This amazing country seems to have stepped off the pages of oriental fairy tales: endless deserts and cloud mountains, ancient cities and fortresses, mosaic facades and blue domes of mosques and madrasahs, delicious food, hospitable people – all this is Uzbekistan. Still in doubt? Then here are some more facts about Uzbekistan and its people and language.

1. Uzbekistan has 300 days of sunshine a year, and in summer the thermometer rises above +40 °C. Therefore, it is better to come here in spring, when peaches and almonds blossom, or in early fall, when the famous Mirzachul melons ripen.
2. One fifth of the country’s territory is occupied by mountains. Only 100 kilometers from Tashkent the sky is backed by snow-capped peaks of the Western Tien Shan, and the highest point is the peak of the Hissar range Khazret-Sultan, rising above the ground at 4643 meters near the border with Tajikistan.

3. The most popular tourist sites in Uzbekistan are the cities of the Great Silk Road: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. 2750-year-old Samarkand is the same age as Rome and one of the oldest cities in the world. The capital of Uzbekistan is also older than 2 thousand years: Tashkent was founded in the times of Zoroastrianism.
4. After the conquest of Tashkent by the Russian Empire, the city was built according to the plans of military topographers, taking as a basis first the avenues and lines of Vasilyevsky Island, and then the Moscow radial layout. That is why, unlike other Asian capitals, there are many wide straight streets and the three-million-strong metropolis does not stand in traffic jams.
5. Tashkent subway is the first in Central Asia and one of the most beautiful in the world: the stations are lined with marble or granite, decorated with colored mosaics and elegant lamps. Thanks to an elaborate ventilation system, the subway is cool even in extreme heat.
6. Uzbekistan has one of the largest gold deposits on the planet – Muruntau mine in the Kyzylkum desert. And the white gold here is called cotton: the country is one of the five world producers of fiber and exports 75% of its raw materials.
7. The pinnacle of Uzbek cooking is plov, which is included in the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. There are hundreds of recipes for this iconic dish in Uzbekistan, the Central Asian Plov Center works in Tashkent, and supermarkets sell canned plov, which you can take away with you as a souvenir.
8. In 2017, Uzbekistan Airways won first place among CIS air carriers in the category “Best Onboard Catering”. Even in economy class passengers are offered pilaf, manty, samsa and red wine.
9. Incredibly sweet and fragrant Mirzachul melons are considered the most delicious in the world: they grow without abundant irrigation under the generous Uzbek sun. For the same reason, all fruits from Uzbekistan are rich in natural sugars.
10. One of the main Uzbek holidays is Navruz, symbolizing renewal. It has been celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox since time immemorial, and for 40 days afterwards women prepare “sumalyak” – a festive dish of sprouted wheat grains.
11. The people of Uzbekistan are very hospitable: even a stranger they are ready to invite to their house and give them tea, so there are always nuts and oriental sweets on the table. A dear guest is poured only half a cup of tea so that he would ask for more as often as possible and would not be in a hurry to leave.
12. Uzbeks are born diplomats: they avoid conflicts in every possible way, do not like to refuse directly, and practically respond to any request by agreeing to it – “hop maily”. At the same time, if it is impossible to solve the issue, they will offer even the most ridiculous options – just so that no one goes away offended.
13. Uzbeks are accustomed to live in a large community, and a typical social model is represented in an urban neighborhood – a mahalla, whose residents celebrate holidays and solve problems together. Makhallas have preserved the ancient custom of mutual assistance – khashar: neighbors jointly repair and build houses, maintain order and improve their neighborhood.
14. According to the UN, Uzbekistan is ahead of all CIS countries in terms of the level of happiness of its residents: in 2020, the republic ranked 38th out of 156 in the rating of happy countries in the world.