Tashkent is the capital of the Central Asian country, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is a former soviet republic and still carries the beauty of Soviet architecture in its buildings. Moreover, this country belonged to the ancient Silk Route, which is a famous trade route between China and the Mediterranean. But, because Tashkent is surrounded by more famous Silk Road cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, this city usually doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
Where is Tashkent?
So, where is Tashkent located? It is right between some major cities on the Silk Road like Samarkand and Bukhara. It is probably also going to be one of the first places you arrive in Uzbekistan. Because it is perfectly located among other famous sites, Tashkent is a good place as a travel base when you travel to Uzbekistan.
And, this city carries its own vibe and beauty and is the best place to get some unique pictures for your Instagram. When you travel to Uzbekistan, spend a day or two visiting Tashkent, and you'll get some Instagram worthy shots that other Silk Road cities won't offer. Ready to uncover the best of Tashkent?
Here are the 12 best Instagrammable places to visit when you travel to Tashkent.
1. Hazrat Imam Complex
Hazrat Imam complex is an official religious place in Tashkent. This place carries the oldest Quran and a relic of the Prophet Muhammad. The turquoise domes of this complex are very striking and look gorgeous at any time of the day. The entrance still has ancient designs with beautiful wood carvings from different wood carving schools in Uzbekistan.
This is the best place to capture a glimpse of ancient Uzbekistan and its architectural wonder. This is also one of the best tourist attractions in Tashkent.
The lawn is very prim and beautiful, with several exotic plants and awesome landscapes. So, take a walk around to get some Instagram worthy pics. The tall buildings of Hazrat Imam frame any picture and give it an ancient feel similar to other Silk Road cities.
2. Kukeldash Madrasah
‘Madrasah’ stands for school. This Kukeldash Madrasah was an ancient Islamic school. It dates back to the 16th century and has quite a history. There had even been public executions here. It was also used as a caravanserai and a fortress in the past. For those who want to capture a bit of history, this is a cool place. The building is made of yellow brick and has a traditional square shape. A shot here will reflect the ancient architecture and the history of Uzbekistan.
3. Dzhuma Mosque
Dzhuma Mosque is one of the Instagrammable places in Tashkent. This mosque is right next to Kukeldash Madrasah. The turquoise triplet of dorms against the blue sky is worth a quick shot. So, after you visit Kukeldash Madrasah, swing by here and take a picture. Dzhuma Mosque is also right next to Chorsu Bazaar, which is the next Instagram-worthy spot on our list.
4. Chorsu Bazaar
Some people love to watch and take some shots of local people going on with their day-to-day life. If you are one of them then, Chorsu Bazaar is one of the best places to visit in Tashkent. Local people come here to buy honey, fruits, vegetables, spices, clothes, and more. You can literally buy anything you want here. Even if you don't buy anything, this colorful bazaar will surely give you some awesome photo opportunities.
The highlight of this bazaar is the impressively big blue dome rising above it. You’ll be surprised by how good it looks in photos. Whether your shot was from inside or outside, this dome will look incredible on your Instagram. While you walk around here, buy the local snack, Kurut. You’ll find Kurut being sold in many stalls. These are dried cheese balls, and they taste amazing.
5. Memorial to the Victims of Repression
This park is a good place to walk around and capture some beautiful Instagram photos. It also contains a museum. Inside this museum, you can find photographs and other personal belongings of victims. The memorial is a large gazebo with a blue dome. It has been constructed here as a memorial for those who fought for the independence of the country during Soviet rule. The river bank and the memorial are nice backdrops for an Instagrammable picture. Get your Uzbekistan visa today and have your best Insta-shot!
6. Amir Timur and Independence Squares
These two squares are right across the Memorial to the Victims of Repression park. Independence Square is the central square of the city and has impressive fountains and beautiful statues. The most striking object in Independence Square is the bridge with 16 marble columns and the statue of storks on it. The storks represent peace. Right before the bridge, there are beautiful water fountains. This place will offer some amazing Instagram worthy pics.
Amir Timur Square has a 7-meter statue of the national hero Amir Timur on horseback. With a large Uzbekistan Hotel in the backdrop, this place is ideal for an amazing shot. The Amir Timur Museum is also an incredible place built in a unique, photo-worthy architectural style.
7. Tashkent Tower
Do you want to see the twelfth tallest tower in the world? Then visit Tashkent! The Tashkent Tower is a 375-meter TV tower. You can climb up to the observation deck located at 96 meters. This place offers a beautiful panoramic view of Tashkent. However, you can’t actually take photos at the observation deck because of the rules. But still, this TV tower is an Instagram worthy tower against the clear blue sky of Uzbekistan.
8. Hotel Uzbekistan
Hotel Uzbekistan is right next to Amir Timur Square. This large building is quite an eye-catcher because of its unique architecture. The beehive-like structure is very much worthy of your Instagram. The building will leave you and your followers in awe with its massive size and old-fashioned look. So, why not get some nice shots while you are passing by?
9. Central Asian Plov Center
Plov is a famous dish in Central Asian countries. It is made of rice, raisins, carrot, spices, and meat fried together in lamb fat and served with pickled vegetables, fresh bread, and lemon tea. For a price as low as $2.5, you can get a big bowl of delicious steaming plov. But the beauty of plov is in how it is made. Every day, plov is made in large pots that can feed about a hundred people easily.
The Central Asian Plov Center is one of the best places for plov all across Uzbekistan. So, when you travel to Tashkent, you really don’t want to miss this place. If you come here before noon, you’ll get a chance to experience how they make this food. Don’t forget to take a shot of the cooks with large ladles stirring the rice.
10. Minor Mosque
Despite being a relatively new addition to Uzbekistan, the Minor Mosque is one of the most incredible places to visit in Tashkent. So, don’t miss out on this. This mosque is completely made of snow-white tiles. So, the locals call this mosque the ‘snow-white mosque.’ The Minor Mosque is right next to a canal and looks gorgeous in the evening when it catches the golden sunlight. Visit this place in the evening, and you'll get the awesome chance to capture this dazzling beauty for your Instagram.
11. Broadway Alley
Broadway Alley is a street combining Amir Timur Square and Independence Square. It is famous among locals and is an incredible place to visit at night. This place has several souvenir shops, carnivals, and food stalls as well. At night, this place is all lighted up, making it a lovely spot to take a walk. Here you can take some shots of the beautiful lights and the people walking about.
12. Tashkent Metro Stations
Tashkent metro stations are some of the best Instagrammable places to visit in Tashkent. After an earthquake destroyed half the city in 1966, Uzbekistan started building beautiful metro stations. You'll be in awe of the beauty of each metro station. The specialty is that every station is unique and has an artistic value of its own.
You can spend a whole day just walking around these stations and never get tired. And it’s cheap to ride the metro. So, that’s an extra advantage. Visiting air-conditioned metro stations will be a nice thing to do in summer when there is scorching heat outside.
Walk around and discover artistic excellence at each station. Don’t forget to snap some pics for your Instagram as well. There are so many stations, and it might get hard to find the best ones among these. To help your quest, I compiled a list of the top 5 photogenic metro stations to visit when you travel to Tashkent.
- Beruniy station
- Tinchlik station
- Gafur Gulom station
- Alisher Navoi station
- Kosmonavtlar
If you have time, check out all the stations. It will only take a few hours to visit all of them. And you’ll how incredibly gorgeous each station is.
Final words
Tashkent is generally overlooked by many visitors when they visit Uzbekistan. Now that you know where is Tashkent and the best places to visit for some awesome Instagram worthy shots, we hope you won't make the same mistake. So, if Tashkent is not your priority stop when you travel to Uzbekistan, swap up your travel plan. Tashkent is not a place to be missed.
