Uzbekistan, a heart of the Silk Road

Uzbekistan is the heart of the Silk Road connecting the East to the West, which includes fascinating and well preserved history. Many centuries ago the Great Silk Road connected Europe with Asia, and contributed to the development of Central Asia, in particular, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shash (modern Tashkent). Numerous centers of national crafts, art schools, madrasahs, palaces and mausoleums were created there. These cities of Uzbekistan gradually turned into one of world's tourist destinations in Asia.

Tashkent - the capital of Uzbekistan

Tashkent is the largest city of Uzbekistan and is famous for its tree-lined streets, numerous fountains and pleasant parks. The city is the main political, economic, cultural and scientific center of the country. The city’s numerous theatres, Uzbek and Russian, include the Navoi Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Also notable is the Navoi Public Library. Tashkent boasts with its markets and bazaars. There are around 20 major markets in Tashkent and the major ones include Alay Bazaar, Chorsu Bazaar, Kuyluk Bazaar, and Bek Baraka Wholesale Market. Last but not least, the Tashkent TV tower is a 375-metre-high and is the 11th tallest tower in the world.

Weather

Uzbekistan is a sunny country with continental climate. It is expressed in sharp amplitudes of day and night, as well as summer and winter temperatures. Length of the day in summer is about 15 hours and in winter about nine hours.

The weather in Tashkent around the time of the Summer School can be changeable, with an average daytime temperature is around 20-25 ℃, whilst at night 10-15 ℃.

Currency

National currency of Uzbekistan is SUM. Currency exchange offices are located at the airport, hotels, in the markets and banks, as well as in district visa and registration offices. Majority of currency exchange offices in the city accept Euro and US dollar. Other currencies can be exchanged only in those exchange offices, which are located in banks. In hotels, currency exchange offices are open 24 hours 7 days a week.

Airport

Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport is the main international airport of Uzbekistan. It is located about 12 km from the center of Tashkent. The airport is the main air hub for local airline Uzbekistan Airways. The international airport has regular bus, and taxi connections to and from the city centers.

The Summer School local organizers will arrange a shuttle to the hotel.

Transport

The city has a good public transport system which is cheap. The metro/underground system with large and impressive stations is quite modern. Tickets (small blue coin size tokens) cost around 1200 SUM for any single journey, regardless of distance or connections (metro only, no bus connections).

Tashkent metro has three lines (trains run every 5 minutes):

• Uzbekistan (Blue line) from Beruni to Dostlik;
• Chilonzor (Red line) from Olmazor to Buyuk Ipak Yuli;
• Yunusabad (Green line) from Ming Urik to Shakhriston.

Visa

Participants who require an entry visa are advised to allow sufficient time for the visa application procedure. The local organizers will support with a letter of invitation and the participants should submit their visa application to the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Uzbekistan in their country of residence. Participants should contact the organizers for support if they need Uzbek visa.

Visa-free nationalities

Citizens of the following CIS countries do not need an Uzbekistan visa for visits of up to 60 days: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Russia.

Citizens of France, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Tajikistan, and Turkey do not need a visa for visits of up to 30 days. From 15 January 2019, Uzbekistan introduces a visa-free regime for German citizens visiting Uzbekistan.

More details can be found ​on the website "Visa of the Republic of Uzbekistan"