Tashkent: Old Town

One day we went to see the old town. Not that I had much expectations, what we found was that they were rebuilding the "old" town. Furthermore, a lot of the old town had been torn down to construct the ginormous Center of Islamic Civilization - "to show that Islam is the religion of intelligence, peace and enlightenment — not the religion of terrorism or fundamentalism," funded entirely by a Russian oligarch. As much as I admire the splendor of the place, I couldn't help wondering what other good could have been done with all that money.

We went around looking at mosques, madrassas, and mausoleums. The highlight was the visit to the central market, Chorsu. The bustle of the market convinced me that Tashkent's population actually is 2.5 million, since the rest of the city is so chill - I find myself wondering - where is everyone?!

Rebuilding the Old Town




Kokaldash Madrasah (left), Hoja Ahror Valiy Mosque (right)


The Chorsu Central Market sprawls out in front of the Kokaldash Madrasah, as in centuries past.


The Kokaldash Madrasah (Islamic School) has been renovated, and there's a landscaped garden courtyard. The students lived onsite in cells that face the courtyard.


The Dome of the Chorsu, as seen from a distance. Additional market buildings spread out in all directions.




After 5 or 10 minutes of walking we were inside the blue dome. Wow!










The under-construction Islamic Civilization Center.




The Hazrati Imom Mosque Complex.