40 Incredible Photos Of Uzbekistan That Will Blow Your Mind

Uzbekistan Photography
This is the Registan at sunset. Nothing beats it!

In 2015 we travelled across Central Asia, spending four months exploring the ‘Stans – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

From the Pamir Mountains to the Karakum Desert and everywhere in between, the thing that blew us away the most was getting lost along the historic Silk Road.

Each country is uniquely different, and it is a tough call comparing one with the other. But in terms of awe-inspiring history and phenomenal architecture, only one nation stands out – Uzbekistan.

Sure, we could write a 5000-word article on why it was so mesmerising. Or we could just put together 40 of our favourite photos to convince you to go yourself. We went with the latter option.

So here you go – 40 incredible photos of Uzbekistan that will blow your mind!

READ MORE: Click here to read our epic travelling in Uzebkistan guide!

Samarkand Uzbekistan Photography
Turn a corner in Samarkand and this is what you see.
Silk Photos Of Uzbekistan
If you want traditional silk clothes you’ve come to the right place – this lady extracts it from silkworms the traditional way!
Kyzylkum Desert Uzbekistan Photography
You can camp in yurts out in the middle of the Kyzylkum Desert. Bucket list anyone?
Golden Statue Uzbekistan Photography
Talk about ostentatious! A golden statue with a globe on top, where the only country illustrated is Uzbekistan.
Gold Script Uzbekistan Photography
Beautiful gold scripts inside Amir Timur’s Mausoleum. Each panel tells a story.
Bukhara Uzbekistan Photography
Bukhara, anyone?
Blue Tiles Uzbekistan Photography
Those blue tiled mosaics are exquisite!
Bibi-Khanym Mosqueuzbekistan Photography
The 600-year-old Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand…So pretty…

READ MORE: Check out our Samarkand attractions guide here!


Fire Concert Uzbekistan Photography
Head into the desert, make a fire and be serenaded with traditional Uzbek music from a local nomad.
Gur Emir Uzbekistan Photography
Gur Emir – the mausoleum of the conqueror Amir Timur by day.
Gur Emir Night Uzbekistan Photography
And again at night. Wow!
Kukeldash Mosque Tashkent Uzbekistan Photography
Even the capital has incredible sights – This is the Kukeldash Mosque in Tashkent.

READ MORE: Don’t miss these awesome Tashkent attractions!


Chorsu Bazaar Uzbekistan Photography
If you’re feeling hungry stop by the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent for a dazzling selection of spices and food!
Kamchik Pass Qurama Mountains Fergana Valley Uzbekistan Photography
The country isn’t just desert and Silk Road architecture! This is crossing the Kamchik Pass in Eastern Uzbekistan. The view down the Qurama Mountains in the Fergana Valley is, in a word, epic! It’s also considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
Bukhara Scissors Uzbekistan Photography
This guy in Bukhara makes some of the sharpest scissors in the world, by hand!
Tiles Uzbekistan Photography
You could stare at those tiles for days…
Necropolis Samarkand Uzbekistan Photography
Walking through the Necropolis in Samarkand is like being transported back in time.
Shaki Zinda Complex Uzbekistan Photography
The Shakhi Zinda complex is known as “Cemetery Street” due to the huge number of royals buried in the surrounding tombs.
Uzbek Cash Uzbekistan Photography
The black market in Uzbekistan is crippling the local economy, but this makes it a surprisingly affordable place to travel as a tourist. You can get double the value for your US dollar then the official market rate by going to the streets. This wad of cash? US$100…
Kalta Minor Uzbekistan Photography
Kalta Minor in Khiva was destined to become the highest minaret in Central Asia, until the leader Muhammad-Amin-khan died in battle and construction was put on hold. It’s still mind blowing though!
Young Girl Uzbekistan Photography
The young kids in traditional dress are just adorable!
Kids Uzbekistan Photography
And they love getting photos with tourists!
Khiva Men Uzbekistan Photography
Elderly men chilling by a 600-year-old wall in Khiva. Because why not?
Samarkand Uzbekistan Photography
The buildings are massive! Really massive!
Handmade Carpet Uzbekistan Photography
If you’re looking to get a beautiful handmade carpet at an affordable price it is hard to beat Uzbekistan. Many carpets can have 2, 3 or even more people working on them at once and can take up to a year to make.
Registan Day Uzbekistan Photography
The Registan by day…
Registan Night Uzbekistan Photography
The Registan at night. Delicious!
Bukhara Lady Praying Uzbekistan Photography
96% of the Uzbek population are Muslim. Here we found a lady praying in one of the mosques in Bukhara.
Samarkand Madrassa Uzbekistan Photography
The golden interior of Amir Timur’s Mausoleum in Samarkand.
Samarkand Uzbekistan Photography
Everywhere you look – magnificence!
Bukhara Ceramics Uzbekistan Photography
Uzbekistan is known for its amazing arts and crafts that have been developed on the Silk Road over the centuries. Here a man makes ceramics by hand outside of Bukhara.
Silk Man Uzbekistan Photography
If you want silk, this is the place to go…
Kukeldash Madrassa Uzbekistan Photography
Kukeldash Madrassa in Tashkent – a centre of Muslim education.
Registan Uzbekistan Photography
Ahh the Registan again. Because you can never get enough of it.
Bukhara Minaret Uzbekistan Photography
A man walks around the base of a minaret in Bukhara.
Chorsu Bazaar Uzbekistan Photography
Food for sale at the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent. So many flavours!
Samarkand Uzbekistan Photography
Just your standard views in Samarkand.
Khiva Madrassa Uzbekistan Photography
A lady walks through the grounds of a madrassa in Khiva.
Samarkand Uzbekistan Photography
Yep, Uzbekistan is pretty mind blowing!

We wandered through Uzbekistan in partnership with Dragoman. All photos are our own.

55 thoughts on “40 Incredible Photos Of Uzbekistan That Will Blow Your Mind”

  1. I am planing to go by this month. am looking for the natural beauty rather than man made (mountain,landscape). So can you please suggest some of them . And what to eat over there, the one that we should no miss off

    • That is so exciting you are travelling to Uzbekistan. It is a beautiful country. As for nature we really haven’t explored that side of Uzbekistan. We went there for the buildings and history. Their lagman dish and their mantys are yummy. If you can find pumpkin mantys are so delicious but hard to find. A popular dish is plov but it can be oily sometimes. If you are unsure Shashlyk (meat skewer) and salad is always a winner. Have a great time.

  2. Hi! I came to your blog planning my trip to Uzbekistan. In which month did you travel there? What was the weather like?

    • Hi Karolina, Uzbekistan is a great country. I would avoid the winter months but other than that anytime is fine. We have travelled there in August, September and October. Weather was hot in August. In October I would bring a jacket as it gets cold. Have a great trip.

  3. I WANNA GO I WANNA GOOOOOO! It’s like the colours of the buildings were used specifically for deep blue skies.
    Would you advocate funding the ‘black market’ as a traveller, or did you feel guilty at all when spending money that way? Not sure which side of the fence I’d be on

    • Hope you get there one day George. About the black market, no we didn’t feel guilty. The locals do it so that was all that was shown to us. Happy travels

  4. Wow, this beautiful blog post brought back great childhood memories. My family and I lived in Tashkent for 5 years from 1993 – 1998 and went to the Chorsu bazaar so many times. It was our weekend shopping location. We also went to Samarkand, Bukkhara and Khiva. Thank you for capturing these places in a glorious light. I miss my years in Uzbekistan so much and am very glad that you had an amazing time in a country I love. I am currently in China and loving every year here. Can’t wait to hear about your future travels.

    Blessings,

    Kathy

    • Thank you for your comment Kathy. Glad it bough back nice memories for you. We loved exploring Uzbekistan.

  5. Great photos of Uzbekistan!) Some of them are just awesome!

    • Thank you so much

  6. I hope you guys enjoyed your visit to Uzbekistan! Those places are really popular by their historic views. But I really want to recommed you guys to check out the country’s southern parts, Shakhrisabz, Kitob, Sariasiya, Boysun and Termez where you can see the natural beauty of the country as well as historical sights. These southern regions have both deserts, mountains which are the highest one in the country and very beautiful natural view in places like Sariasiya and Boysun.

    Good luck!

    • Thank you so much for your tips. We would love to return one day so other places are amazing. We really loved travelling this country. 🙂

  7. Hi, Alesha and Jarred,

    I am touched by how gracefully beautiful your presentation of my country is – thank you, indeed!

    The pictures are simply awesome! Even for a person like me, who is originally from Uzbekistan, your photographs, with kind of interactive and fun filled titles, are full of a new expression. It is amazing how powerful images can be, along with a well written text.

    Thank you for writing about us, as kind and easy to communicate people , as well the yammy cuisine we offer our guests. It’s, rightly mentioned by you, above, that our dishes can be cooked in many different ways. The most important feature is, we are still blessed with fruit and veggies, meat and poultry that are naturally grown and come from natural livestock.

    Next time try to visit Uzbekistan some time between the end of August and the end of October. It is the season of auotmn/fall season, the season of harvest : grapes of 6-10 types , apples, apricots ( also a variety of apricots), figs.

    I am sure you had a taste of our dry fruit and nuts: walnuts, pistachio, almonds and some other nuts. These are delicacies that are served first before the main meal is served.

    Did you know that in Samarkand there is an oldest wine making plant, where a well known in our country beer, Samarkandskoe pivo is produce.
    According to travel-asia.com, viticulture and wine-making has been a well-developed brunch of industry in Uzbekistan since ancient times. The long warm season and the large amount of sun are favorable conditions for growing 37 varieties of grapes. The Republic of Uzbekistan is an exporter of excellent wines, some of which are produced at the Khovrenko factory in Samarkand (former factory of D. M. Filatov, whose new variety of grapes named ‘Biishty’ was awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Wines and Brandies in Paris in 1883). The factory features a wine-sampling room for sampling the wines produced at the factory. Local wines have original rough taste and aroma. Several brands of cognac are produced there too.

    And, you are so right saying that we are still an affordable country to visit.

    We are secular, and very open to all people. Our population is multi-ethnic .
    And, yes, we feel proud that we are a diverse and very peaceful country on the globe.

    Thank you again for your fascinating pictures and beautiful presentation of our country.

    Cheers,

    Nadira Shah

    • Thank you for your kind words and tips. Thank you for sharing all this information. We appreciate it and I am sure our fellow travellers do also. We can not wait to return to Uzbekistan one day. We will definitely look at the months between August and October. Happy travels

  8. Wow these photos really are amazing and definitely make me want to visit. I’m going to add Uzbekistan to my list!

    • Thank you so much. Definitely add Uzbekistan to your travel list. 🙂

  9. Beautifully taken photos! Can I use you photos in my project, I would like to ask your permission to use them

    • Hi Farrukh, please email us for our photography licensing rates.

  10. Day 2 home from Uzbekistan after a 10 day tour. At 70 I would advise anyone to experience this magical country. (Lots of stairs) The people are friendly and gentle, the food is delicious, accommodation comfortable. Yes the weather was hot, hey but if that’s your only problem, you’re laughing.
    Your beautiful photos mirror the sights magnificently. At every turn you will gasp with astonishment. I needed to pinch myself at times!
    Where am I? Aah yes it’s O’zbekiston.
    We travelled with Salom Travel. Our guide, Azat Fazilov was amazing, opening up this wonderful place to us with such knowledge, understanding and pride.
    Thanks for your wonderful photos, I hope mine turn out half as well.
    Marg

    • Hi Marg, thank you for telling us about your travel experience there. It sounds like you had a blast. It is definitely a stunning country. You are so right about the people, we found them so welcoming and friendly also. We loved the food too. Thank you for reading and for your comment. Happy travels

  11. Went back in May 2012. Absolutely splendid. I would be more than happy to visit Uzbekistan again!

    • So awesome you returned. It is an amazing place. We were just saying yesterday we’d love to return one day. 🙂 Happy travels Adam

  12. Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing the beauty and culture of Uzbekistan. It is now high on my list of places to visit!

    • Thanks Marissa! Hope you get there one day soon 🙂

  13. Beatiful shots guys! Well done Thank you!

    • Thank you so much 🙂

  14. I have to agree with all of the above. It looks like a tour through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC that I once went to. Closest I ever got to those tiles! But I am wondering about the Taliban there? Safety concerns? What precautions did you take to avoid being caught in conflict?

    • Hi Jillikens, there is no Taliban in Uzbekistan. As a tourist it is very, very safe. Hope you get there one day 🙂

      • Great pictures! I spent 14 years in and out of Uzbekistan and I’ve been to almost every place you photographed several times. The only times I ever felt unsafe or threatened were when I had to interact with the police. The Uzbeks are the most gracious, polite, and accommodating people I’ve ever been around, but the police are brutal and totally corrupt.

        • Really?!
          I am so sorry , that you have had such an unpleasant encounter with our police though, frankly speaking, the police is usually extremely polite while approaching. I am surprised also as my expatriate friends have never had any sort of that experience iin Uzbekistan

          Hope it hasn’t tarnish our image as a country and happy travels!

  15. Hi Alesha and Jarryd, thank you so much that you shared your ideas with the world about Uzbekistan, that is really appreciated by us. As well all pics are really amazing.
    Welcome to a beautiful, beautiful and beautiful Uzbekistan!!!

    Best regards,
    Bunyad Sadaddinov.

    • Thank you so much. We loved your country. We hope to return one day. 🙂

  16. I’d love to visit Samarkand on a tour of former Soviet republics.

    • We hope you get there one day Billy. You will love it. If you are looking for a great tour company for all ages do check out Dragoman. Their local guides were very informative about their history. You will learn so much. All the best Billy.

  17. Thanks for sharing this very interesting travel blog!

    • Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed it.

  18. Epic photos! We are planning on visiting Uzbekistan in the next couple of years and these photos have definitely cemented our decision 😀 Thanks for sharing.

    • Thanks so much Lucy. You will love it. It is an incredible country with so much history. You will learn so much. The mausoleums are so beautiful and grand, you can stare at them for ages. We are so happy you guys are travelling that area. Do check out Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also. Happy travels.

  19. Those pictures are FREAKING amazing! Love them and thanks for sharing!

    • Thank you so much Jazzy. We appreciate it. It was an incredible country.

  20. Hi Alesha and Jarryd, your Instagrams of Uzbekistan are truly amazing and make me want to go to Uzbekistan right away. Fortunately I don’t need to wait to long for my own trip because I am flying to Tashkent on the 17th July. Besides the Uzbek capital I will be visiting Samarkhand, Bukhara, Khiva and a place called Aydar Kŭl where I will spend one night in a yurt camp. Thank you so much for sharing your photos and for the inspiration.

    • Your welcome. Thank you for your kind words. We hope you had a blast. Happy travels

  21. Those are unbelievably beautiful pictures of Uzbekistan. The architecture is stunning!

    • Thanks Mary! Hope you guys can get out there one day 🙂

  22. Love these shots! Such an interesting country 🙂

    • Thanks very much! Yea Uzbekistan is very interesting 🙂

  23. Such breathtaking photos..! It reminds me of Iran a bit. Well, you totally put Uzbekistan on my bucket list now

    • Thank you so much Veronika. We would love to get to Iran one day. Hope you get to Uzbekistan one day. It was great meeting you in Prague. Happy travels.

  24. Brilliant shots. Thank you!!!

    • Thank you so much Andy. Appreciate it mate.

  25. What a beautiful, beautiful country – and beautifully taken pictures! That part of the world is so foreign and distant to so many of us – thanks for bringing it that little bit closer! I can’t wait to visit one day. On a more important note, what’s their cuisine like?

    • Thank you so much Tina. It definitely is a stunning country. We highly recommend traveling there. If you don’t want to do it on your own, jump on a tour. There are many that travel through that part of the world. We recommend Dragoman. It is ver safe and the people are so lovely and welcoming. Their food was divine if you are not a fussy eater. We loved Lagman which is a handmade noodle dish with meat and a little bit of veggies. It can be made a lot of different ways. There is a lot of meat skewers to choose from and they cook them perfectly. They go well with a beautiful simple salad. We hope you get there one day. You will love it. Happy travels.

  26. After visiting Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan last year Uzbekistan is the next country in Central Asia I’m hoping to go to and I really want to make it happen soon! It looks just unbelievably stunning!

    • How wonderful are Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan?! We loved both countries. Kyrgyzstan blew us away with it’s mountains and stunning landscape. Uzbekistan blew us away by it’s stunning mausoleums. You will love it. Hope you get there soon. Happy travels Kami.

    • Hi Kami, we’d be pleased to see you in Uzbekistan! If you like we would arrange you a nice trip to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
      Best regards,
      Bunyad.

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