About Uzbekistan

Tashkent metro - beautiful and impressing
05 December 2017

They started to build the Tashkent metro in 1968 as part of the city renovation program after the earthquake. The first line of 9 stations opened in 1977 and the metro became only the sixth in the USSR (after Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Tbilisi, Baku, and Kharkiv), but it was the first until 2011 (when the Almaty Metro opened) in Central Asia. But the late start was compensated by rapid growth: by the length of its three lines Tashkent metro (36 km, 29 stations) is less only compared to Moscow, Petersburg, Kyiv, and Kharkiv. Today the Tashkent underground has the "red" Chilanzar line (1977, the last stations built in 1980), the "blue" Uzbekistan line (1984-1991), and the "green" Yunusabad line (2001). Currently, the metro lines are expanding with recently built ground lines, following the expansion of the capital. 

Typical entrance to Tashkent metro with the police officer to check bags. 'Gafur Gulom' station entrance

At the entrance of each station, there is a police officer (often under a special umbrella to protect from sun or rain) in a green uniform checking the bags as a security measure. For a single ride in Metro, you must purchase a paper with a QR code ticket office marked by the word ‘KASSA’ (2000 UZS, May 2024). After you enter the glass doors just before the old Soviet turnstiles there would be another police checkpoint with a metal detector and a special table, where they usually make a more thorough search of the bags. This is a standard procedure for all, officers are always very polite, apologize for nuisance, and wish a happy journey.

Taking photos once inside the Metro is no longer prohibited. Tourists may take pictures of the train stations.

Tashkent metro still has the same trains as in most of the former USSR, along with new trains. 

train in Tashkent metro

All announcements are done in Uzbek, but they are generally easy to understand from the context. The station is "bekati" in Uzbek, and when the train approaches the station the announcement is made about approaching station. When leaving the station they announce the name of the next station. Despite the use of Uzbek for signs and announcements, the system is easy to use, and well enough signposted that you hardly need a map. If you listen as the train doors are about to close, you’ll hear the name of the next station at the end of the announcement: ‘Ekhtiyot buling, eshiklar yopiladi; keyingi bekat…’ (‘Be careful, the doors are closing; the next station is…’). 

Inside the metro car

The main attraction of Tashkent metro is the architecture of the stations. They even have a legend that building the Tashkent metro was commissioned by two teams of metro builders from Moscow and Leningrad. As a result of their competition, they managed to design the Tashkent metro better than at home. Some consider the Tashkent metro is to be the most beautiful in the world, which is, of course, a disputable question. It is not up to the Stalinist classics of the Moscow metro, but it can be safely considered to be the most beautiful subway in Central Asia. The architecture of Tashkent stations is mostly amazing for its epoch of concrete boxes, it is pretentious and very oriental. The similarity of the metro architecture in Tashkent, Baku, Kazan, and Alma-Ata is clearly visible and one can easily draw parallel lines in their styles.

Chilonzor Line

1. Buyuk Ipak Yuli station

2. Pushkin station

3. Hamid Alimjan station

4. Amir Temur station

5. Mustakillik Maydoni station

6. Pahtakor station

7. Bunyodkor station

8. Milliy Bog station

9. Novza station

10. Mirzo Ulugbek station

11. Chilanzar station

12. Olmazor station

Uzbekistan Line

1. Beruni station

2. Tinchlik station

3. Chorsu station

4. Gafur Gulom station

5. Alisher Navoi station

6. Uzbekistan station

7. Kosmonavtov avenue station

8. Oybek station

9. Tashkent station

10. Mashinsozlar station

11. Dustlik station

Yunus Abad Line

1. Shahriston station

2. Bodomzor station

3. Minor station

4. Abdulla Kodiri station

5. Yunus Rajabi station

6. Ming Orik station

 

 

Courtesy to: mytashkent & varandej

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Did you know?

Uzbekistan is one of only two countries in the world to be ‘double landlocked’ (landlocked and totally surrounded by other landlocked countries). Liechtenstein is double landlocked by 2 countries whilst Uzbekistan is surrounded by 5!

Did you know that Uzbekistan lies in the very heart of Eurasia, the coordinates for Uzbekistan are 41.0000° N, 69.0000°

Uzbekistan is home to the Muruntan gold mine, one of the largest open pit gold mines in the world! The country has 4th largest reserves of gold in the world after South Africa, USA and Russia

Uzbekistan is the world capital of melons. They have in excess of 150 different varieties, which form a staple part of the local diet, served fresh in the summer and eaten dried through the winter.

It is Uzbek tradition that the most respected guest be seated farthest from the house’s entrance.

Tashkent’s metro features chandeliers, marble pillars and ceilings, granite, and engraved metal. It has been called one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.

The Uzbek master chef is able to cook in just one caldron enough plov to serve a thousand men.

When you are a host to someone, it is your duty to fill their cups with for the whole time they are with you.  What you must not do, however, is to fill their cup more than half-full.  If you do that as a mistake, say it is a mistake immediately.  Doing it means you want them to leave.  Wow!  Amazing, right?

To Uzbeks, respect means a whole lot.  For this reason they love it if, even as foreigners, you endeavour to add the respectful suffix opa after a woman's name; and aka after a man's.  Example: Linda-opa and David-aka.  You could also use hon and jon respectively.

Having been an historic crossroads for centuries as part of various ancient empires, Uzbekistan’s food is very eclectic. It has its roots in Iranian, Arab, Indian, Russian and Chinese cuisine.

Though identified with the Persia, the Zoroastrism probably originated in Bactria or Sogdiana. Many distinguished scholars share an opinion that Zoroastrianism had originated in the ancient Khorezm. Indeed, today in the world there were found 63 Zoroastrian monuments, including those in Iran, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thirty-eight of them are in Uzbekistan, whereas 17 of these monuments are located in Khorezm.

One of Islam's most sacred relics - the world's oldest Koran that was compiled in Medina by Othman, the third caliph or Muslim leader, is kept in Tashkent. It was completed in the year 651, only 19 years after Muhammad's death. 

Tashkent is the only megapolis in the world where public transport is totally comprised of Mercedes buses. And due to low urban air polution it is one of the few cities where one can still see the stars in the sky.

You would be surprised to know that modern TV was born in Tashkent. No joke! The picture of moving objects was transmitted by radio first time in the world in Tashkent on 26 of July 1928 by inventors B.P. Grabovsky and I.F. Belansky.

Uzbekistan is the only country in the world all of whose neighbours have their names ending in STAN. This is also the only country in Central Asia that borders all of the countries of this region

Uzbeks are the third populous Turkik ethnicity in the world after Turks and Azeris (leaving both in Azerbaijan and Iran)

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  • Singapore
  • Norway
  • Iceland
  • Finland
  • Uzbekistan
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