About Uzbekistan

More elements of Uzbekistan are included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List
21 December 2022
More elements of Uzbekistan are included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List

Great News: two more elements with the participation of Uzbekistan have been included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage took place in Morocco’s Rabat from 28 November to 3 December 2022.

This year’s session became a great cultural event for Uzbekistan, since 2 more elements with the participation of Uzbekistan have been included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

As a part of the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, two multinational elements with the participation of Uzbekistan were included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The following nominations were presented by Uzbekistan:

The first nomination named "Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving" was prepared by Uzbekistan in collaboration with Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkiye.

The second nomination named "Traditions of retelling the parables of Khoja Nasreddin", was prepared by Uzbekistan in collaboration with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Turkiye.

The proposed elements were successfully accepted by the evaluation commission of the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, after verifying their compliance with the criteria for inclusion in Representative List.

During the presentation of the nominations, videos were shown that reveal in detail the historical role and significance of the elements in enriching cultures, supporting local economies, and strengthening mutual respect and intercultural dialogue. The participants paid special attention to the traditional silk production technologies of Uzbekistan and the significant efforts made in the country during the last years to develop sericulture. A unique monument to Khoja Nasreddin, erected in the city of Bukhara, which is considered a popular and beloved character of folklore among the population, caused great interest of the audience.

“Under the leadership of the head of our state, systematic work is being carried out to preserve and enhance the rich intangible cultural heritage of Uzbekistan. The inclusion of two more traditions in the UNESCO list is vivid proof of this,” said Aziz Abdukhakimov, Vice Prime Minister, and Chairman of the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO

Today, the total number of elements of Uzbekistan included in the UNESCO Representative List makes 11 pieces of heritage.

In the meantime, the intangible cultural heritage of Uzbekistan included in the list UNESCO earlier covers the following elements: 

Cultural Space of Boysun District – 2008

Katta Ashula – 2009

Art and Culture of Askia – 2014

Uzbek Palov culture and tradition (Uzbek Pilav) – 2016 

Uzbek National dance Lazgi – 2019

Navruz National Holiday

Art of Shoshmakom

 

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The International Cultural Festival dedicated to Uzbek national dance art with the participation of the choreographic group of Uzbekistan "Nurafshon" was held in Malaysia. 

22 July 2022
A tourist complex in Khiva to be established by Uzbekistan and UAE partnership

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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)

Did you know that there was silk money in Khiva? Super interesting right? Of course, but the best part of having silk money was that it could be sewn into your clothing.

Famous Islamic physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna in the Latin world) who was born near Bukhara was the one of the first people to advocate using women’s hair as suture material – about 1400 years ago.

Uzbekistan has a long and bloody history. The most notorious leader of Uzbekistan was Timur (or Tamerlane) who claimed descent from Genghis Khan. His military campaigns have been credited for wiping out some 5% of the world’s population at the time.

If you have thought that some of the Islamic architecture in Uzbekistan resembles that from Northern India, then that is because Timur’s great great great Grandson, Babur Beg, was the founder of the Moghul Empire that ruled much of India for almost four centuries! Babur’s great great Grandson was Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.

Uzbekistan was once a rum producig country. There is still a real arboretum in Denau (city near Termez on the border with Afghanistan), grown from a selection station that studied the prospects of plant growing in the unusual for the Soviet Union subtropical climate of Surkhandarya region: only here in the whole of the USSR sugar cane was grown and even rum was produced!

Uzbekistan has been ranked one of the safest countries in the world, according to a new global poll. The annual Gallup Global Law and Order asked if people felt safe walking at night and whether they had been victims of crime. The survey placed Uzbekistan 5th out of 135 countries, while the UK was 21st and the US 35th. Top five safest countries:

  • Singapore
  • Norway
  • Iceland
  • Finland
  • Uzbekistan
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