilgrimage - the Bahauddin Naqshband complex and the Mag'oki-Attori mosque built on the site of the ancient Moh temple. Excavations revealed that even during the Samanid rule, there was a six-pillared mosque on this site, which was also topped with a dome. However, it was rebuilt in the 30th century, when the floor level was also raised and the main facade was refinished (the finish has remained almost intact). In the XNUMXth century, the city grew so much that the mosque seemed to sink underground, and the historic facade was discovered only as a result of excavations carried out in the XNUMXs. In the afternoon there will be free time for shopping in the old bazaars of Bukhara. Overnight stay at a hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, it will be time to leave Bukhara and head towards Samarkand, 280 km away. Along the way, we will stop to visit the G'ijduvon pottery workshop, the ruins of an inn for caravans following the Silk Road, the Ribat-i Malik caravanserai and the Imam Bukhari complex built in the XNUMXth century on the orders of the Karakhanids Shams-al-Mulk Nasr. Upon arrival in Samarkand, you will check in to your hotel and then have time to rest or explore the city on your own. Overnight stay at a hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the ancient capital of the Great Empire of Tamerlane, including the mausoleums of Gur-e-Amir and Ruhabad. Later we will stop at Registan Square, which is surrounded by the Ulugh Bega, Sherdor and Tillya-Kari madrasas. The day's trip ends with a visit to the Samarkand history museum.

After breakfast at the hotel, we invite guests for a trip to Shakhrisabzu, the birthplace of the 2th century ruler and conqueror, Timur - also known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid dynasty. Shakhrisabz is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a rich and diverse history. Must-see sites include Ak-Saray, the incomparable ruins of the summer palace covered with stunning filigree mosaic, the Dorus-Saodat mausoleum complex, which houses fascinating tombs and beautifully decorated interiors, and the Amir Timur Museum with numerous interesting exhibits, maps, models and artifacts, located in the renovated Chubin madrasa. After approximately XNUMX hours of driving, we reach Shakhrisabz for a city tour to visit the wonderful monuments of Timurid architecture, starting from Ak-Saray and then visiting the mausoleums of Djehandir, Sheikh Shamsiddin Kulal and Gumbazi Saidon, as well as the mosques of Iman Khazrat and Kok Gumbaz. We return to the hotel in Samarkand for the night.

After breakfast served at the hotel, we continue our tour of Samarkand, starting with a visit to the Bibi Khanum Mosque. It was built by Tamerlane the Great to honor his favorite wife. This wonderful building is so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off it. In ancient times, the dome of the mosque was compared to the vault of heaven, and the arch of the portal - to the Milky Way. Later, guests visit the Siyob bazaar and the mysterious Shah-i-Zinda necropolis dating back to the 1429th century. We will end the trip with a visit to the Ulugh Beg Observatory Museum with a sextant built in 20.00 and the archaeological museum. After the tour, you will be transferred to the train station, where the Afrosiyob high-speed train will take guests to Tashkent, arriving shortly after XNUMX p.m. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.

After breakfast, it's time to check out of your hotel and then head to the airport for your flight back home.