Uzbekistan from west to east

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Friday PARIS - OURGENCH

  The departure and takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle on the regular Uzbekistan Airlines flight to Urgench. Meals served and overnight on board.

• day 2

  Saturday OURGHENTCH KHIVA 30 kms

  Upon your arrival in Urgench, customs formalities. You are welcomed and transferred to Khiva. Breakfast. KHIVA "THE PEARL OF THE ORIENT" Capital of KHOREZM, an important oasis on the Silk Roads, in the heart of the KYZYL KOUM desert, at the crossroads of caravan routes from Persia, Russia, and India. Legend tells us it was founded by SHEM, a son of Noah, after a blazing dream. The citadel of Itchan Kala (UNESCO) Imposing mud-brick walls, bristling with crenellations and punctuated by powerful towers, surrounded it for more than 2 km. Inside are palaces, madrasas, mosques, caravanserais, built by the KHANS, ruthless rivals of Bukhara. It is a museum-city, emptied of its inhabitants by the Soviets in 1960. Even though it celebrated its 2500th anniversary, most of the buildings date from the 17th to the 19th century. The Kunia Ark is the old citadel, the fortified refuge of all the Khans. The famous iwan of the reception hall is covered with blue and white majolica. The summer mosque has sumptuous floral decorations. The Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmoud is the most beautiful monument in the city, the most sacred place in Khiva. Its turquoise dome houses the city's patron saint: a wrestler, furrier, and poet of the 14th century. The Minaret and the Medersa Islam Khodja dominate the whole city with their colored rings: from the top of its 120 steps, the view of the surrounding desert and Khiva is unforgettable. The Madrasa houses a Museum of Applied Arts: woodwork, carpets, hangings... Lunch. Continuation of the visit of Khiva, the "open-air museum city". The Tash Khauli Palace or "Stone Palace", the new palace of the 19th-century khan. The iwans have dazzling blue and white majolica decorations. You visit the audience and court room with admirable decorations by Abdullah Djinn, throne room, treasury, harem, stables, arsenal, barracks, mosque, prison... The Mohamed Amin Khan Madrasa, with facades decorated with blue mosaics, one of the largest in Central Asia, hosted 260 students. It was a sinister Soviet prison, today a luxury hotel. The Muhamad Rakhim Khan Madrasa houses the craft center under its portal. The Kalta Minor or short minaret, superbly decorated with jade green majolica, was meant to be the tallest in the Muslim world, but the death of Amin Khan, beheaded in battle, left it unfinished. The Djouma Mosque or Friday Mosque has a sumptuous interior: a forest of columns from the 10th to the 12th century from all origins, the most beautiful from India. One can guess human representations, Zoroastrian symbols, Buddhas all erased... Dinner. Overnight at the Hotel.

• day 3

  Sunday KHIVA - TOPRAK KALA - AYAZ-KALA Khiva

  Breakfast at the hotel. Discovery of the picturesque Khiva market. THE GOLDEN RING OF ANCIENT KHAREZM or ELLIQ KALA: the "50 fortresses". Ancient citadels lost in the sands, south of Karakalpakstan: TOPRAK KALA: impressive ruined fortress from the 1st century BC. It was the capital of the Kushan lords, but repeated attacks by the Hephthalite Huns, by destroying the irrigation canals, caused this brilliant civilization to fall into oblivion. The royal citadel still contains traces of gardens, the Hall of Kings, the Hall of Victories, the Hall of Black Guards, the temple of fire worshippers, and vast clan houses that sheltered more than a hundred members… KYZYL KALA: a small town sheltered, behind high walls, the garrisons of the ancient fortress. AYAZ KALA: the most impressive site; two citadels perched on the hills from where there is an admirable view of the desert. A Kazakh yurt camp will welcome us for lunch. Nearby, a small lake is rimmed with salt. Return to Khiva. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 4

  Monday KHIVA BUKHARA

  Breakfast. Drive to Bukhara. The road passes through the Kyzyl Kum desert and you travel between sand dunes. In the past, caravans heading west passed through this part of the Silk Road, which connected the western cities to Bukhara. Lunch on the way in a small chaykhana. Arrival in Bukhara and check-in at the hotel. City tour with the Lyabi Khaouz complex, dating from the 16th century, in a green setting of centuries-old trees surrounding a small pool, the Koukeldach madrasa, the largest madrasa in the city with 140 cells on two levels, and the Nadir Divanbegi madrasa. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Tuesday BOUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel. Days dedicated to visits of Bukhara "the noble" (UNESCO). Bukhara "the Holy": "the dome of Islam", "the Pillar of religion", "the beauty of the spirit", is the most secret of caravan cities, the best preserved of the oriental cities. An oasis in the heart of the red desert, the Kyzyl Kum. Achaemenid city of the 6th century, conquered by Alexander, destroyed by the hordes of Genghis Khan then by Tamerlane, by the tsar's troops then by the Bolsheviks, and constantly reborn. It was one of the most important spiritual and intellectual centers of the country, attracting students from Arabia, Iraq, and Spain to its madrasas. THE OLD CITY OR CHAKHRISTAN THE WALLS OF BUKHARA protected the city from nomadic attacks until the Russian conquest of 1920, which left very little of the 25 km of ramparts. THE FORTRESS OF THE EMIR OR ARK, with its powerful crenellated walls, was the residence of the lords of Bukhara. It stands on Reghistan Square in all its majesty, largely destroyed in 1920. The Throne Room witnessed many coronations. Reception hall, music pavilion, harem chambers follow one another. From its splendid terrace, view of the monuments of Bukhara. The sinister prisons of the ZINDAN hide behind the Ark, its "black well" sends shivers down the spine. THE BOLO KHAOUZ MOSQUE is one of the most beautiful in the city with its wooden pillars and ceilings. The emir performed his prayers there under a splendid dome. The Iwan is one of the most elegant in all Central Asia. THE KALYAN MOSQUE has the most beautiful 16th-century ornamentations, the mihrab is adorned with dazzling mosaics. THE POY KALON SQUARE: religious center of holy Bukhara, the most monumental: the Mir-i-Arab madrasa with its majestic Iwan faces the immense Kalon mosque and its terrible minaret "tower of death" from the 12th century, a beacon that guided lost caravans in the vast deserts of the Karakum to the caravanserai. Merchant domes and covered passages are an original feature of Bukhara's architecture: Tak-i-Zargaron, the dome of jewelers, or the dome of hatters, or TAK-I-SARAFAN, the dome of money changers: the covered galleries house many shops. The covered market of ABDULLAH KHAN is reserved for beautiful ikat silk fabrics and sumptuous carpets. THE MADRASA MODAR-I-KHAN and ABDULLAH: the students' cells are now occupied by artisans. THE ISMAEL SAMANI MAUSOLEUM, the oldest building in Bukhara, buried under several meters of earth, was spared by the Mongol tornado. It is over 1000 years old, the richness of the carved brick patterns is remarkable. The TCHACHMA AYOUB mausoleum: the prophet Job made a miraculous spring gush forth there. THE LIAB-I-KHAOUZ: around a huge pool stand three 16th-century madrasas, decorated with fantastic simurgh birds. Bearded old men gather there to drink tea, play backgammon, or watch time go by. THE OULOUGH BEGH MADRASA, sober and majestic: stars recall the prince's passion for astronomy. THE ABDUL AZIZ KHAN MADRASA: the mosaic of the entrance portal is a luminous yellow vegetal lattice with simurgh birds and a dragon. THE MADRASA OF NADIR DIVAN BEGHI: a sun shines between two facing simurgh birds. THE MAGOKI ATTARI MOSQUE, the 12th-century portal, is one of the most perfect architectural works of Bukhara. Lunches, one of which in a "tchaikhana". Dinners, including one with folk music at the Nodir Devon Beghi Madrassa. Accommodation at the hotel.

• day 6

  Wednesday BOUKHARA

  Breakfast at the hotel. LE CHOR MINOR is a madrasa with astonishing architecture, flanked by four slender minarets with blue domes. SITORI I MOKHI KHOSA, Palace of the Moon and Stars, the summer residence of the Emirs of Bukhara, is located in a vast park. Russian architecture stands alongside oriental decor! The white hall features finely carved plasterwork on a mirrored background. Stalactite niches hold superb multicolored bouquets. The harem houses an embroidery museum with the most beautiful suzani. By a luminous pool, the PALACE OF THE LAST EMIR SITORAI MAKHI KHOSA hesitates between Russian and oriental style. It has reception rooms where decorative art objects and national costumes embroidered with gold are displayed side by side. The white hall features sculpted plasterwork on a mirrored background. THE ALLEYS OF BUKHARA: one gets lost in this labyrinth, where you discover weavers or gold embroiderers, potters, and small dilapidated shrines. "In the labyrinth of winding alleys with uneven and rough ground, it is the Orient of Asia as it was several centuries ago, in the time of Marco Polo or Tamerlane himself." In the late afternoon, visit the house of a former Astrakhan fur merchant, Faizullo Khodjayev, where visitors can see the interiors of traditional Uzbek houses from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the costumes worn from Antiquity to today by Bukharan men and women. Green tea and Uzbek sweets will be served. Lunches, including one in a "tchaikhana". Free time. Dinner. Accommodation at the hotel.

• day 7

  BOUKHARA - SHAKHRISABZ - SAMARKAND

  Breakfast. Transfer from Bukhara to Samarkand via Shakhrisabz (275 km, 4 h + 90 km, 1 h 30*). The road from Samarkand to Shakhrisabz, crossing the Fan mountains, is magnificent. In the KASHKA DARIA region, it was the birthplace of Tamerlane. He had a mausoleum built there for his son and planned to be buried there himself. Tamerlane had the best craftsmen from conquered countries deported there and had rich houses, mosques, madrasas, caravanserais, tombs built, decorated with blue and gold enamel for his father and son. Above all, he built the AK SARAI, the "white palace." Almost nothing remains of the palace described by the Castilian ambassador Clavijo, destroyed by the Emir of Bukhara in the 16th century, except for a huge portal sumptuously decorated with majolica. Lunch. The afternoon is dedicated to the visit: DOR US TILIAVAT was built by Tamerlane in 1373 for his father and a famous Sufi. The KOK GOUMBAZ MOSQUE was built by Ulugh Beg, its walls and domes are covered with polychrome geometric patterns. MAKBARAT GOUMBAZ SAYYIDAN, built by Ulugh Beg: the interior is superbly decorated with geometric and floral frescoes. DOR US SIADAD, mausoleum of Djahangir, Tamerlane's favorite son, who died at 22 from a fall from a horse. Tamerlane's grief was immense. Shakhrisabz is also an old center of art embroidery and ceramics. Departure for Samarkand. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  Saturday Samarkand

  Breakfast. Samarkand, "mirror of the world", "garden of the soul", "jewel of Islam", "pearl of the Orient", "center of the universe", this fabulous oasis of the Kyzyl Kum, one of the largest caravan cities on the Silk Roads (this great axis stretching from the Mediterranean to China), is over 20,000 years old! The fortified city was founded by the Persians in the 7th century BC; in the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great seized "Maracanda". Some traces of its ramparts remain. It was devastated by the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan, but his descendant Tamerlane made it, in the 14th century, the capital of a vast empire, from the Black Sea to the Indian Punjab, and covered it with grandiose monuments, as did his successors. The conqueror gathered there, by force, some of the best scholars and artists of his time: poets, architects, painters, astronomers. The majestic REGHISTAN square with its three monumental madrasas: that of Ulugh Beg with blue stars (the largest university in Central Asia), that of Shir Dor where fire tigers carry the sun, that of Tilla Khari covered in gold… This "sand square" was the high place of bazaars, military parades, and public executions. THE GUR EMIR MAUSOLEUM, Tamerlane's jade tomb, symbol of the greatness of the Uzbek nation, its ribbed dome rises to more than 30 m. The interior in gold and sky blue mosaics is "like the firmament". Lunch. THE BIBI KHANUM MOSQUE: according to legend, built by a princess from Khorasan, Tamerlane's favorite wife (which cost her her life!). The largest in Central Asia. 95 elephants from India brought the enormous blocks. Despite the ravages of men and earthquakes, it has regained the splendor of its blue dome. Lunch. THE BAZAAR in the shade of Bibi Khanum, where a colorful crowd gathers, is full of melons, spices, and decorated breads. SHAHL ZINDA: a small street climbs the hill of ancient Afrosyab, lined with mausoleums from the 11th to the 15th century, which surround the tomb of a saint, Ibn Abbas, cousin of the Prophet. Dinner. Night at the hotel. Apotheosis of the art of ceramics: the luxuriance of enameled and chiseled floral motifs evokes the gardens of paradise. Dinner. Night at the hotel.

• day 9

  Sunday SAMARKAND TASHKENT

  Continuation of visits in Samarkand Ulugh Beg Observatory, one of the greatest astronomers of the 15th century (whose giant instruments we admired in India). The Afrasyab Historical Museum: 5th-century frescoes show a wedding procession: a princess from Sukhandaria, perched on a white elephant, comes to marry a king of Sogdiana! They come from the palace of ancient Samarkand conquered by Alexander. Hodja Danyar: the mausoleum of the prophet Daniel (who was thrown to the lions). Muslim, Jewish, and Orthodox pilgrims flock near the eighteen-meter-long sarcophagus, which keeps growing. Lunch. Departure for a visit to the Al Bukhari memorial complex, one of the pilgrimage sites of Islam. The blue-domed mausoleum was completely rebuilt in 1998 by the country's best craftsmen. Departure by train for Tashkent on the Afrosiab train. Dinner. Night at the hotel.

• day 10

  Tashkent, Ferghana by car, Kokand, Ferghana.

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure in a convoy of private, air-conditioned, and comfortable vehicles for 3 people, via the Kimchik Pass (2268 meters) to the city of Ferghana (4h00 drive). Kokand, famous for its celestial horses. The region has many thoroughbred horses that sweat blood; their ancestors are said to descend from celestial horses. Visit of Kokand: The Palace of Khudayar Khan – a fortified palace called "OURDA" as opposed to the "ARK" of Bukhara. The Juma Mosque. The madrasas of Narbouta Bey and Dastourkhantchi. Lunch Halfway between Kokand and Ferghana, the city of Richtan is renowned for its beautiful blue and green ceramics with their unique "ICHKOR" glaze. The secret of this craft has been passed down from father to son for 800 years – local red clay and natural pigments. Check-in at the hotel Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Ferghana.

• day 11

  FERGHANA TASHKENT

  The city of Ferghana (230,000 inhabitants) is the administrative center of the Ferghana region. It was founded in 1877. It was decided to build a new city 12 km from the old city of Marghilan. At first, the city was called "Yanghi Marghilan," which means new Marghilan. In 1924, the city was renamed Ferghana. Today, Ferghana is an important industrial center of Uzbekistan. In terms of production capacity, Ferghana is in second place in Uzbekistan after Tashkent. Stroll through the large Ferghana market. Visit a silk workshop in Marghilan, the silk capital. Lunch. Return to Tashkent. Dinner. Overnight at the Tashkent hotel.

• day 12

  TASHKENT-PARIS

  Breakfast. The eclectic and cosmopolitan capital of Uzbekistan, the largest metropolis in Central Asia. The "city of stones," which the Greek geographer Ptolemy already described as the astonishing crossroads of caravans coming from the East and the West, has become a modern and dynamic city with glass towers, the throbbing economic heart of the country. On AMIR TIMOUR square, the equestrian statue has replaced the sickle, the hammer, and the head of Karl Marx. It has become the symbol of Uzbek independence! The immense MUSTAKILLIK square is lined with palaces and enlivened by fountains. Transfer to the airport to take the return flight to Paris, flight HY251 at 12:30.