10-Nights Uzbekistan - Naturally Irresistible

Khiva

This ancient city, a trading center on the Silk Road has been a caravan stop since the 10th century. People gather from both east and west not only to trade, but for its tasty and cool water. Legend has it that the city was built around the well that was dug up in the old part of Khiva. This well can be visited today. Once a bustling city with a scarred past, Khiva is now a peaceful open-aired museum clustered with mosques, madrassahs and tiled minarets.

Kokand

This city, set in a fertile region of oases in the Ferghana Valley, is an interesting blend of Islamic, Chinese and Russian influences. Once the chief city of a khanate, Kokand's primary attraction is the lavish 113-room Palace of Khudayar Khan, which has seen a decent restoration. Kokand also has a mosque with a courtyard tower (though it's quite a peaceful place today, criminals were once tossed from the top). Kokand was also an important spiritual center, and its mosques and madrassas are being reopened and restored. The city is also known for its chaikhanas (teahouses), where robed Uzbek men congregate around low tables enjoying endless cups of green tea. Before traveling to Kokand, or anywhere else in the Ferghana Valley, check on the current political situation. 100 mi/160 km southeast of Tashkent.

Samarkand

Built around the same time as Babylon and Rome, the city of Samarkand has seen the conquests of Alexander the Great, Genghis-Khan and Tamerlane's. Centuries of development melted cultures from Arabia and Asia with poets and historians calling it "Rome of the East, The beauty of sublunary countries, The pearl of the Eastern Muslim World." Samarkand is a wealth of ancient architecture with spiritual value making it listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous monuments to visit is the Registan Mosque, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, and Guri Amir Mausoleum and the Shahi-Zinda Necropolis.

Bukhara

The ancient Persian city of Bukhara, located on the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, is more than 2,000 years old. Often visited for its famous tomb of Ismail Samani and a large number of 17th century madrasas, Bhukara is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to being one of the best examples of 10th century Islamic architecture in the world.

Tashkent

The capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent has a growing population of 3 million people. Tashkent preserves its European architecture from old Turkestan and because of its multi-ethnic population Oriental and Arabic touches makes this city a modern and medieval wanderlust.