About Uzbekistan

Spartan conditions in the Aral Sea – is all a tourist needs
28 February 2020
Spartan conditions in the Aral Sea – is all a tourist needs

The member of the Russian Geographical Association, the author of several guide-books for the Russian Federation regions and the CIS countries, Andrey Suleykov welcomed the idea of promoting extreme tourism in the Aral Sea region, where the visitors of Uzbekistan would be able to plant a tree in the dried bed of the sea. 

Uzbekistan is implementing the state program on recovering the Aral Sea region and converting the territory into an area comfortable for living. At the same time, the program is intended to making the territory attractive for investors and tourists. In order to increase the volume of travelers in the western part of the country, the tourists will be personally offered to plant a tree to bring a contribution to the ecosystem recovery of the dried-up sea.

The author of several guide-books and an active Russian traveler Andrey Suleykov ensures that the current method is practiced all over the world and has many priorities, yet involves the least expenses.

“Expanding the touristic zone to the Aral Sea region is a viable measure. Uzbekistan is indeed rich in cultural and historical attractions, but the majority of people travel mainly along the so-called tourist triangle: Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara. Such a program is intended to create one more magnet attraction for making tourists travel to Uzbekistan” – commented the expert.  

When it comes to inviting the tourists to plant trees in the depth of the Aral Sea, this kind of approach will increase the involvement of foreigners into the local conditions, thus making them not to be in the expectation of the first class service in the area.

 “This means a kind of Spartan conditions and such types of a getaway as camping, tracking, hunting, etc. Moreover, this makes one get attached to the place and become connected with the environment. The local people will also experience a positive effect by such an involvement of the tourists. Meanwhile, it does not require too much expenses for improving the infrastructure” – said Suleykov.

Considering the relatively favorable climatic conditions and the attractive picturesque of the Aral region, the expert is convinced that the area will become a very demanded direction for tourists, and the ground labor will help to solve even two problems at a time.

“This territory will be developing and promoting itself with the help of tourists, having a positive effect on both the ecology and the number of travelers. When a person has himself planted a tree somewhere or has made any investment, there is a high level of probability that the person will return to the place after some time. He would want to demonstrate it to his children, so that they get proud of his deed. This is a very beneficial approach” – Suleykov also added.

The expert gave an example of the countries, where they let tourists plant flowers and trees, or collect honey in the aim of promoting ecotourism. For instance, in Georgia people take part in the process of collecting grapes, punching down the berries for the wine and try the ready product prepared by themselves.

“This does not require to invest milliards of dollars as in the cases with constructing a Disney Land or an Aqua Land, however, it is more affordable and natural – connection with the Mother Earth” – concluded the expert.

 

 

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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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