Arrival in Tashkent & A Metro Geek Out

Already I’m enjoying Uzbek culture… and we hadn’t even taken off yet.

While waiting to board our flight, the queue slowly turned into something that felt more like a large group of friends than a line of strangers. People were chatting, joking and helping each other with bags, even including two rather obvious foreigners 😂

At one point a passenger was caught out with overweight luggage and rather than grumbling, people started standing up for them and trying to help sort it out.

Once on board it felt like being at a large family gathering. People swapped seats, checked on older passengers, chatted across the aisles with friends and neighbours… and very few people were glued to their mobile phones.

A lovely first glimpse of the culture.

> Arrival in Tashkent

We arrived in a rather chilly Tashkent just before 1am.

Passport control was surprisingly quick and the officers even smiled and chatted politely - quite a contrast to our previous airport experience.

From there we took a short car ride through the quiet night streets to our hotel, where we were warmly welcomed and shown around our apartment.

After a quick shower… I passed out.

> Metro Adventures (time to get my geek on 😂)

A few hours later I woke up ready for the next adventure.

Today’s mission: explore the Tashkent Metro.

Although the metro system isn’t huge, it is seriously impressive. Covering around 70km, it currently has four lines and about 50 stations.

After a devastating earthquake in 1966, construction of the metro began in 1972. The first line opened in 1977 and the system was engineered to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 9.

Even more intriguingly, until 2018 photography in the stations was forbidden. The metro had been classified as a top-secret nuclear shelter system for the population 😳

With influences from Uzbekistan’s layered history, the stations are like underground art galleries. Created by local artists, the designs include glass, ceramic, marble, metal and alabaster… each station with its own unique theme and style.

Some of the highlights we visited today:
• Oybek Station – named after writer Muso Toshmuhammad oʻgʻli
• Kosmonavtlar Station – space themed… no prizes for guessing that one 🚀😂
• Alisher Navoiy Station – honouring the famous 15th-century poet
• Paxtakor Station – celebrating Uzbekistan’s cotton agriculture
• Mustaqillik Maydoni Station – once called Lenin Square, renamed after independence in 1991
• Amir Temur Xiyoboni Station – apparently on its third name now 😂
• Yunus Rajabiy Station – named after the Soviet-Uzbek composer
• Bodomzor Station – no official theme… but it gave me slightly futuristic vibes 🤔

> Above Ground Breaks

Don’t worry… we did occasionally come back up to the surface 😂

At one point we surfaced near a shopping mall filled with high-end international brands. Naturally we stopped for a much needed coffee and cake break to refuel.

We also visited Independence Square, one of the most important public spaces in the city.

Here stands the impressive Ezgulik Arch, stretching 150 metres wide with 16 marble columns topped by three soaring storks.

Behind it lies a long avenue of trees leading to the Monument of Independence and Humanism.

Nearby is the Memorial to the Fallen Soldiers, where an Eternal Flame burns beside the statue of a grieving mother.

On either side are carved wooden galleries containing enormous books made of metal sheets… listing the names of the 400,000 Uzbek soldiers who died during World War II.

A powerful and quiet place to pause and reflect on the lives lost in war.

😌

A fascinating first day exploring this city… from underground metro palaces to peaceful memorials above ground.

And tomorrow… more adventures in Uzbekistan 🇺🇿Read more