Uzbekistan Local Custom Tips by johnsakura Top 5 Page for this destination

Markets

Markets are a must while visiting Uzbekistan and all Central Asia. During your visit you'll see how people live and understand a bit more about the way people intereact with themselves. What they buy, eat and do socialy.
You can buy all sort of things in big markets like in Samarkand: from bread to flowers, meat fish sweets, clothes, chickens etc...

Street benches in Bukhara

This is the way benches look like in Labi-hauz square in Bukhara. this seem to be a very confortable way of passing a afternoon. People drink tea and smoke, play card and enjoy life.

Sweets stands on the street

You'll find them all around the country and in a very concentrated number near big markets. This is a very cheap way of getting a sweet candy, ice-cream or cold drink strong flavoured with some quimic thing...

Handicraft

You should think that Uzbekistan is very rich in trditional handicraft coming al the way from the Real Silk Road era, well think again: IT IS! This is an amazing country full of ancient handicraft and still many ancient patterns and fabrics still remain. Silk carpets and scarves are a must to buy. This is golden embroidery found in Saifuddin Caravanserai in Bukhara near the Labi-Hauz 17th century square.

People and photography

People in Uzbekistan love to be photographed. In this place behing one of Bukharas most important monument, The Kalon mosque on Nurabad street there's a couch market and all the men got together for a "family photo". You should avoid taking pitures without people's permission of course, like elsewhere in the world.

Weekends in Uzbekistan

Families get together for weekends after a full week of work. This is the perfect thing to join and gatter all the family members in order to maintain family contact and help between members.

Country side is often the most well choosen destiny to people to go camping during weekend, this is a good way of runing away from the big cities hard polutted environment.

Melting pot of cultures

All Central Asia s a fascinating melting pot of different people where cultures melt and establish a living contact between theselves. This picture was taken up north Chirchik Valley and you can see some Oriental looking familly riding a side car motorbike. Amazing contrasts of people and religions you can find in these coutries.

Ethnic groups:
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5%;

Religions:
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Languages:
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Women's dresses

Women in Uzbekistan use this lovely cheerful dresses and air scarves. Although already some women had them in Kazakhstan, when I pass the border to Uzbekistan I was in a conpletely different world. Women use patterns with flowers and full of live colours. On the picture you can see what I first saw when got to the country. This was the first bus I took from the actual border with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.