About Uzbekistan

Address: 3, Rashidov Avenue, Tashkent
Phone: (+99871) 239-17-79, 239-17-78, 239-10-83
Working hours: from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. (w/o lunch)
Closed: on Monday
Web site: http://www.history-museum.uz

The State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, previously known as the National Museum of Turkestan, was founded in 1876 and is one of the oldest museums of the Central Asia. It is located in Tashkent.

Formerly known as the Lenin Museum, the History Museum of Uzbekistan has since been renovated and more exhibits have been added. The museum fund lists over 250,000 exhibits, including over 60,000 archeological, over 80,000 numismatic and 16,000 ethnographical items reflecting Uzbek history from the pre-historic times up to the present.

The highlight of the museum is a very well preserved alabaster Buddha relief found from Fayaz Tepe in Termez. There are numerous fragmentary remains of Buddha heads and decorative motifs found from different sites around Termez. These depict Buddhist art of this region which shows remarkable improvement on the last periods of Gandharan Art undergoing changes with regional affinities.

There are also a collection of stone age implements from the cave culture of Uzbekistan. The Muslim section of the museum has a collection of calligraphy and regal edicts from the Tamerlane dynasty to the last emirs of Bukhara. There is a collection of ethnic art and costumes from different parts of Uzbekistan.

The collection covers the archaeology, history, numismatics, and ethnography of Uzbekistan.

There are 4 floors in the museum. The first floor hosts an exhibition gallery for modern exhibitions of various themes held periodically. The exhibits on the second floor tell the history of Uzbekistan from the ancient times up to the Timurid era. Here you can see first tools, mirrors, jewellery, household items extending back over 1,000 years, as well as exponents of mediaeval epoch in the Central Asia, an evidence of flourishing of science, poetry, trade at that time.

Museum numismatic collections are extremely valuable. They include money coined as far back as in 5th century BC to the 19th century. Coins of the Akhaemenids, Alexander the Great, Selevkids, Greek-Bactrian kings, Kushan, Khoresm, Sogd, Chach are presented in the collection. Besides there are coins of mediaeval dynasties: Takhirids, Samanids, Karakhanids, Chingizids, Genghis khan clan, Timurids, etc.

The third floor is occupied with exponents of the period of three khanates of Uzbekistan history when its territory was divided between three biggest feudal states: Khiva, Kokand and Bukhara emirate. On the 3rd floor English placards walk you through the Russian conquests of the khanates and emirates, and there are some foreboding newspaper clippings of revolts in Andijon being brutally suppressed by the Russians in 1915. On the 4th floor you’ll also find the normal ode to post-independence gas plants and first President Karimov.

There is a gift shop under the museum where one can buy items of Uzbek applied arts: embroidery, carpets, miniatures and ceramics.

The museum is not frequented by tourists, although is quite interesting. The exposition there is not very large, but it covers all the stages of the formation of the state of Uzbekistan - from the Neolithic to the present times.

Unfortunately, many of the exhibits in the museum are represented by copies, drawings, etc., the artifacts themselves have long since dispersed around the world. But the museum gives a good general idea of the history of Central Asia, so visit is recommended.

Bronze bracelets, II millennium BC. Tashkent region.

Stone amulet in the form of two snakes, II millennium BC. Sokh, Fergana region

Drawing of the rock carvings of the ship, Khorezm, II millennium BC.

Burial of a woman, XVII-XV centuries. BC. Surkhandarya region.

Kyzylcha Manor, reconstruction, VII-IV centuries BC. Surkhandarya region. This is the most common type of manor in Central Asia, which existed for more than one millennium.

Saka’s bronze cauldron, V-IV cc. BC.

Bracelet with griffins. Amudarya treasure, V-IV centuries BC. Replica. Now the treasure is in the British Museum.

A figurine of a priest. Amudarya treasure, VI-IV centuries BC. Replica.

Terracotta images from the Koi-Krylgan-Kala, allegedly IV-II centuries BC, though IV century is very unlikely, more plausible is the boundary of AD

Fragment of the ossuary in the form of a man's head, Burli-kala, information plate indicates the date of III-I centuries BC, but a more plausible date is probably the beginning of AD. It should be noted that large anthropomorphic images were not characteristic of Central Asia until the turn of AD (Common Era).

The hall of the soldiers of the palace of Toprak-kala, Khorezm, III century. Reconstruction.

Samples of the Khorezm script, II-III cc.

Model of Qoy-Qrylgan-kala, Khorezm, IV-II centuries. BC. There are still disputes on the purpose of this building, perhaps it was a temple, a funerary monument or a fortress, or all of this together.

Fragment of the wall painting from Toprak-kala, Khorezm, III century. Copy.

Ossuary in the form of a seated woman, Koi-krylgan-kala, Khorezm, early AD.

Reconstruction of Dahma, IV century. Erkurgan. Kashkadarya region.

Gold plate with a picture of a priest. Amudarya treasure, VI-IV centuries. BC. Replica.

Ossuary, Tashkent region, Beskapa, VI-VII centuries.

Vessel with a bacchanal scene, II century. Termez.

Photo of the hall from Chingiztepe, III c. BC. Surkhandarya region.

Fragment of the rython, II century. Shashtepe, Tashkent.

View of the temple, Setalak III-IV cc. Bukhara region.

Funerary construction of Mughan, II-IV cc. Fergana Valley.

General view of the stand dedicated to Khorezm.

Reconstruction of the fortress wall of Afrasiab.

Figurines from Samarkand, early AD.

"Kushan Prince" from Dalverzintepe, II century. Termez.

The solar deity, Fayaztepe, Old Termez, II century.

Fragment of Buddha sculpture. Fayaztepe, Old Termez, II century.

Fayaztepe, Old Termez, II century.

Reconstruction of the Buddhist monastery, Fayaztepe, Old Termez, II century.

Buddha with monks, Fayaztepe, Old Termez, II century.

Fragment of mural painting, reconstruction, Fayaztepe, Old Termez, III c.

Wall painting, Fayaztepe, Old Termez, III c.

Wall painting, Fayaztepe, Old Termez, III c.

Bodhisattva. Fayaztepe, Old Termez, III c.

Ossuary, Beshkapa, Tashkent, VI-VII centuries.

Reconstruction of Naoussa - premises for storage of ossuaries.

Ossuary, Sevaz. Kashkadarya region, V-VI centuries.

Türkic stone steles, VI-VII centuries. 

Image of a woman, Kuevkurgan, VI c.

Reconstruction of the castle Zangtepe, VI-VII centuries. Surkhandarya region. This is how the typical castle of Central Asia looked like, once they stood in the thousands, now these are all only clay hills.

Reconstruction of Mingiuriuk Castle in Tashkent, VI-VII cc.

Reconstruction of the "red" hall of the Varakhsha Palace, Bukhara oasis. VI-VII centuries.

Wall painting of the "red" hall in Varakhsha, reconstruction, copy.

Palace of Bukharian rulers in Varakhsha, reconstruction.

Fragment of the architectural decor with hunting scenes from Varakhsha, Bukhara oasis, VI-VII centuries.

Fragments of architectural decor from Varakhsha, Bukhara oasis, VI-VII centuries.

Fragment of architectural decor from Varakhshi, Bukhara oasis, VI-VII centuries.

Altar, Sarytepa, III-V centuries.

Fragment of the architectural decor with the image of a female bird from Varakhsha, Bukhara oasis, VI-VII centuries.

Fragment of the architectural decor with the image of a female bird from Varakhsha, Bukhara oasis, VI-VII centuries.

Grave stones with Nestorian crosses and Turkic and Syrian inscriptions, VI-VIII centuries.

Vessel with the image of the cross, Afrasiab, Samarkand, VI-VII centuries.

A dish with the image of a cross, X-XII centuries.

The tips of Mongolian arrows, XIII century.

Lamellar armor of the Timurid warrior, XIV -XV. Shahrukhiya, Tashkent region.

Weapons of Timurid time, XIV century.

The wooden column of the mosque, apparently from Khiva.