Fifteen Interesting Facts about Uzbekistan (by an Expat)

Are you considering visiting or relocating to Uzbekistan? If so, it’s a good idea to learn some basic facts about this country. In this post, I’ve compiled a list of 15 most interesting facts about Uzbekistan which I learned while living here.

I relocated to Tashkent, Uzbekistan from the US back in 2023 due to my work. It took me sometime to adjust and explore the country and the local culture. Before moving here, I had very limited knowledge of Central Asia in general and Uzbekistan in particular. The more I learn, the more I like Uzbekistan and everything about it.

If you are not familiar with this part of the world, below are the most interesting facts about Uzbekistan which will for sure impress you.

1. The famous Silk Road passed through Uzbekistan.

The renowned Silk Road passed through Uzbekistan; several of its cities played an important role in the world economy. The length of this road was incredible 6,400 km. It connected Asia and Europe for some 1,500 years.

Along the Silk Road, caravans of traders carried silk, spices, gems and other items sought after in Europe. This way was full of danger. Travelers faced a lot of threats, including bandits and thieves, diseases which easily spread through close quarters and shared accommodations, avalanches, lack of water and even earthquakes. Navigating the road was also not easy due to lack of modern tools at that time. Travelers needed to rely on certain landmarks and experience of local guides. Despite the obvious dangers, people did not give up and traveled along this way for centuries.

Everything comes to an end at some point. After maritime travel took off, the importance of Silk Road gradually declined. However, its amazing history will live on forever.

Some of the Uzbek cities on the Silk Road included Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Tashkent, Termez (currently, they are Uzbekistan’s top tourist sites). They were centers not only of trade, but also culture at that time. Thanks to this incredible heritage, Uzbekistan boasts a lot of important historical artifacts.

When visiting these historical cities, modern tourists can get a glimpse of the way life used to be when Silk Road was in existence. The beauty of madrasas, mosques, and fortresses will not leave anybody indifferent. Connection to the Silk Road is definitely one of the most interesting facts about Uzbekistan.

2. Uzbekistan secured 13th place at the Paris summer Olympics.

People in Uzbekistan are very interested in sports. 2024 was an astonishing year for Uzbek athletes. The country sent its largest delegation ever to the Olympic games, made a debut in several sports, and achieved excellent results.

The Olympic team of Uzbekistan won record 8 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals, which allowed them to secure the 13th place at the Paris Olympics. All of the countries ahead of Uzbekistan are large and wealthy economies, like the US, China, Japan, Australia and others, which makes Uzbekistan’s 13th place even more valuable.

Some of the sports in which Uzbek athletes excelled included wrestling, boxing, and judo. Importantly, Diyora Keldiyorova became the first Uzbek woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal. She won her gold medal in the women’s 52 kg judo event.

3. Plov is a world famous Uzbek dish included in the UNESCO list of masterpieces.

Plov is a traditional Uzbek dish. Some of the main ingredients include rice, carrots, onions, spices and meat (usually beef or lamb). Often, you will also find chickpeas and raisins in your plov (some of my favorite ingredients). On top, they will usually put one or two quail eggs. If you come to Uzbekistan, you have to make sure to try plov at least once – and preferably several times.

In the world, there about 100 types of plov, but Uzbek plov is very unique. Every region of Uzbekistan can brag about their own recipe of a delicious plov.

There are different kinds of plov. Throughout Uzbekistan, you will find “plov houses” where the main dish they serve is plov. In some of these places, there would be thousands of people eating daily, both tourists and locals.

I was familiar with plov before moving to Uzbekistan, but I had no idea that this dish was included in the UNESCO list of masterpieces. I’m positive that it needs to be included among the most interesting facts about Uzbekistan.

4. Uzbekistan’s population is very young.

Uzbekistan has a young population with the vast majority under the age of 30. The social norm is for people to get married quite young (in the 20’s) and have kids. Most likely several. Many families have 3 or 4 kids or even more.

The famous Uzbek proverb says that the house with kids is a bazaar (mess), but the house without kids is a cemetery. This perfectly reflects local attitude towards kids.

Throughout Tashkent, there are a lot of amusement parks and playgrounds for kids. The biggest amusement park in Tashkent (Magic City), Tashkent Zoo and Luna Park at Riviera Mall are some of the places where local families love spending their afternoons.

Examples of Uzbeks’ tender attitude to kids can be found as far back as the World War II. Back then, the local blacksmith Shaahmed Shamakhmudov together with his wife raised 13 orphans who were evacuated to Uzbekistan from the war zone. After the war, they adopted 3 more kids. Similar heroism was witnessed all over Uzbekistan. All together, about 300,000 children were evacuated to this country, and many of them survived only thanks to the welcoming local culture. The square of the Friendship of Nations in Uzbekistan features a memorial dedicated to Mr. Shamakhmudov.

I had heard about Mr. Shamakhmudov in the past, but did not know he was Uzbek. For me, this is one of the most interesting facts about Uzbekistan.

5. Uzbekistan is double landlocked

Uzbekistan is one of the few countries in the world which are double landlocked (meaning that neither it, nor the countries surrounding it have a connection to the sea or ocean). There are many singly landlocked countries, which share a border with at least one country which connects to the sea. But being double landlocked is very rare. In fact, there are only two such countries: Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein.

There are many obstacles which double landlocked countries face, including with transporting goods and receiving tourists. Water shortage can also be an issue, although all countries have access to at least rivers and lakes situated on their territory.

6. Uzbekistan is a large producer of delicious fruits and vegetables

After moving to Uzbekistan, I quickly discovered that fruits and vegetables are absolutely delicious here. Also, there are many varieties. You can buy them at a local supermarket, but I highly recommend going to the local market. You will have a great selection of seasonal produce there and can choose what looks the best.

Summer and early fall are the best times to buy fruit in Uzbekistan. This is when you have a lot of types of fruit, and they are also very cheap. You can buy a large melon for $2 and a kg of grapes will cost you $2-3. Some of the best fruits you can try include peaches, apricots, strawberries, grapes (many kinds), figs (blue and white), melons, water melons, plums, pomegranates, and others. As we go into October-November, prices start gradually increasing and variety goes down.

I’ve tried all different kinds of fruit which people sell here in Uzbekistan. My general impression is that fruit are better as we get a bit away from Tashkent (as this is where it’s grown). One time, we were driving back to Tashkent from the mountains and stopped to buy some strawberries a lady was selling on the side of the road. One bucket cost about $4. These were by far the best strawberries I tasted in my life (and I eat strawberries all the time everywhere I go).

7. People in Uzbekistan spend a lot of time on social media.

The most widely used platform is Telegram. Before moving to Tashkent, I had heard about it, but never used this app. Well, after moving here, I quickly discovered that I absolutely needed to download it on my phone. Not only is it used for personal communication with everyone here (friends, nannies, teachers, etc.), but also for business communication. Many people will send you work documents not by email but by Telegram.

If you are going to Tashkent, make sure to download this app! You will need it at one point or the other.

8. Having a car is very important for social status in Uzbekistan

Tashkent is not the place where you will see people commuting to work by bike like in the US. You won’t see an executive (or anyone holding an important position for that matter) riding his bike to work, just because it’s nice weather and he or she wants to exercise. Pretty much the only people riding bikes here are kids and delivery boys, bringing pizza or some other type of food to their customers. Most of the people own Chevrolet, BYD or Kia cars.

Metro is also not considered an acceptable means of transportation for people who are middle-class or higher. Most of the people who take metro are students, tourists, and retirees. After living for many years in Kyiv, Ukraine and Washington, DC, I’m very used to riding metro. I find the Tashkent metro delightful and beautiful and ride it frequently. But locals are much less excited about it.

Given this focus on cars, there is a lot of congestion on the roads. Tashkent traffic jams can be brutal, especially during the morning commute, or when there are road closures. Road closures happen from time to time when some important person (e.g., head of state) visits Tashkent, or when there is some important summit. One time, due to road closures, it took me 5 hours to get my daughter to school!

I personally find this attitude to cars quite unique. For me, this is one of the most interesting facts about Uzbekistan.

9. Uzbekistan offers a great variety of attractions to see.

From the bustling streets of Tashkent to the ancient cities of Khiva, Samarkand and Bukhara, to the gorgeous mountain landscapes of the Zaamin National Park, this country something for every taste.

If you come to Uzbekistan, make sure to spend time in Tashkent visiting its green parks, numerous landmarks, and excellent cafes and restaurants. Take a drive to a local farm like Rano Eco Village and spend a relaxing day there. I also suggest exploring Uzbekistan’s incredible history (Silk road heritage) and amazing nature. There are 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites for you to visit. If you enjoy being outdoors, check out the beautiful Zaamin or Chimgan mountains near Tashkent- I’m sure you will be duly impressed.

10. The greatest hero of Uzbekistan is Amir Timur (Tamerlane).

I’m sure you’ve heard about Tamerlane during your history class. I also did, but I had no idea he is from Uzbekistan.

This undefeated commander was born in 1336 in the modern day city of Shahrisabz, 50 miles south of Samarkand. The name Temur means “iron”. He is known for the establishment of the Timurid empire in the territories of the modern-day Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia.

Amir Temur was highly intelligent and spoke multiple languages. He devoted a lot of attention to developing strong military commanders, carefully selecting the right people for this role. He also ensured strict discipline in his army, where every soldier perfectly knew their place and duties.

In 1404, Temur began a campaign against Ming China, but died before reaching the Chinese border in 1405.

11. The country has implemented a lot of safety measures.

Uzbekistan is ideal for traveling solo or with young kids.

In Uzbekistan, there are plenty of policemen around wherever you go. You can walk around at night without worrying about a thing. In many public places, police closely monitors visitors.

Whenever you enter the metro, you will be greeted by a policeman who will check your bag. Policemen will also check your bags when you enter churches, malls and other places where a lot of people gather.

This is definitely one of the most interesting facts about Uzbekistan, and you will need to visit in order to see if for yourself.

12. Uzbekistan is located in the area with a high seismic risk.

A large share of Uzbekistan’s population lives in the areas with a high seismic risks. Earthquakes happen from time to time in different parts of the country.

On April 26, 1966, the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, suffered a terrible earthquake of 9.0 magnitude. Within the first minute, most of Tashkent was destroyed. 300,000 residents instantly became homeless. People from the whole USSR had to come and help rebuild the city. It looks wonderful today, but a lot of history was gone during that terrible event. There are still some pockets of history remaining, notably in the old city, but you’d need to travel outside of Tashkent to get better acquainted with Uzbekistan’s history.

If you go on a tour of Tashkent, you will be able to see a famous monumental complex “Courage”. It is dedicated to the people who helped to protect others during the earthquake and later helped to rebuild the city.

13. People in Uzbekistan celebrate some interesting holidays.

The population in Uzbekistan is majority Muslim, so Christmas is not widely celebrated, but New Year is a very important holiday. People give each other presents for New Year and go to family and corporate parties.

Another big holiday is Eid. People take off for several days, or even a week, to celebrate together with their family. International Women’s Day (March 8th) is a public holiday and also widely celebrated. Women get flowers and chocolates from both their friends, relatives and co-workers.

There is also Teacher’s Day celebrated in the fall. It’s also a public holiday and everyone brings flowers and gifts to their teachers.

14. Uzbekistan is very hot in the summer.

If you are interested in visiting Uzbekistan and want to explore their historical sites, try to avoid doing so in July and August. These are by far the worst months to come as temperatures go up above 40C, sometimes they can hit 45C or something crazy like that. In addition, it’s sunny all day and sun means even hotter. Uzbekistan does have dry heat, which makes it a little easier to bear, but still, it’s very, very hot. If you want to visit Bukhara, definitely avoid those two months as it’s as hot as in the oven there.

That said, there are still some places in Uzbekistan which you could visit in the summer months without getting burnt to a crisp. They have some incredible mountains where temperatures are much cooler.

Check out my post about Zaamin – also called Uzbekistan’s Switzerland- which is a perfect place for hiking, enjoying nature, eating great food and just relaxing.

15. Russian language is widely spoken in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan used to be one of the republics of Soviet Union, hence Russian language took strong roots in this country. During the times of Soviet Union, people in all of the republics needed to study and speak Russian. While Uzbekistan has been independent since 1991, it does not seem to give up on Russian language. Especially in Tashkent, Russian is widely spoken. Older people remember it from Soviet times. Younger people also have an incentive to learn Russian as many of them go to study or work in Russia. In addition, foreign movies are translated into Russian (not Uzbek). If you want to go to a movie theater here in Tashkent to see a new American movie, you’d better know Russian, as this is the language you will be watching it in.

The Final Word

As you can see, Uzbekistan is a very unique country. Hence, it was not difficult for me to come up with 15 interesting facts about Uzbekistan. In fact, I have many more facts which did not make the list. For example, Uzbekistan has undergone a lot of transformation in the last decade. I remember visiting this country for the first time back in 2011. It had hardly any decent hotels back then and very few modern buildings. Today, it’s a very modern city with lots of international hotels, modern residential complexes, world class amusement parks, high class restaurants, and much more.

I hope you will get a chance to explore Uzbekistan some day and witness all of these amazing things for yourself.