Uzbekistan is one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world, mostly occupying plains and deserts
Its appeal lies in its rich history, lying astride the Silk Road, and having been invaded by Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, Turks, Persians, Russians, and Bolsheviks, among others
The monument to Tashkent's 1966 earthquake reveals its recent Soviet history
Since independence from the USSR, Amir Timur (Tamerlane) has been elevated to hero status, despite having caused much death & destruction (towers of severed heads being a trademark)
Ceiling beams from a war memorial in Tashkent, decorated in the style of a traditional iwan ("ai-vaan")
Internal dome of the modern cathedral mosque Khasti imam
Traditional wooden column & carved door
Iwan ceiling detail, Polovsev house, Museum of Applied Art Tashkent
Another iwan ceiling, Polovsev house, Museum of Applied Art Tashkent
Polovsev house, Museum of Applied Art Tashkent
One of the most remarkable legacies of the Soviet Union is the richly decorated subway system in Tashkent
The Paxtakor station celebrates Uzbekistan's cotton industry
One station is dedicated to Alisher Navoy, a national hero for his pioneering poetry in Uzbek
Alisher Navoy station
The reliefs celebrate various poems by Alisher Navoy
Mustaqilliq Maidoni station
O'zbekiston station... note the chandeliers in the shape of cotton blossoms
Arguably the most famous station in Tashkent is Kosmonavtlar, celebrating the Soviet space program. The central linear chandelier represents the Milky Way.
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, father of Russian rocketry
Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space
